Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/12/23

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Subject: RE: [Leica] Incident light: A Question & More
From: "Jonathan Borden" <jborden@mediaone.net>
Date: Thu, 23 Dec 1999 07:24:02 -0500

Art,

The dome on an incident meter transmits 18% of the light that hits it and
hence it reads the same as a spotmeter reading of an 18% gray card. The
advantage is one of convenience (not having to carry and hold up a card),
but there is no technical advantage.

Jonathan Borden

>
>
> 2 questions regarding light/light meters.....
>
> 1) thinking about getting an incident meter and maybe
> a spot meter. I played with a Sekonic 508 at a camera
> store last weekend. It is digital, incident, and spot
> (1-5 deg.). Any comments on this meter from people
> using it or lusting after it :)
> Don't recall seeing it mentioned on the light meter
> thread a couple of weeks ago. I currently use an
> inexpensive match needle Sekonic L-188 Auto Leader.
> Since B&H will get a liitle over $400 of my
> hard-earned cash, I'd like to make this light meter
> decision just once.
>
> 2) regarding incident readings - Is it true, even with
> incident readings, that you still have to open up with
> lighter objcts and close down with darker objects? So
> the advantage then is simply more accurate readings?
> I guess I don't see how this is any better than a spot
> meter reading the important part of a scene, and then
> you adjusting open/close based upon whether metered
> part of scene is ligter or darker than 18% gray.
>
> Now, with reflectinve meter, I either try to meter
> something close to 18% gray (like a gravel driveway)
> OR I meter the scene and guess-timate up or down based
> on lightness/darkness of the most important element of
> the scene.
>
> Am I confused (that's another question) and how will
> my technique differ with an incident meter?
>
> thanks, as usual.
> .....Art (NJ)
>
>
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