Light Meters

A light Meter,as the name suggests, is used for measuring the amount of light. In photography a light meter is used to determine the perfect exposure of a photograph. The computer that a light meter includes allows the photographer to decide upon the shutter speed and f- number should be selected of maximum exposure under a particular situation and film speed.

A light Meter is a very useful accessory in the field of photography. Specially in situations where the subject is located in a light which is drastically different from where the photographer is standing. Such a situation is faced while shooting at a concert or at any stage show for that matter. A light Meter solves this problem and allows to take pictures from a distance.

Reflective Light Meters measure the light that is reflecting off the subject. A problem with this kind of a light meter is that it varies with the costume of the subject,as light from a man wearing white shirt will be more than a person wearing a black shirt. However, despite this drawback Reflective light meters are used in cameras as it is the best way of measuring light at a distance.

Incident Light Meters measures the light falling onto a subject. This is the most usual light meter with a white dome on the top of the meter cell. In the case of an Incident light meter one must stand in front of the subject and point the dome at the position of the camera. Although the Incident light meter is more accurate it is easier to use a Reflective light meter.