If you’re shooting in very low light, such as outdoors at night, consider using a combination of the light meter and the camera light readings. Again, use this when shooting portraits and products to achieve the best possible exposure. With the opaque lumisphere fitted to the light meter, hold it in front of your subject and fire the flash. The small size comes with a reduction of features and ranges of measurements when compared to the other meters on the list. Whether your shooting assignment is capturing images at a wedding, producing short training videos for a local business or producing a cinematographic documentary, the FLASHMATE L-308X accommodates your lighting challenge with accurate and comprehensive measurements that put the image maker in control. It can handle both direct and reflected light exposure measurements in increments of full, half or third stops when using either digital or film cameras. It also has an extensive metering range from 0 to 19.9 EV at ISO 100, and its flash range is f/1.0 to f/90.9 at ISO 100. Its accuracy rating is <0.1 EV on repeat exposures, and when set to the whole stop mode, you view the exposures in steps of 1/10th of a stop.

One great feature of the Sekonic L-308X-U is that it matches your camera’s aperture and shutter priority modes to guide your choices for camera settings. If shooting portraits, this will be around 85mm and results in a relatively narrow field of view. Most meters have a broader field of view – usually around 40-degrees.

Only a single AA is needed to power the light meter. Not having a color touch screen, means the battery life is going to be significantly longer than the Sekonics. It has a basic LCD screen and is powered by a single AA. Two benefits of that light meter design are that it will provide excellent battery life and you can view the screen in full sun. I'm curious which models in Sekonic's current line up has the % fill flash functionality that the L-358 has? Is this called "Flash Analysis" in their feature list? If so it looks like the L-478 has this (at a much higher price than a second hand L-358). Light meters are a tool from the days of film photography that have stayed relevant in the digital age. Whether you need a light meter or not depends on your workflow and what you shoot. It’s a tiny and ultra-compact device that looks more like it belongs in a retro museum than a digital photographers bag – it even runs off a watch battery with low power consumption.

For everyday use, this is going to be the best digital light meter for film photography. No one likes hauling around a larger kit than they have to. The Sekonic Speedmaster L-858D-U is the best light meter for photography. No other light meter comes close to the features that are included. With the advancement in camera technology, you’re probably asking yourself, ‘why do photographers use light meters?’. An advantage of the older style LCD screen is that it can easily be read in direct sunlight. This makes the meter usable with one hand, as you don’t need the other to shade the screen. So products with newer screens have their disadvantages on top of being more expensive to buy.When using a camera to gain metering through the lens, the lens’s focal length dictates the field of view.

A light meter is an important tool for photographers, videographers, and cinematographers. Without a light meter, you’re not going to be able to accurately recreate lighting setups. The Flashmate L-308X builds on the popular L-308 series of light meters, combining a familiar blend of compact and intuitive design with the very latest features, making it the ideal light meter for today’s filmmakers and photographers. The Sekonic 401-208 Twin Mate is a tiny and cost-effective light metering option for those just getting started with flash photography. The Twin Mate measures the ambient or incident light readings plus the reflected light – it combines these measurements for an average measurement range.Please complete the form below for a quote - Please be as accurate as possible to help us give an accurate quote. Handheld light meters have product features that are not found on cameras. This is important when working with lights that are not part of a flash system made by a camera manufacturer, such as Canon. Incident vs Reflected Light Meters It’s a unique and affordable solution for those who love to make the most of smartphone technology when capturing photos or recording video. One potential downside of the meter is that the manual is not very thorough. For tasks such as calibrating the meter, you may need to rely on YouTube tutorials.