# Recommendations for light meter?



## cayenne (Jan 14, 2013)

Hi all,

I'm thinking it might be nice to have a handheld light meter...especially for my video shooting with the 5D3.

What are some good choices, and of course, reasonable price is nice.

Do these things also tell you the color temperature when taking a reading?

Thanks in advance,

cayenne


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## digital paradise (Jan 15, 2013)

Sekonic L-358 is a very good and popular unit. I own one. The particular one does not do a temp reading. Don't know about others but fi they do they will be expensive.


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## cayenne (Jan 15, 2013)

digital paradise said:


> Sekonic L-358 is a very good and popular unit. I own one. The particular one does not do a temp reading. Don't know about others but fi they do they will be expensive.



Thanks for the reply!!

How would you rate something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007KQQUQ/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Looks like it does color temperature along with everything else...?


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## digital paradise (Jan 16, 2013)

I don't know anything about this manufacturer. Where do you see that it reads colour temp? It will give you correct camera settings for both flash and ambient light. So does my Sekonic.


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## Danielle (Jan 16, 2013)

If you want a meter that reads degrees kelvin, you'll have to spend a relatively serious amount. Seconic have one, its not cheap. Look up their site.


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## cayenne (Jan 16, 2013)

Danielle said:


> If you want a meter that reads degrees kelvin, you'll have to spend a relatively serious amount. Seconic have one, its not cheap. Look up their site.



You're not kidding.

I just found this one here:

http://www.amazon.com/Sekonic-PRODIGI-C-500-Color-Meter/dp/B0017KI9LE/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=3V9PVCC4ABLEP&coliid=I2MJYV84FJJKZX
'
A bit over $1216....

ouch.


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## EdB (Jan 16, 2013)

digital paradise said:


> I don't know anything about this manufacturer. Where do you see that it reads colour temp? It will give you correct camera settings for both flash and ambient light. So does my Sekonic.



Gossen has been around a long time and makes a quality product.....at least they used too, my Gossen is 30 years old and still works perfectly. The meter in the link does not do color temp.


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## friedrice1212 (Jan 16, 2013)

A bit off topic here, but I've been having trouble exposing with Velvia 50 film because of the narrow dynamic range. Will a good light meter help me or the metering inside a digital camera like the 5D2 is good enough? Thanks!


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## EdB (Jan 18, 2013)

friedrice1212 said:


> A bit off topic here, but I've been having trouble exposing with Velvia 50 film because of the narrow dynamic range. Will a good light meter help me or the metering inside a digital camera like the 5D2 is good enough? Thanks!



A good light meter will help with exposing film well. There are basically two ways to meter, incidence and reflected. Some hand held meters do both, others do only one such as a spot meter. Reflected meters work the same way as an in camera meter and can be fooled. 

An incident meter measures the light falling ON the subject and will offer the easiest method of getting exposure right as long as the meter is pointed at the camera and the light hitting it is the same as what is falling on your subject. 

I also used to underexpose chrome film by about 1/3 stop, it gives better saturation that way.


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