The Complete Handheld Lightmeter Guide – Photo Premium

Almost every modern camera currently being produced has a lightmeter built into it. It’s the device that measures the exposure, and allows for accurate adjustments of shutter speeds, apertures and ISO settings. So why spend money on a seperate device dedicated to measuring light? In this tutorial, we’ll dive into handheld lightmeters, covering everything you need to know about how they work, and why they can be a photographer’s best friend!

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Become a Lightmeter Pro

Although your camera almost certainly has an in-built lightmeter, do you know exactly how it works? In this tutorial, we’ll start by explaining exactly what a lightmeter is, and how it assists with photography.

We’ll then move on to discuss the different types of metering available: reflective, incidence, flash metering, spot metering, and color temperature metering. Even if you stop reading here, you’ll already have a far better understanding of your your camera works!

Why Do You Need a Handheld Lightmeter?

Cameron moves on to discuss the benefits of a dedicated lightmeter device, and how modern versions of this handy gadget work. This includes outlining various scenarios where a lightmeter can be a huge timesaver, and others where it’s likely to be a hinderance (and you’re better off relying on your camera’s in-built metering).

Product Suggestions

Cameron finishes by discussing the various types of handheld meters available for you to buy today, suggesting a few brands, and different options to suit your specific budget.

If this is an area of photography you’ve considered, but never found a thorough explanation of elsewhere, then I hope you’ll find this Premium tutorial particularly useful!

Join Premium and Expand Your Photography Knowledge!

This in-depth lightmeter walkthrough is available to every Tuts+ subscriber, and will help you to gain an in-depth understanding of how this simple gadget can dramatically improve your photography.

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