Reflected or Incident

To get the best image from your digital or film camera use a hand held LIGHT METER. Your digital camera can be easily confused and produce unexpected results. Most professionals use photographic light meters to be sure the exposue is correct.  

Reflected light meters - the type of light meter found in every camera, it measures the light reflecting off the subject. There are also handheld reflected light meters to determine exposure settings for cameras which lack a built-in meter, and spot meters measure the light reflecting off a very small part of the scene. Because dark objects reflect less light than bright objects, a reflected light meter can be tricked by an unusual subject or background.

Incident light meters - a handheld light meter which measures the light falling on the subject. Incident meters are not influenced by the subject's reflectance. Many handheld meters can measure both reflected and incident light. Incident meters can be identified by a white translucent dome over the light sensor. A good quality incident light meter can cost a couple of hundred pounds or more.

For most recreational photographers, the light meters that come as built in features of the cameras they use are sufficient for most picture taking situations. These meters, typically known as primary meters, take light readings from a variety of angles to cover the full scope of the area encompassed in the viewfinder. Primary meters automatically determine the ideal exposure for the camera to employ and set it accordingly. Higher end cameras, of course, have more accurate and more finely tuned primary meters, but overall, the use of this all-in-one approach has made taking good quality pictures easy and effective, even for those with little or no experience in photography.

For photographers who wish to have more control over the how the exposure value is derived, however, hand held meters offer the opportunity to take a much higher quality picture in a much wider variety of lighting situations. These types of meters are used to get the most accurate readings possible to determine the most successful camera exposures. In particular, hand held meters are valuable in more restrictive light areas, including situations that involve a great deal of difference between the light on the subject and the light of the entire scene. Hand held meters come in two distinctive styles: reflective and incident. Understanding the definitions and differences between reflective & incident metering is a critical aspect of high end photography.

Reflective meters are similar in function to primary meters. They measure the average light in the field of view as it reflects from the subject. Using this measurement to create an average value, these meters provide a recommendation for the correct exposure for that picture.

Reflective meters are most effective when used in ordinary lighting situations, where the subject of focus does not stand out substantially from the general scene in terms of light values. This is because reflective meters do not have the capability to compensate fully for light or dark subjects. For example, when taking a picture of a white subject such as snow, reflective meters will function as though there is more light in the whole scene than is actually present. Conversely, if the subject is dark, such as a body of water, reflective meters will react as thought the scene is darker than it is. The end result, in either case, will likely be a picture that is over or underexposed.

Reflective meters are also most effective when used with older model cameras that do not have built in meters, or with cameras whose primary meters are no longer functioning properly.

Incident meters, on the other hand, give the photographer much more direct control over the scope of light measured and deciding what exposure is best for that particular subject. The purpose of an incident meter is to measure only the amount of light focused on the subject. Incident meters are designed to minimize the influence of background light, as well as mitigating the relative size of the subject. Thus, whether close or far, small or large, the image of the subject will be equal in all situations, providing for more natural and consistent color, light, and depth.

By measuring all the light in the field to determine brightness, incident meters are able to adjust as needed for wide contrasts between scene and subject. The picture produced using this method will be a much more precise representation of the subject’s actual appearance.

The only major drawback to incident metering is that it does require the photographer to be in close proximity to the subject. In order to gather the most accurate measurements needed, the incident meter reading must be taken in the same light that the subject is in.

Incident meters may also include flash meter capability. Flash meters offer an added method for determining the proper exposure level. They are particularly useful when taking photographs in a controlled setting that utilizes staged lighting, such as a portrait studio or a movie set.

As technology has advanced in all aspects of photography, the design of reflective and incident meters has become both more user friendly and more affordable, making them accessible tools for amateurs as well as professional photographers. Deciding whether a reflective or incident meter is most effective will depend largely on the degree of photo quality desired and the environment in which pictures are generally taken. Photographers who use their meters on a regular basis will be able to develop the proficiency that will enable them to compensate for all types of lighting situations.