incident v.s. spot meter at DVinfo.net

Amos Kim · March 27th, 2008, 12:21 AM

So, this is mostly a film question but I use light meters with video also, but when do you use a spot meter as opposed to an incident meter or can you swap them. I've heard conflicting things about this.

Peter Moretti · March 27th, 2008, 01:50 AM

Don't you use an incident meter when you can get in front of the subject and a spot meter when you can't or shouldn't?

Amos Kim · March 27th, 2008, 01:52 AM

is that the only difference? So technically, you can do without an incident and use a spot meter or vice versa? I hope that's the case.

Bill Pryor · March 27th, 2008, 03:13 PM

A spot meter is a reflective meter. I used to use one on occasion to check reflectance off something that might be in the shadows too far away to go over and look at with an incident meter.

Amos Kim · March 27th, 2008, 04:33 PM

but technically, if it wasn't so far away, you could have used the incident meter to check the shadows and gotten the same results?

Bill Pryor · March 27th, 2008, 08:04 PM

Yep. Assuming you read the meters properly. Any reflective meter is going to lie to you a bit--a dark surface reflects less light, so the reflective meter is going to say to open up more than you probably should, and vice versa for lighter surfaces. For example, if you took a reflective reading off a white card and shot what the meter said, the card would probably be underexposed, while a black card would be overexposed. If you hold an incident meter in front of either cards, it's going to read the same, and you would open up or stop down a little based on the film stock, the camera, the look you want. Both meters are guides to use in determining exposure. You don't always shoot exactly what the meter says.

March 27th, 2008, 12:21 AM	#1
Amos Kim Major Player Join Date: May 2006 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 335	incident v.s. spot meter So, this is mostly a film question but I use light meters with video also, but when do you use a spot meter as opposed to an incident meter or can you swap them. I've heard conflicting things about this.

March 27th, 2008, 01:50 AM	#2
Peter Moretti Trustee Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Sherman Oaks, CA Posts: 1,259	Don't you use an incident meter when you can get in front of the subject and a spot meter when you can't or shouldn't?

March 27th, 2008, 01:52 AM	#3
Amos Kim Major Player Join Date: May 2006 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 335	is that the only difference? So technically, you can do without an incident and use a spot meter or vice versa? I hope that's the case.

March 27th, 2008, 03:13 PM	#4
Bill Pryor Contributor Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 4,449	A spot meter is a reflective meter. I used to use one on occasion to check reflectance off something that might be in the shadows too far away to go over and look at with an incident meter.

March 27th, 2008, 04:33 PM	#5
Amos Kim Major Player Join Date: May 2006 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 335	but technically, if it wasn't so far away, you could have used the incident meter to check the shadows and gotten the same results?

March 27th, 2008, 08:04 PM	#6
Bill Pryor Contributor Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 4,449	Yep. Assuming you read the meters properly. Any reflective meter is going to lie to you a bit--a dark surface reflects less light, so the reflective meter is going to say to open up more than you probably should, and vice versa for lighter surfaces. For example, if you took a reflective reading off a white card and shot what the meter said, the card would probably be underexposed, while a black card would be overexposed. If you hold an incident meter in front of either cards, it's going to read the same, and you would open up or stop down a little based on the film stock, the camera, the look you want. Both meters are guides to use in determining exposure. You don't always shoot exactly what the meter says.