Appreciation post for switching to a handheld light meter

I used to just guess my exposures based on the sunny 16 rule and hope for the best. After botching a whole roll of Portra 400 at a friend's wedding last summer, I finally picked up a used Sekonic L-308. Now I meter every single shot before I press the shutter, and my keep rate went from maybe 60% to like 90%. Has anyone else made the switch from eyeballing it to using a meter and seen a big difference?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_sean1mo ago

Dude same here. I was shooting a birthday party last fall and just completely blew the exposure on like half the roll, felt awful. Picked up a little light meter app on my phone first to test the waters and now I meter everything, my shots actually look how I wanted them to now lol. Night and day difference once you stop guessing.

taylor.mary1mo ago

Cell phone meters are honestly a game changer for people getting started... @the_sean spot on about not guessing anymore. Just make sure you're pointing it at the right light source or you'll be back to square one lol.