Light meter

[rksmith51]

Thinking about getting the perfect exposures for wedding shots, is there any merit in using an exposure meter.

Bob

[Oldboy]

Simple answer - Yes. 

[anglefire]

Firstly,

Well, "anglefire" I'm glad you agree Nikon kit is best

I don't think so  Must think I'm 

Secondly, yes light meter would be ideal - but I doubt you'll have time to use anything other than the one in the camera already. Yu just need to learn how to compensate for the dresses etc - and do it quickly.

[Graham]

Firstly,

Well, "anglefire" I'm glad you agree Nikon kit is best

I don't think so  Must think I'm 

Secondly, yes light meter would be ideal - but I doubt you'll have time to use anything other than the one in the camera already. Yu just need to learn how to compensate for the dresses etc - and do it quickly.

I agree with what Mark said......apart from the Nikon bit, obviously!
                                 Graham.

[picsfor]

Weddings way too busy for a light meter, though i'm sure there are occasions when they would be useful.

Would be interesting to see what the guest and resident wedding pro togs have to say on the matter...

[Colin]

IMHO I wouldn't have time to use one at a wedding for the type of shots that I do. I am not in Jonathon's league only doing about 4 a year. Maybe for some of the posed shots but shooting RAW with a current DSLR I don't find the need.

[Jonathan]

Would one help?  Probably.  Do I use one?  Not often.

I know the meters in my cameras pretty well so I generally run with matrix metering + or -.  Tricky stuff will get spot or centre.

The meter in the D2 series was very different so I'd be much more likely to use manual.  Hasselblad is almost always manual.

Srsly whatever works for you.  Are you currently struggling with exposure?

[rksmith51]

I'm not struggling with exposure more than anyone else I suppose. I just thought I would run about shaking it in the air and look dead smart  , Seriously, I wondered if it removed the worry if you took a reading from the subject location. Like you Jonathan I'm fairly confident in the D3s it meters very well, but with something as important as a wedding its not something I would want to let anyone down with. Bracketing and shooting RAW is great to cover yourself, but you end up with at least 2 raw files from each pose that you may be dumping.

I don't want to spend £150 and just leave it in my bag so may just give it a miss given the comments so far.

[picsfor]

Got a light meter App on my iPhone - cost nothing and is almost as accurate as the one that comes with my camera...

[rksmith51]

Yeah, I loaded that one on my phone too but I don't rate it very much, the D3s is far more accurate than that ... as you may expect, but thanks for mentioning it other may find it interesting.