Hey guys and gals,

Finally decided to go out and get a light/flash meter- Sekonik L -358.

After doing a search and reading an old thread discussing the worth of a meter- I still have a couple of questions.

Now correct me if I'm wrong, but do these meters still meter for 18% grey like the in camera meter?
I realise the in camera meter uses reflective metering and the hand held version I have is an incident meter- so the reflectance of my subject shouldn't come into the equation when metering, is that right?

Say for example Im photographing a white dinner plate and lighting with a studio strobe. Using my handheld meter- is it going to give me a reading that exposes the plate as grey and not white , like my in camera meter would? Or am I missing something there?

Also- in the other thread, somebody mentioned taking a reading for highlights and a reading for shadows in a portrait shot. ( think it was William (Longshots)). How exactly is this done? Do you just use the recessed sensor (and not the dome part) and place it in front of specific areas around the face and meter all the lights together?

I'd like to get my exposures and lighting perfect in camera- just need to get my head around all the theory of this meter and how best to use it.

Previously I've been using the LCD and histogram but it takes a few test shots- and with up to 5 lights that's a few test shots and running around- hoping I can save some time and improve accuracy here.

Cheers,

Matt.