The Light Meter Explained - How and Why to Use Light Meters

Film Metering - In this video, we look at why light meters continue to be a vital tool for cinematographers.
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Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction to Light Meters
00:45 - Light Meters Defined
01:27 - Chapter 1: Types of Light Meters
04:25 - Chapter 2: Why Use a Light Meter?
07:11 - Chapter 3: How to Use a Light Meter
09:18 - Takeaways
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LIGHT METER FOR BEGINNERS
In the age of digital filmmaking, it may seem like light meters are a thing of the past. Today, digital cameras often have massive dynamic ranges, allowing for a videographer to more easily cover up exposure mistakes in post-production. But most truly great cinematographers use light deliberately and precisely- and to do that, you need a light meter.
SPOT METER VS LIGHT METER
Light meters primarily fall into two categories: incident and reflective. Incident light meters measure the light falling onto the subject. Reflective light meters, on the other hand, measure light reflected off the subject back to the meter. They are also referred to as spot meters, since they measure more specific areas in a frame.
LIGHT METERING
Using a light meter goes beyond just getting the exposure right. It ensures the cinematographer’s visual intent is realized, maintaining continuity across different scenes and setups. Light meters help cinematographers make informed decisions about lighting setups, filter needs, and camera settings, preventing expensive post-production corrections.
HOW TO USE A LIGHT METER FOR FILM
For a light meter to do any of these things, of course, you need to know how to use it. Your process will vary depending on the meter you’re using. For incident meters, position the meter where the subject will be, pointing towards the camera, to measure the direct light. For reflective meters, point the meter toward the subject from the direction of the camera.
Mastering light meters enables cinematographers to craft visually stunning films with intention and precision. From choosing the right type of meter to understanding its application in various lighting conditions, a light meter is an invaluable tool in the cinematographer's toolkit, whether you’re shooting film or digital.
#FilmTheory #VideoEssay #Filmmaking
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[@whitededits]

Props to the assistant editor or intern for sourcing all the clips in this video

[@StudioBinder]

Just one editor did all the work!

[@whitededits]

@@StudioBinder Awesome job, editor!

[@johnbrats2833]

@@StudioBinderonly one editor wow, he is a great deal I promise

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StudioBinder when I accept my Oscar you’re getting the craziest shoutout. Speaking it into existence now!

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We can't wait!

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Same

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Hi Dp here let's collab for Oscar's

[@mastermcginnis]

This channel is an absolute gold mine of information. I appreciate the specificity of topics and how well they are explained sans filler.

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Thanks for that! We try our best.

[@PaulJayOrama]

Surprised when I saw myself. I love Studiobinder and your channel. Thanks for the mention!

[@StudioBinder]

You're very welcome! Thanks for putting out such solid content!

[@RadianSEE]

i had the same pleasant surprise

[@PaulJayOrama]

@@RadianSEE 🙏🏽🙏🏽👊🏽👊🏽

[@Prens1]

You guys are doing great work on KZbin. Go on!

[@danielmanege5775]

am the first one to comment....i was learning on light meters when this clip appeared, it's like it was created specifically for me, thank you studio binders

[@reallyfurious]

Me too! I literally just downloaded a light metre for my phone to take some pictures earlier and I was watching the instructional videos for it. Synchronicity!

[@skyteus]

I needed this a couple mounths ago 😅

[@pezcadron6364]

*second coment

[@StudioBinder]

The universe has brought us together!

[@DinkyDingus]

No it was made for me

[@TimeCodeMC]

I come from the German community and I really have to say that the information given to me video after video is super informative and helpful. I also think it's great that numerous film quotes and examples are used. I think this makes it easier to remember the information. I am very interested in this area and try to educate myself in this area every day, especially through numerous books and videos, and this channel is one of my favorites in the production of information media in the field of film. The execution is fantastic, the content sticks, the information is like gold and it's all free! What more could you want?

[@zer0K0000l]

Everyone is a cinematographer until the light meter comes out 🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂

[@Beatdropmagazine9157]

😂😂

[@StudioBinder]

😆

[@ketchups2777]

😂

[@amirshakur4322]

Gotta start somewhere my guy 🤷🏾‍♂️

[@melvilleent8140]

😂😂😂

[@solertia33]

I’m not surprised to see Roger Deakins using a light meter. His lighting always looks so precise, even when it’s supposed to look otherwise.

[@StudioBinder]

He's the best!

[@nitevibe9886]

He doesn’t know much about light in his own words 😉

[@RogerDeakins349]

*Studiobinder could you please make a video on Semiotics, iconography and Frankfurt School's thoughts in filmmaking?* ❤❤

[@StudioBinder]

Those are interesting topics. We just might!

[@kris4637]

How do you guys find the right movie clips? Some super complicated organisation system? Motivated intern? Super secret software?

[@mrKartoffel02]

I'm pretty sure they use the website Shotdeck or something similar. In there you can look up a word and then every clip in their database, with that word included, will show up. I just tried searching for "light meter" in there and most of the clips used in this video showed up :)

[@sambrandner]

Motivated intern 😂😂😂

[@marcelosantos5683]

I don't remember the name but there is a website where you can search for shots based on what they show, as for the behind the scenes footage, they probably have some internal organization I guess

[@kris4637]

@@marcelosantos5683 it's called Shotdeck and another one is called frameset. But I don't think we can search by dialogue in any of those tools.

[@StudioBinder]

We do use ShotDeck but it's also just a whole lotta Googling!

[@Eraserhead1995]

My fav KZbin channel ❤

[@Batman00785]

I love your video a lot .... thanks for your edit and hard work to show us about light meter

[@Kirkosaur]

as always awesome video. You guys are awesome

[@StudioBinder]

Thanks for saying so and thanks for watching!

[@vicentecampos2893]

Another lesson. Thanks.

[@rayancedrichaddad1197]

"Go Go Gadget Go Light Meter!"😅💫⭐🌟 Thousand Thanks StudioBinder for this Inspiring video about the Light Meter. A very useful Gadget in Filmmaking process.

[@StudioBinder]

You're very welcome!

[@Eyeofkamau]

You guys are the best… still waiting on an offline & mobile version of your app though. Are you guys working towards that?

[@freddyjosereginomontalvo4667]

Awesome videos as always say 🌍🌟

[@StudioBinder]

Glad you like them!

[@nickgastaris2933]

😭I was literally looking for a good video on this topic and yall just posted one perfect timing!

[@StudioBinder]

Perfect timing!

[@harpenfluit]

Thank you for the overview of using a light meter. I'd like to add that, from my training, when measuring light with an incident meter, it's advised to have the lumisphere directed towards the key light source.

[@StudioBinder]

That's a great tip!

[@sh8k867]

This is what I was waiting for a long. Thank you @StudioBinder❤

[@StudioBinder]

You're very welcome!

[@TimVels]

This is soo cool!

[@StudioBinder]

Thanks! It's a fun topic.

[@MiguelNdiweni]

Lighting is important in filmmaking thanks Studiobinder

[@StudioBinder]

We'd be nowhere without it!

[@valerintproductions]

I come from digital BUT I always wanted to pickup a light meter and when I did it just help gave an even better understanding of everything! I love False color and it's my go to but FC doesn't typically deal in Stops of light (it goes by IRE values from 0-100),, except for that one monitor who I forget programed it so it actually did. And technically RED cameras Gio Scope tries to ID specific stops of the camera's dynamic range and not IRE. BUT one pro tip this doesn't mention is the importance of Incident and Reflective. Depending on the person's skin tone you want to cross-reference both and with false color because for instance, if you meter a light at middle grey, if it's a person of light skin tone, they will most likely be one stop OVER middle grey which is important to note especially if you actually want THE PERSON to be middle grey (green on False Color) in which case you would actually want your meter showing one stop below middle grey and not AT middle grey.

[@NIGHTvdj]

somebody 'saw the light' at 1:56 and I fully approve of that! :P

[@30oneee]

Thnkkssss❤️

[@StudioBinder]

You're welcome!

[@VariTimo]

You can meter for cinematography with a still meter fine. Just set it to shutter priority at the fixed shutter speed. You’ll get the same aperture reading you’d get from a cine meter, you’ll just need to calculate the ND factor yourself.

[@colinthomas2525]

Nd, ir cut, and diffusion filters

[@bollywoodfightactionreacti9189]

Nice ❤

[@StudioBinder]

Thanks 🔥

[@haka9594]

I’ll definitely give credit to studio binder when I become filmmaker

[@StudioBinder]

That's very kind of you!

[@kirillbach6298]

thanks

[@StudioBinder]

Welcome!

[@edgarlozano9382]

Gracias

[@StudioBinder]

De nada!

[@uncledoug-eu1xt]

do you think you could do a video on the enneagram it's a way to track how people are motivated and you can use it as a pretty cool writing trick also is the studio binder software free

[@StudioBinder]

Hmm, that's an interesting topic!

[@uncledoug-eu1xt]

@@StudioBinder this is a video that gave me basic info on the topic for research kzbin.info/www/bejne/gpDafJuJmc2CbZosi=reH8vGEB441FcnLK

[@redbeardproductions-kevind9806]

EL zones are the way to go. It's like a lut that meters everything in the frame at once.

[@StudioBinder]

Thanks for the tip!

[@brunoscali]

06:06 i think is wrong. 2:1 represents 1 stop of light, 4:1 are 2 stops, and 8:1, 3 stops.

[@theowlfromduolingo7982]

You forgot to mention that the reflective meter renders the readings as 18% grey.

[@clivebrincat88]

Both reflectance and spot are based on 18% middle gray. With spot you Obviously have to compensate depending what you’re metering ( zone system)

[@hDesk]

Finally

[@StudioBinder]

It's here!

[@stpdop3220]

Best budget lights that a cinematographer needs. Can you take this topic

[@thhrjdh5564]

Like I knew lighting was important, and there's a bit of technicality to it. But damn!! I didn't know there's a whole science behind it.

[@StudioBinder]

There's so much cool science and technical stuff in filmmaking!

[@user-oc6mr1jr6s]

For us digital shooters, shouldn' the meter in camera be best option as it measures light for the specific camera

[@kistovisback]

Unless you're working on a big production, multiple cameras, scenes shot across different days etc, in my opinion, a light meter is not needed.

[@user-oc6mr1jr6s]

@@kistovisback thank you for your reply. I started as a photographet and in digital photography light meters are kind of abandoned due to effective in camera meetering and zebras.

[@StudioBinder]

Yeah, the in-camera meters are great! Start there and if you feel the need to try something new, pick up an external meter.

[@MwayiComfort]

❤❤

[@StudioBinder]

❤

[@adibshirazi]

👌👌

[@StudioBinder]

Thanks for watching!

[@Chill_Mode_JD]

💡💡💡

[@StudioBinder]

Let there be light!

[@orlandoadrian]

@robchado 7:45

[@udeydeepkhokhar1298]

I don't understand what does he means with STICKS in shots ?

[@Vitaphone]

Noooo what happen to the posh voice… tell me you didn’t let him go, I always look forward to the videos and the sense of old school class his VO brought.

[@StudioBinder]

Don't worry, he'll be back!

[@Vitaphone]

@@StudioBinder no slam at the guy who did this one, glad to hear it’s not a rebranding thing, don’t even care if he’s an AI voice, just ads a unique vibe to the fantastic channel.

[@Awakenbeing]

these are gems

[@icetech6]

I wish more movies/tv shows would pay attention to light... it's almost like it's forgotten now (except the koreans, they make beautiful movies) There is a new tv show called Shogun that is one of the worst lit things i have ever seen... first episode they are in the hull of a ship having a fight scene and there is basically a baseball stadium light behind the guys fighting... in a ships hull without electricity.. it just annoys me soo much.

[@StudioBinder]

Lighting is crucial!

[@NucleusMediaMalayalam]

Sir add the subtitle

[@StudioBinder]

They're added now!

[@FilmPunk]

Cinematographers don't use contrast ratios..Photographers do. DoPs use stops of difference.

[@StudioBinder]

Thanks for clarifying!

[@harpenfluit]

I respectfully disagree. In my experience, both terms are commonly used among cinematographers, and the preference largely depends on the individual's training, background, or personal style.

[@peterkalyabe7553]

All along, I assumed those binocular-looking devices were sharp cameras or something. Mhh! Thank you.

[@StudioBinder]

You bet!

[@danielasanchez4674]

Middle gray card

[@1Bujbuj]

Selling my sekonic l858 light meter if anyone in EU is looking for a good used one.

[@nicolau2]

Footcandles!! Lol These imperial measurements are hilarious, if they weren't, sadly, still in use

[@StudioBinder]

Agreed. We'd all be better off with the metric system.

[@tylerbailey4279]

How to properly pitch a script

[@StudioBinder]

Good idea! It's on our list.

[@12yfilms]

Ever since incorporating EL Zone into my workflow, I haven't touched my light meter=(. In my opinion, EL Zone is the best form of false color.

[@stevenkralovec]

The EL Zone system is amazing!

[@StudioBinder]

That's awesome!

[@moonshine7374]

Some cameras have light meters built into them - Do your writers use references from mid-20th century?

[@AANasseh]

Light meters were necessary during photography days, when a burst of flash could not be seen prior to exposure. Today, with constant lights of digital filmmaking (or even photography,) and high quality false color and wave forms in calibrated monitors, I think modern tools are far more accurate and predictable than a light meter. But people who are trained a certain way tend to remain that way; furthermore, people who want to look like people who are trained a certain way emulate their ways blindly too! My light meter and colorometer have been gathering dust for a long time. Use Waveform for the background and false color for the foreground and talking heads. That's all you need IMHO. (But for location scouting it's a light and simple tool to carry).

[@regenosis]

Sorry to go on a slight tangent, but I learned you generally want to overexpose (maybe up to 2 stops) in digital filmmaking, so you have more room in post. So if you are metering or using false colors/wave forms during the shoot, you wouldn't look for the "correct" exposure but rather the overexposed values right?

[@StudioBinder]

It's true, everyone's got their favorite tools. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

[@AANasseh]

@@regenosis that’s a legit question. You tend to expose some log images to the right to lift the shadows (not all log to the same degree.) otherwise, it’s important that you use a conversion LUT (Rec709 or your final LUT) on your viewing monitor prior to setting exposure with false color. That’s how that works. If not, you have to look at your manufacturer’s recommended Skin Tone values for the log and set it to that exact value for the best final exposure. Alternatively, you can set your camera to AV or TV and run auto ISO and arrange exposure with the exposure compensation (+1.0-2.0 depending on your camera/log recommendations.)

[@regenosis]

@@AANasseh Thanks for the answer! My camera does show a preview of the image during the shoot as I think a simulation of rec709. Not sure if it'd actually be rec709 but it certainly looks closer than if I had that mode off while shooting log. So you mean from this point on, I should just look for the correct exposure? Not 2 stops above?

[@AANasseh]

@@regenosis Yes, don't over expose an image that looks good in the back of the monitor if the correction LUT is already applied. But your camera doesn't have waveform and may only have histogram. If so, you can use zebras set to 55% or something like that and make sure they appear on the person's face if it's an interview of a talking head. Without an external monitor you're left to histogram and zebras on your camera... unless you use a light meter! : )

[@GlennHanns]

Your lighting ratios are incorrect 2:1 is 1 stop difference, 4:1 is 2 stops difference and 8:1 is 3 stops difference.

[@sameerapprevieww]

Shine brightly but not too bright 🌅 😂😂

[@benjamincorteslyon6777]

6:02 Contrast Ratio values are wrong. 1:1 is the same contrast, 2:1 is 1 stop, 4:1 the double, 2 stops and 8:1 are 3 stops and not 4 as you mentioned. 4 stops is 16:1. All the best

[@razorbladethorax]

I guess I'm getting a light meter? Man ... I'm broke ...

[@arpanbhattacharya203]

seeing uttam kumar ..RAY>>>>>>>

[@azizbekurinbaev1]

cool video bring back british narrotor

[@StudioBinder]

Thanks! Don't worry, he'll be back.

[@andriescarstens9245]

I do not know why you keep on referring to "reflected" meters and show only a "spotmeter". With a little more homework on meters you would also see that your so called "incident" meters, on removing the sphere, you measure reflected light. Spotmeters are used for specific applications and the main difference is the measuring angle, which you do not even mention.

[@skyteus]

Footcandles? I've never heard anything more American sounding 😂

[@StudioBinder]

Can't deny it, it's a funny name.

[@JoaoSilva22222]

Shine bright, but not too bright Lol.

[@unspecialist]

Nice video but people should also know that cinematographers/DPs/Gaffers nowadays actually barely use light meters, literally 1 out of 15. And only saw that in the last 5 years because of being shot on film. With digital it’s all about the look and looking at the viewfinder or set monitor.

[@sivaneha97]

@01:05 it is iso, shutter speed/angle and fps not iso, shutter speed/angle, aperture. Please correct it.

[@StudioBinder]

Sorry to quibble and thanks for the feedback but the Exposure Triangle does contain ISO, shutter speed, and and aperture.

[@abouthisbiz4330]

This video didn't tell me anything. I mean absolutely nothing. But I watched the whole thing and left a comment, I guess that's all that matters to the creator but it would be nice to learn something too.

[@j.a.weishaupt1748]

Ugh. This 13-in-a-dozen guy again.

[@OleqsaH]

Not ISO, but Sensitivity. ISO is just a standard, not the name. So stupid everyone keep using it as name for sensitivity.

[@StudioBinder]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@smackdaddy9802]

Do I love light meters? Do I adore Florence Pugh? Did Studio Binder just give me both in a single video!?! Yes 3x. I stan you, StudioBinder. One of the best channels ever.

[@StudioBinder]

Thanks! We appreciate the encouragement.

[@Alterinc]

My light meter is my eyes lol