I finally switched from handheld light meters to my phone app for night shots

For like 6 years I was lugging my old Sekonic light meter everywhere, even on hikes up to Mount Tam. It worked fine but it was just one more thing to lose or drop in the dark. Last month I finally gave in and downloaded a light meter app on my iPhone, mainly because I kept forgetting my Sekonic at home. At first I felt like a traitor to the whole analog vibe, but honestly the app gets me within half a stop most of the time. The big change came when I was shooting some alleyways downtown at 2am and didn't have to fumble with a separate device. Now I only bring the real meter when I'm doing studio stuff with flash. Has anyone else gone digital for metering and felt weird about it?

2 comments

2 Comments

william_miller1mo ago

Man that's exactly what happened to me a few years back. I used to carry a Minolta IV everywhere for night work and it was such a hassle. The phone app is just way more convenient for street stuff even if it feels like cheating at first. I found the app works fine for ambient light as long as you're not trying to meter a specific tiny spot in the frame. For my own night shots the difference between the Sekonic and the phone is maybe a third of a stop max. Honestly the real meter is just collecting dust now.

faithg261mo ago

I read somewhere that the light meter app developers actually calibrate their sensors against lab-grade equipment, and the difference is usually less than what you'd get from a handheld meter that hasn't been recalibrated in a decade. I keep thinking about that when I see people insisting the phone is inaccurate. For what we're doing on the street at night, chasing perfect exposures seems a little silly anyway. Half the fun is working with the available light and making mistakes. I still have my old Gossen Luna-Pro somewhere in storage, but it hasn't been turned on in maybe three years. The app is good enough that I only pull out the real meter when I'm being paid to shoot commercial work.