I still think using a digital multimeter for every light meter check is overkill

I was in my shop in Spokane last week fixing a Pentax K1000, and the owner insisted I test the meter with my Fluke 87. The needle was off by a tiny bit, maybe 5%, but the photos came out fine. When did we stop trusting the camera's own test and start needing lab-grade tools for a simple check?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_gray2mo ago

Is it about the tool or the person holding it? I mean, some folks just get a kick out of the gear itself, the perfect number on a screen. They'd rather trust a digital readout than a needle or a test roll. Maybe it's the same reason people buy a racing bike to ride on a flat path. The camera is just the excuse to use the fancy meter.

the_gray2mo ago

So you think it's more about owning the gear than using it?

colesanchez20d ago

Not gonna lie, that line about "the camera is just the excuse to use the fancy meter" hit home. I had a buddy, Mike, who saved up for a year to get this crazy Sekonic spotmeter thing. Dude would walk around the park pointing it at trees and clouds all day but never took a single photo with his actual camera. Like @the_gray said, it was all about seeing those perfect numbers pop up on the screen. He'd just stand there grinning at the readings. Never once showed me a print or even a digital file from that whole setup.