Can a handheld light meter be used for moonlit scenes or the moon itself?
Asked 4/25/2018
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I’ve read that camera meters often struggle with very dim scenes, such as landscapes lit only by the moon. Can a handheld meter with a narrow spot angle be used to meter the moon directly? And for a moonlit landscape with little or no other light pollution, would a handheld reflected or incident meter be useful for setting exposure?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
8y ago
2 Answers
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Light meters are calibrated to render a middle gray. Point the meter at target sheet of white paper and expose per the meter reading and that paper will reproduce as middle gray. Point the meter at a charcoal paper and that paper will reproduce as middle gray. Point the meter at a middle gray paper and that paper will reproduce as middle gray. Point the meter at the moon are expose as indicated and the moon will reproduce as middle gray.
Now most would agree that the moon would look weird if it reproduced middle gray. Therefore take a reading of the moon and then open up one f-stop and shoot. Next open up two r-stops and shoot, then thee f-stop. In other words made a series. You will find that one of these "more opened up shots will do this trick.
The meter is calibrated to correctly render a medium gray. You must intervene to get the exposure right.
Originally by user44949. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user44949
8y ago
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Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—but with limits.
A narrow spot meter can meter the moon itself, because the moon is sunlit and relatively bright. Even a camera’s spot meter can work if the moon fills the metered area enough. However, reflective meters are calibrated to place whatever they meter at about middle gray, so an uncompensated reading will make the moon too dark. To keep it looking bright, add about 1–2 stops of exposure compared with the meter reading, or bracket exposures.
For the moon alone, a rule of thumb like “lunar 11” can also work well.
For a moonlit landscape, the challenge is different: the overall scene may be so dim that many meters struggle to give a reliable reading. A handheld incident or reflected meter may help if it is sensitive enough, but the same principle applies: meter readings are only a starting point, and very dark scenes often need judgment and bracketing.
In short: meter the moon directly with a spot meter if you want exposure for the moon, and compensate brighter; for moonlit landscapes, expect to test and bracket rather than rely on a single meter reading.
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