What does a light meter’s “X-degree” angle mean?
Asked 7/23/2019
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I often see light meters described as measuring light at a certain angle, such as 1° or 15°. What does that angle refer to, and how does it affect what part of the scene is being measured? How can a photographer use that information to meter a subject or scene more accurately?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
7y ago
2 Answers
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Those talking about the 'angle' refer to the angle of view of light meters.
A standard reflective light meter has a fairly large angle of view, and thus meters for a large area in your scene.
Spot meters have a very narrow angle of view. You've likely seen mentions of 1-degree spot meters. This means that such a spot meter meters for 1 degree in your entire scene, and is therefore a very precise piece of equipment (that is, it is precise for a very specific area):
You can see how the circle in the spot meter's viewfinder, which indicates the measuring area or angle of view, is rather small. For other (in-camera) reflective light meters, this area would be significantly larger, such as 15 degrees.
Note: this circle is not to be confused with the split-image circle many older film cameras have.
Originally by user83099. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user83099
7y ago
0
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The “X-degree” rating is the meter’s angle of view for reflective metering. It tells you how much of the scene the meter includes in its reading.
A wide-angle reflective meter samples a relatively large area, so its reading is an average of a broader portion of the scene. A narrow spot meter—such as a 1° spot meter—measures a very small area, letting you target a specific highlight, shadow, or part of your subject.
Why this matters: in high-contrast scenes, different areas may vary by many stops. A spot meter helps you measure the brightest and darkest important parts separately so you can judge the scene’s exposure range. From that, you can decide whether one exposure will hold the full range or whether you may need to compromise, adjust lighting, or make multiple exposures.
In short:
- larger angle = broader average reading
- smaller angle = more precise reading from a small area
For accurate subject metering, use a narrow angle when you need to isolate a specific tone; use a wider angle when you want a general reading of a larger part of the scene.
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