Film is not dead, but it’s still expensive. That’s why getting your exposure right matters a great deal to keep it enjoyable and affordable. One tool to make life a bit easier is a spot meter – a device used to measure reflected light in a scene. However, many of them are either bare-bones devices that require the photographer to do some mental (or paper) math or must be paired with far more expensive incident light meters. HEDECO offers a more elegant solution that can help enhance your analog photography with the Spot One.
The Spot One and Spot Metering
For those who may not already be familiar with the concept, spot metering refers to measuring a small area of a scene to determine the proper exposure for that scene. Typically, spot meters take 5% of the viewfinder area and use the center of the scene to properly expose that section; some spot meters may even provide an average of multiple exposure points in a scene. The Spot One takes this basic lighting concept and packs it into a truly pocketable device that reduces potential misreads and maximizes reliability thanks to its on-screen 1-degree target area – HEDECO likens this to “fighter jet gun sights.”
The meter is also designed to continuously measure and display exposure values in real time. A photographer must first set a reference measurement, and the exposure value will be displayed as both a numerical value and a dynamic range measurement of ±5 EV on a bar graph that is visually similar to the exposure compensation bar graph on most modern digital cameras. Not being content with keeping things bare bones, the Spot One also allows many of the meter’s functions to be customizable, allowing photographers to create a reference point not on a neutral area (light gray), but instead somewhere like the shadows if you’re trying to maximize a print’s dynamic range. The Spot One will allow you to set a “placement” setting that enables offsetting the base measurement and achieve your desired exposure.
The Spot One also has a few neat tricks to make it easier to achieve the right exposure, regardless of the lighting conditions. In dark and low light scenarios, the Spot One allows you to properly take reference measurements below 6 EV by holding down its trigger and activating a timer animation while measuring – letting you know when the process is complete. For bright scenes, the Spot One features an integrated hardware ND filter, allowing the user to view the display clearly. Since the ND filter sits in front of the optic path, it will not interfere with getting an accurate read of your scene.
Make it Easy to Carry Around
While it’s generally bad practice, one of the main reasons I never invested in a light meter for my analog photography was the added expense and how cumbersome it was to carry around during a shoot (yes, I know lanyards exist, and I’m not a fan) or remembering to throw it in my bag before a shoot. While spot meters in general are typically the light meter of choice for landscape photographers, making one as pocketable and customizable as the Spot One could be a boon for analog photographers looking to improve their photography while keeping their equipment costs low, so they can buy more film.
The HEDECO Spot One has launched its Kickstarter campaign, and super early-bird backers can secure one for 222€ for the first 100 units, 249€ after. (HEDECO/Kickstarter)