Why I still carry a handheld light meter
Every few months someone tells me that the light meter apps on phones are now as good as a dedicated meter. For reflected light they are right: I tested my phone against the Sekonic on a grey card in a dozen situations and the two never disagreed by more than a third of a stop.
I still carry the meter, and it is not about accuracy.
Incident light
The real advantage is that a handheld meter reads the light falling on the subject, not the light bouncing off it. A dark coat in front of a white wall fools any reflected reading. Holding the meter where the face is and pointing the dome back at the camera does not get fooled at all. For portraits and for anything in snow or on a bright beach, that alone is worth the weight.
Speed, oddly
I expected the phone to be faster. It isn't, for me. Unlocking, finding the app, waiting for the camera to start and then tapping the right spot takes longer than lifting the meter and pressing one button. With gloves on in winter it is not even close.
It keeps the phone in my pocket
This is the reason I did not see coming. When the phone is out for metering, it is also out for messages, maps and the urge to take a "backup" digital picture. With the meter, the phone stays away and I stay with the scene. My hit rate went up when I stopped carrying the phone in my hand, and I don't think that is a coincidence.
The downsides
- One more thing to forget at home, and one more battery to go flat
- It does not help much for street photography, where I mostly guess with sunny 16 anyway
- A used one in good condition is not cheap
If you only shoot landscapes in even light, the app is enough. If you shoot people, or snow, or anything with a lot of contrast, a cheap used incident meter will save you more film than it costs.