Using 18% Grey Card

[surfer96815]

I am new to this, do I need to buy the large 8.5"x11" grey card or will the pocket sized 2"x3.5" work just as well?

 

[BrianShaw]

Bigger is better unless you are meeting off it with a spotmeter.

 

[surfer96815]

Can I get a reasonable spot metre app or should I invest in the actual metre?

 

[pentaxuser]

Interesting question. I'd have thought that while the big card makes things easier in some ways, the little card is much more convenient in the field. As I understand it being able to focus in not important for metering so even with a 50mm lens for instance it might be possible to place the card close enough to the lens to exclude anything except the grey card?

The 2 x 3.5 easily slips into the pocket whereas there are many occasions where carrying a 8.5 x 11 would be a real drawback.

pentaxuser

 

[jeffreyg]

I have an app Pocket Light Meter on my phone as a backup meter which is rather accurate. To use your phone as a spot meter metering off a gray card may not work too well because holding it close enough to only read off the card might present inaccuracies because of shadowing. When traveling, I take a 5"x5" gray card and a spot meter. Better to invest in an actual meter as you will find that you won't just meter off a card.

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/

 

[BrianShaw]

I've found the light meter app I've used to be good for general-conetage metering but less useful for closeup.

 

[Paul Manuell]

I'd have thought the size of card doesn't matter, all that would be important is that you can fill the frame with it without casting any shadow on it.

 

[Mick Fagan]

I have been using this Mitchell Grey Key for over 20 years, works perfectly. It isn't a grey card as such, but a piece of laminex type of material that just happens to have the same reflective quality of a Kodak Grey card, or near enough that it doesn't matter.
It was designed to go on a key ring, small and wonderful.

Mick.

 

[Old-N-Feeble]

I bought a gray card when I was very young and only used it a few times before realizing a spot meter is a much better option.

 

[Diapositivo]

Can I get a reasonable spot metre app or should I invest in the actual metre?

You should invest in the actual instrument and, once you have it, you can let your grey card at home, because you will find it much more practical to "place" on the film the values that you read in your scene directly with the spotmeter. Normally for outdoor work you are not interested in knowing what exposure corresponds to the middle grey of the scene.
If you use slide film, you measure the hightlights that you want to be readeable in your scene (to have texture) and you place that value on the "upper part" of the curve of your slide film.
Then you check the lowlights where you want texture, and you see if it falls inside the dynamic range of your slide film.

 

[bernard_L]

I'd have thought the size of card doesn't matter, all that would be important is that you can fill the frame with it without casting any shadow on it.

+1
and -1 on the comments favoring the larger card. Just get close enough. If needed, off at angle (still pointing to the center of the card) to void casting a shadow.

 

[Trail Images]

I have a handy collapsible disk, gray on one side and white on the other. Folded up is 6 inches across. Open it is about 13 inches across. Although I find it is handy for verifying light meters and a second check during consistent light it is no substitute for spot metering an entire scene.

 

[pentaxuser]

Well whatever the merits or otherwise of a grey card, we would, at least from Mick Fagan and bernard L, have evidence that a small transportable grey card works at least as well as a big 8.5 x11 card which may be of comfort to those who use the small card or are thinking of getting one

pentaxuser