Britannica
Sources used in this answer
How do hand-held exposure meters differ from built-in camera light meters?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
technology of photography
Figure 1: Sequence of negative–positive process, from the photographing of the original scene to enlarged print (see text).
Hand-held exposure meters and built-in camera meters differ primarily in their measurement capabilities and placement.
While built-in meters are limited to measuring reflected light—the light bouncing off a subject toward the camera—hand-held meters can measure both reflected light and incident light. Incident light measurement, which captures the light falling onto the subject, is often preferred by professionals for its accuracy, as it is independent of the subject's reflectivity or background brightness.12
Key differences include:
- Measurement Type: Built-in meters only read reflected light. Hand-held meters can measure incident light, reflected light, and sometimes specific qualities like color temperature or flash intensity.12
- Placement: Built-in meters are located on the camera body or utilize through-the-lens (TTL) systems to read light as it passes through the lens. Hand-held meters are separate devices that can be positioned close to the subject to isolate specific light readings, effectively eliminating background interference.132
- Control: Built-in meters often integrate directly with camera settings for automatic or semiautomatic exposure, whereas hand-held readings are typically transferred to the camera manually.13