Color meters

Does anyone believe that it would be very useful to use a color meter for use with a digital camera?

IMHO, No. The use of a color meter for digital cameras is a waste of money. It would be like "going to your @$$ to get to your elbow". Why spend the money on a color meter to check or calibrate the color on your digital camera when your just going to edit for color on your PC anyways. Don't waste your money. Spend it more wisely on a good lens or other camera accessory. Just my opinion though. Hope this helped. Oh, I hope I didn't sound to harsh. Not meant to be. Happy shooting.

Regards- Erik Barnes

Agreed, although I can't come up with as descriptive an analogy... :)

Color meters (measuring color temperature) were used years ago when "chromes" (transparency/slide film) were shot in studios or for architecture. There was no white balance adjustment in post production - once you pressed the shutter release you were done. With the reading from the meter, you'd know what CC filters to use to offset the color cast.

Shooting RAW and working on a calibrated monitor pretty much makes a color meter obselete.

I have to agree a color meter for a digital is a waste of money. Now if you using a 8 by 10 inch camera in a studio a color meter is a must as the cost per shot is lot, and now days it is more.

The traditional color meter as has been mentioned is not what you need in the DSLR world.

White Balance adjusments either pre or post production (i.e. in camera or in the computer later) are the key to successful accurate color representation.

The simplest and least expensive method is using a white card (white Elmer's foamcore works as does a piece of white matte paper of your choice) and taking and setting a Custom White Balance reading with your camera.

The ExpoDisc WB filters/lens caps are also a good method. A little more money and they aren't always successful with a few cameras or are no better than the cheap piece of paper.

The 'Gizmo' of the year for the professional or deep pockets photographer is the Sekonic L-758 DigitalMaster meter. This will run you $600-$700 dollars with targets and accessories. But you can calibrate your camera's exposure quite accurately. And I mean Pantone shading and levels of color you won't be able to see even if you've done this your entire life.

If color control and very specific accuracy is needed for layout work and publishing, a color specialist may be the key.

You can calibrate your camera with a target and various software including certainly the Adobe products but also Lens abberration software like DxO, and the Phase products also have calibration modules.

First, start with custom White Balance and see if that does mostly what you need.

Best Wishes and welcome to Photography Review!

You will find that under some light conditions the "whiteners" in the mid price papers will give a colour cast, in extreme conditions they can look purple !
Expensive papers can be bought without whitener, really cheap paper won't have any.