When you look through your view finder in your camera (the eye piece) you should see something similar to this scale. This is your light meter and it is essential to understand how it works. Read the articles in the links for this post to learn about it.
http://photo.tutsplus.com/tutorials/shooting/perfect-exposure-every-time-a-guide-to-metering-in-the-viewfinder/
http://www.fodors.com/travel-photography/article-using-your-light-meter-73/
http://photo.tutsplus.com/tutorials/shooting/perfect-exposure-every-time-a-guide-to-metering-in-the-viewfinder/
http://www.fodors.com/travel-photography/article-using-your-light-meter-73/