| Author | Thread |
|
|
03/07/2015 08:26:05 PM · #1 |
Sekonic Light Meter
I found a new toy, ok, it is totally new to me, I didn't even know they made these toys.
Actually had one in my hands for the first time today and actually played with it for quite a while, How cool for it to tell you the best settings in any lighting situation.
This is not something that I must have, it is something I would LOVE to have and think it would benefit my learning and lighting situations especially for what I wish to shoot. It was pretty awesome and I thought it was kinda cool. I always shoot in manual mode, so this is just a faster way to set my camera up. Usually takes me about 30 minutes before I even start shooting something just to be sure I have things right and still off sometimes. I have found this link to the one I am thinking about getting.
How many of you use these light meters like this? Or is it really wasting $$?
I am seriously, thinking about getting one but wanted some feedback before dropping the $$ on it.
Message edited by author 2015-03-07 20:29:05. |
|
|
|
03/07/2015 08:45:25 PM · #2 |
| I use an app on my cellphone "beeCam LightMeter" It does the job well. and it's free. |
|
|
|
03/07/2015 08:48:36 PM · #3 |
Originally posted by GeorgesBogaert:
I use an app on my cellphone "beeCam LightMeter" It does the job well. and it's free. |
That light meter is an "Incident Light" light meter. The app in your phone is a "Reflected Light" light meter, which is the same thing as in your camera and your camera is probably better then the one in your phone. |
|
|
|
03/07/2015 09:37:57 PM · #4 |
| I recently acquired a Sekonic Flashmate 308-B -- and I'm sorry I waited so long to get one. If you're doing anything flash or strobes, you won't be sorry. |
|
|
|
03/07/2015 10:49:21 PM · #5 |
//www.sekonic.com/l-478/incident-vs-reflected.html
Thanks for telling me the difference Kobba, :)
I will go deeper in this subject |
|
|
|
03/07/2015 11:02:57 PM · #6 |
| I've seen pros using these light meters but wonder when our cameras already have light meters built in, why use an external one? Maybe learning to use the camera light meter will payoff better? |
|
|
|
03/07/2015 11:07:35 PM · #7 |
Originally posted by MEJazz:
I've seen pros using these light meters but wonder when our cameras already have light meters built in, why use an external one? Maybe learning to use the camera light meter will payoff better? |
I use film primarily.
ETA: That said, I think digital users can still benefit from a light meter, though I agree it's not terribly essential when you having blinkies and an instant histogram after taking the shot. If you do a lot of studio work and want complete control over your lights (to test for even lighting, lighting ratios, etc.) then I think it's an essential bit of equipment.
Message edited by author 2015-03-07 23:14:14. |
|
|
|
03/07/2015 11:44:34 PM · #8 |
Thanks for info guys..
I do not plan on having any studio at all and it would be primarily used outdoors. |
|
|
|
03/07/2015 11:44:54 PM · #9 |
Originally posted by MEJazz:
I've seen pros using these light meters but wonder when our cameras already have light meters built in, why use an external one? Maybe learning to use the camera light meter will payoff better? |
There are two kinds of light meters: "reflected" light meters and "incident" light meters. Our cameras use reflected light meters; they measure the light reflected off the subject. Incident light meters, like this Sekonic, measure the light falling on the subject.
Now, bear in mind that the reflected light meter has no idea if it's reading a dim light bounced off a white wall or a bright light bounced off a black wall; it just measures how MUCH light is getting to the sensor. Therefore, a reflected light meter has to be calibrated to an industry standard; 18% gray, or what we call a "Zone V Gray". That is to say, the meter assumes the light it's "seeing" is bounced off an 18% gray surface, and gives the correct reading to render that as 18% gray in the RAW file. More to the point, the meter assumes that everything it is "seeing" AVERAGES 18% gray; the sky plus the grass plus the Golden Retriever plus the child blowing bubbles will average out to zone V more or less.
So do a little thought experiment: Cover a significant portion of a white wall with black construction paper. Shoot the black paper only, at the recommended setting, in JPG. Then shoot the white wall only, also at the recommended setting and JPG. NOW set the camera up so it's seeing half black and half white, split down the middle, and shoot THAT at the recommended setting in JPG. Download the results without any processing and look at them. In theory, the black wall will be rendered as a zone V gray, and so will the white wall. However, the Black/White framing should show true black and true white. To some extent this may not be true now, because modern camera meters are "smart" and make other assumptions, but the tendency will be strongly towards what I described here.
THEREFORE, we have "EV Adjustment" on our cameras to compensate for this. If you're shooting a very bright scene, like a snow scene, you'll shoot at PLUS 1 or 2 EV so reneder the snow brighter-than-gray, And if you're shooting a very dark scene, you'll go MINUS 1 or 2 EV to make it look as dark as it should.
SO, what about incident light meters? Well, they avoid all this calculation by reading the light that's actually falling on the scene; do what the meter tells you, and ALL tones should render properly. The incident meter will give you the same reading for your wall whether you're pointed at black, white, or the split section, see? So that's VERY useful, especially in the sort of shooting where you're moving the camera and subject around a lot under the same lighting, and only the background densities are changing.
In studios, we use incident light meters to balance lights; using continous lights, we want, say, a fill light that's 1/4 the brightness of our main light, and we can figure that out. Some incident meters for studio use are able to measure strobe output, so you can balance your multiple strobe setups the same way. |
|
|
|
03/08/2015 12:03:06 AM · #10 |
A handy & quick substitute for a "grey card" when shooting out doors is the grass on the lawn. It seems to work pretty well for a ballpark reading unless you are selecting subjects that are in the shade.
I can see where an "incident"and/ or "flash" meter or both, would be very useful in studio situations. |
|
|
|
03/08/2015 01:01:11 AM · #11 |
Originally posted by Bear_Music:
There are two kinds of light meters: "reflected" light meters and "incident" light meters. Our cameras use reflected light meters; they measure the light reflected off the subject. Incident light meters, like this Sekonic, measure the light falling on the subject.
...
|
Very well explained Robert, thanks. |
|
|
|
03/08/2015 05:18:32 AM · #12 |
| I had no clue there was two kinds of lighting like that.. Thank you |
|
|
|
03/08/2015 05:34:54 AM · #13 |
I used to shoot only manual because I thought that's how the pros do it till I started hanging around with a few pros who all shot av mode or shutter priority with auto ISO on.
I missed so many shots spinning the dials rd when I used to only shoot manual
Granted this is for vast majority of shooting situation if I'm doing any strobe lighting or long exposures or tricky stuff I'm in manual but 95%
Of the time I'm in av mode autoiso and I just control my aperture and + / - ev to adjust
If the camera is picking a lower shutter speed than I want then I switch to shutter priority set my speed and let the camera do it
I've got light metre for studio and my un metred analogue gear and I enjoy it emensly but if you've gotta get the shot let the camera do the heavy lifting and adjust accordingly
Message edited by author 2015-03-08 08:58:57. |
|
|
|
03/08/2015 07:31:46 AM · #14 |
| I totally agreed with Giles' comment . |
|
|
|
03/08/2015 09:21:15 AM · #15 |
Originally posted by Giles:
I missed so many shots spinning the dials rd when I used to only shoot manual
Granted this is for vast majority of shooting situation if I'm doing any strobe lighting or long exposures or tricky stuff I'm in manual but 95%
Of the time I'm in av mode autoiso and I just control my aperture and + / - ev to adjust
|
That is exactly my main trouble issue now and why I was thinking about getting a meter, always messing with all the dials and buttons.
I will start to work with the aperature and shutter mode(Never shot in shutterspeed mode yet or AV) To see if that makes a difference in things.
I have never usually messed with the EV mode as well, as a matter of fact the only time I ever adjusted it was when I was trying to do manual HDR modes. I have to learn more about the EV settings in better details. I only know them for using HDR stuff right now.
|
|
|
|
03/08/2015 11:07:51 AM · #16 |
If your D60 has the "blinkies" feature in the review screen, find that, and you can zero in on the correct exposure within only a couple of clicks.
It's called "Highlights" in Nikon. I'm not sure what Canon calls it.
 Giles posted very good advice. There's no real reason to use full manual unless it's the only way to get the shot in an extreme or unusual situation.
An example would be shooting the moon in a dark sky, or a situation where the light is stable, i.e. shooting from an airplane on a clear day.
|
|
|
|
03/08/2015 11:19:14 AM · #17 |
Thank you!
I am not seeing anything along those lines in the menu, it does have something called Active D lighting- that is on. I do not see anything about highlights in the menu.
I am reading up on the manual to see more to see if I am missing anything |
|
|
|
03/08/2015 12:23:32 PM · #18 |
|
|
|
03/08/2015 02:38:19 PM · #19 |
Originally posted by Tiny:
By the way, save your $$ |
I think I will after learning more about this little gadget and since I am not planning to have studio or invest in a lot of flashes and strobes and then getting awesome feedback.
It's kinda funny how when your shown a new toy like that and the instinct of I want it too because its the neatest thing since slice bread kind of thing kicks in.
Instead, I will invest in a good prime lens glass :-))
Thanks for the huge awesome feedback everyone I was able to really take the advice and narrow it down to have or not have.
also,
I was able to find the blinkies on my D60! I had to use the up button a few times but that is really cool how that works..
Message edited by author 2015-03-08 14:42:56. |
|
|
|
03/09/2015 01:56:24 AM · #20 |
Good that you found the "blinkies". You will likely find that a very useful tool to help you control exposure aka EV so that you don't blow out the highlights in areas of images were keeping highlight detail is important.
A good example would be when shooting birds, to make sure that the light colored feathers keep definition instead of becoming a white blob in photos.
When I discovered the blinkies, I was surprised how dark I had to make the background look in order to get white birds to look good in my photos. Now I shoot them generally with aperture priority, and EV at around -.7 or -1.
I'm happy that you got the urge to splurge under control, and that all of us got to share some good info.
I sort of like Giles suggestion about using shutter priority and auto iso, so I will try that to see if it works for me. |
|
|
|
03/09/2015 03:24:33 AM · #21 |
Auto ISO is camera dependent though I'm on 5d mk3 which is good upto 12800 I might not be so free with ISO with an older camera but you can set limits to this on the custom functions
|
|
|
|
03/09/2015 03:47:18 AM · #22 |
Giles and [user]Bear[/user] covered the brunt of what I was going to post (before I was even posting!), but I think it's also important to note that meters have a usefulness in digital still, but it's very specific. For the vast majority of users, simply taking a pic, chimping, and adjusting as necessary will get you where you want. It takes a few shots, but most (average) models won't notice or care if you script things right. If you think they do, use standins prior to the talent arriving and you can dial it in. Meters are, however, VERY beneficial if you are trying to replicate light setups for consistent looks, or dialing quickly in on an established look. They have their place, but deciding if they are worth it is up to you (obviously analog is a different discussion). Also be aware that if you want a light meter, look for used/ebay/fredmiranda posts, as you can get REALLY nice meters REALLY cheap by doing so.
I'd also say that I'd recommend using manual with any artificial lighting unless you are using eTTL and letting the camera do it all. Manual will keep you from falling into weird flash pitfalls. If you are using eTTL due to the scenario, then let the camera do all the lifting like Giles said. Lastly- D Lighting can be super nice to use if you only capture in JPEG (which has its place, but I generally recommend against). Basically, D Lighting will boost shadows and drop highlights artificially. RAW allows you to control how it does this and when, but if you are run and gunning, D Lighting can be a great improvement. To understand how it works, set it to the max setting, shoot jpeg, and go shoot high contrast scenes with it on and off. You'll see more accurately what it does. Myself, I shoot entirely RAW in order to keep control, unless I'm shooting sports or something like that, in which case the sheer number of frames outweighs the control, when I need to churn things out quick.
Message edited by author 2015-03-09 03:47:29. |
|
|
|
03/10/2015 06:46:10 PM · #23 |
My old Hassy/Zeiss camera/lens combo had a great feature. Once you set your exposure - say 1/60sec, f/16 - you could change the f stop (or shutter speed) and the shutter speed (or f stop) would "auto adjust" (mechanical). So in the 1/60,f/16 situation if I needed a faster shutter in one situation, I could just change it and the aperture automatically opened up. So you could simply decide on a basic exposure and then make on-the-fly adjustments to stop action, get greater or less dof, etc. without having to fiddle with stuff.
Until recently, I really missed that feature that I haven't been able to duplicate in digital world. Then I heard about Magic Lantern a free, mostly for video but with a lot of cool features (intervalometer, time-lapse exposure ramping and lots more) for still as well program that works with Canon cameras. Among it's nice features is an Exposure lock tool that seems to enable one to do what I did with my Hassy - with the added feature of being able to shift the ISO as well. I haven't had a chance to play with it yet, but it looks promising.
This is not meant to be an endorsement of Magic Lantern. Use your own judgment on that. Nor is this meant to hijack the thread.
BTW - I would spring for an under $100 digital flash/ambient exposure meter. I couldn't do without one (well I could, but why?) The Minolta model I use is available used on ebay now for $87. It doesn't "tell me what to do". I use it to help me accomplish my goals (which sometimes include "correct" &/or repeatable exposures). |
|
Home -
Challenges -
Community -
League -
Photos -
Cameras -
Lenses -
Learn -
Help -
Terms of Use -
Privacy -
Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2025 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 09/06/2025 08:13:53 AM EDT.
