Flash Meter Help

sara505

Okay, the Sekonic L-358 arrived today. Is there a simple way of explaining how to use it, especially as it pertains to manual flash and manual camera? :scratch I have been playing with it, understand its basic operation (I think), but when I fire a test flash in manual flash mode, trying out 1/64, 1/32, etc, it tells me to shoot at 1/4 @60 @ 2.8, but the image is completely blown out (obviously--1/4 power is too much for 3m away) I'm shooting at a wall with a bookcase and furniture and a few photographs. According to the distance scale, at 1/4 power I should be 9m away from my subject--but at what aperture and f-stop? Obviously I don't have a clue as to how this gadget works. :yikes Also, I have seen--here--references to establishing a guide number for the meter, but I see no reference to guide numbers in the manual.

Send me back to kindergarten.

Thanks.
Sara

Sara

Shay Stephens

When I am metering, I stand at the subjects location, point the meter at the camera (or where the camera will be) and take a reading. So let's assume that I am outside, and using ISO 100, and a shutter speed of 1/250 (the fastest sync speed on my camera). Let's also assume that I want to use an aperture of f/11 in the camera.

I set the mode to "flash", set the ISO in the meter to 100, set the shutter speed to 1/250. The meter will show the aperture as 0. Once you take the reading, the aperture will show up.

Now at this point, you have two courses of action. You can set the aperture on the camera to what the meter says, or, you can adjust the flash power output until you get the desired aperture value displayed in the meter. In my case, I set the flash output until I get a meter reading of "11". Once I have that, I take the picture. Then review the histogram in camera to see if all went well. If so, then I have at it until that section of photos is done.

You can also see the % value in the meter. A low % value will look like fill, a high % value will look like a main light.

Does that help any?

sara505

Shay Stephens wrote:

When I am metering, I stand at the subjects location, point the meter at the camera (or where the camera will be) and take a reading. So let's assume that I am outside, and using ISO 100, and a shutter speed of 1/250 (the fastest sync speed on my camera). Let's also assume that I want to use an aperture of f/11 in the camera.

I spent a lot of time last night playing with all of this, am starting to get it--a little more, I think. So, instead of pointing the meter at the subject, you point towards what will be the source of the flash. Then you fire a test flash. What if you're standing in the middle of a field and there's nothing there, where you're pointing? Could one also fire a test at the subject and take a reading from the camera's point of view--and here's a dumb question: where do you hold the meter when taking a reading? I found that the readings varied depending on where I held it in relation to the camera. Does it hang around the neck? Is it held up next to the flash (the easiest way to hold both the meter and push the pilot button)

I set the mode to "flash", set the ISO in the meter to 100, set the shutter speed to 1/250. The meter will show the aperture as 0. Once you take the reading, the aperture will show up.

Now at this point, you have two courses of action. You can set the aperture on the camera to what the meter says, or, you can adjust the flash power output until you get the desired aperture value displayed in the meter. In my case, I set the flash output until I get a meter reading of "11". Once I have that, I take the picture. Then review the histogram in camera to see if all went well. If so, then I have at it until that section of photos is done.

I have been reading up on histograms--very helpful!

You can also see the % value in the meter. A low % value will look like fill, a high % value will look like a main light.

I was playing with this feature last night, it doesn't respond today, stays at 100% even if the shot is obviously underexposed.

Does that help any?

Yes, thank you, it's a matter of doing it at this point. It all feels very cumbersome. I suppose it will get easier. Would one use this method when shooting lots of activity and changing distances and lighting? Seems this (all manual)would be best in more controlled situation.

Another question--folks have suggested I shoot in AV, but the meter--at least in flash mode--does not offer this option, only TV.

sara505

After spending some time on the phone to b&h, who tell me the flash meter is really for a studio set up--I can obviously only point the flash meter at the camera/flash if it's on a tripod, and I rarely use a tripod, certainly not while I'm chasing brides through churches or down beaches--so I think I will have to learn to shoot manually, with manual flash, via power output/distance method and keep an eye on my histogram now that I understand it a little better. Does anyone else shoot this way? What has your experience been? I'm a little intrigued by this, because certainly I haven't been that thrilled with auto exposure/auto flash.


Sara
Sara

Shay Stephens

sara505 wrote:

After spending some time on the phone to b&h, who tell me the flash meter is really for a studio set up--I can obviously only point the flash meter at the camera/flash if it's on a tripod

I use a light stand(s), and also use an assistant. So I can walk away from the light, put the meter at the nose/eye level of the subject, point the meter at the cameras position (where I will be shooting from) and take the reading. I am using pocket wizards to trigger the lights with the meter(camera transmitter, light reciever, meter transmitter), so I have complete freedom to go where I want.

If I didn't have the pocketwizard setup, I would have an assistant hold the meter in position while I triggered the light.

Another thought that comes to mind, the meter should have come with a relective meter reading adapter which would let you take a reading that way instead of using the meter as an "incident meter". Try giving that a shot to see if it works better with your setup.


And as to the suggestion to shoot in AP mode, that is a bad idea, since the camera sync speed will likely be conflicting with the auto exposure seting the shutter speed too fast. Remember that flash exposure is controlled by the aperture, and shutter speed has little effect. But shutter speed will have a big effect on ambient light exposure. So a rule of thumb could be to control flash aperture and ambient with shutter speed.

ziggy53

Sara,

You need to assess each situation to determine whether the flash is going to be the dominant light, secondary source or only source.

In the first case you might use sunlight as the fill and flash as dominant. You would need a flash value more than the sunlight provides. You test the ambient light value and then set the flash accordingly stronger.

In the second case the flash contribution is fill and the ambient is primary/key. Again you test for the ambient and set the flash to about half the exposure (or so).

In the last case you might use a bounce technique, or there are instances where you have no choice but just aim the flash directly at the subjects.

My (oversimplified) point is that there is no singular method to cover all situations and circumstances. Learning all different methods will give you a tremendous capability to use the appropriate method as required.

ziggy53