BetterPhoto Q&A
Category: New Answers

Photography Question 
- Jyan L. Crayton

Contact Jyan L. Crayton
Jyan L. Crayton's Gallery
 

Flash meters/readers


Has anyone used the sekonic L358 flash meter? If so, how reliable is it?

Also, looking for feed back on taking good meter readings for portraits using film camera with 2 jtl 160 strobes with a hot shoe flash with strobe sock on hotshoe flash.

Thanks


To love this question, log in above
0
June 01, 2006

 

Michael H. Cothran
  Sekonic meters, including the L358, are as good as they get. Be more concerned with the functionality, bells and whistles found on the different models, and which of those you need, want, and can do without. You won't go wrong with any Sekonic meter, in my opinion.
Michael H. Cothran


To love this comment, log in above
0
June 01, 2006

 

Mark Feldstein
  Greetings Jyan:
My only problem with a particular Sekonic meter, the L328 digiflash, is that if it gets bounced around during location work, it requires recalibration. I don't know if it's a Sekonic problem or just my own meter which has had a number of calibrations in the past two years. Otherwise, it works well but my preference is for Minolta AF meters that do ambient, flash, reflected and incident readings (even spot readings with the right attachment).

Flash meters for portraits are pretty straightforward to use. Set one light at a time, point the flash from where your subject is back toward the camera lens (without blocking the light) and get a reading. Turn off the first lamphead and set your second light to whatever ratio you want, in the same manner taking readings the same way. Then try them both together, again making sure you're not blocking the light (or the meter dome). Okie dokie?

BTW, why do you still need a hot shoe flash with the two 160 w/s strobes? Is that your main and the others are fill?
Mark


To love this comment, log in above
0
June 01, 2006

 
- Jyan L. Crayton

Contact Jyan L. Crayton
Jyan L. Crayton's Gallery
  I'm taking pictures for someone and wanted to make sure I had enough light.
The reason I was considering the sekonic l358 was because it has the new receiver that allows it to trigger strobes to get a accurate reading. It's been a long tme since I've done studio pictures. I did it awhile back at glamour shots which was a basic set up with two main&fill light with back light when needed and we used the polaris flash meter that gave a reading. They used digital so you had instant results and I'm using film so I wanted my pictures to look nice.

I guess I don't need the hotshoe flash if I'm using strobes, I'll just use the flash outside @ the event.


To love this comment, log in above
0
June 01, 2006

 

Christopher A. Walrath
  I use mine solely at this point with my Minolta SRT101 to replace the needle meter which works with a battery, but I'm in a HUGE getting back to basics thing. As far as straight exposures, no flash, I would say mine is DEAD ON BALLS ACCURATE!


To love this comment, log in above
0
June 03, 2006

 
Log in to respond or ask your own question.