Question about f/stop settings on L358

Hi, I've done some searching, read through the tutorials, and watched some youtube clips, but I'm still a bit confused on the f/stop settings on this meter.

Basically I keep my camera at 1/2 stops.

I tried first with all dip switches in the off (down) position, and that gives me full stops (I'm in aperture "F" mode).

If I move sip switch 3 up it seems to work. I think I'm having problems understanding the functionality of dip switch 3. I've read the section in the manual a few times and still not getting it. Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you for your time.

I have 1 and 4 up, and 2 and 3 down. This gives f/stops in 10ths. I have my camera set to third stops. I then shoot studio at 1/125th.

Think of it as if dip switch 3 "enables" dip switch four.

You turn dip switch 3 on (up), which then means the meter looks at the position for dip switch four before displaying your information. If dip switch 4 is down (off), you get 1/2 stops. if dip switch 3 is up (on), you get 1/3rd stops.

Dave Jr wrote in post #12364368
I have 1 and 4 up, and 2 and 3 down. This gives f/stops in 10ths. I have my camera set to third stops. I then shoot studio at 1/125th.

Having #1 up is pretty strange.. Do you have a reason for that? Because if you use it to measure ambient light and you are interpreting the value it gets you as an f-stop, you're getting an incorrect reading. It's providing an EV value, not an f-stop.

BrandonSi wrote in post #12364390
Think of it as if dip switch 3 "enables" dip switch four.

You turn dip switch 3 on (up), which then means the meter looks at the position for dip switch four before displaying your information. If dip switch 4 is down (off), you get 1/2 stops. if dip switch 3 is up (on), you get 1/3rd stops.

Thanks, that clears it up!

BrandonSi wrote in post #12364405
Having #1 up is pretty strange.. Do you have a reason for that? Because if you use it to measure ambient light and you are interpreting the value it gets you as an f-stop, you're getting an incorrect reading. It's providing an EV value, not an f-stop.

Ok, I have #1 set from when I was trying out all the modes when I first received the meter. Other than testing the metering out, I have only been using the meter in studio in Auto-reset cordless flash mode.

From reading the manual, my understanding was that you need #1 on in order have EV mode as an option, but that you can still choose aperture or shutter priority for ambient metering, if you wish (therefore, leaving it on would be the way to go). Are you saying that ambient metering in those two modes does not work correctly if dip switch #1 is on?

Is the following incorrect?

Ambient metering options:
Dip switch #1 OFF: aperture priority or shutter priority only
Dip switch #1 ON: aperture priority, shutter priority, or EV mode

Brandon, I just did some testing. From what I can tell, leaving #1 on all the time does not hurt anything. I get the same AV and TV ambient readings regardless of the switch 1 position. The only reason I can see for leaving switch 1 off is if you do not want to have to scroll through 3 toggle positions in ambient mode. Please let me know if I am missing something there....

Regarding switch #4, as Brandon states above, it does nothing if switch 3 is off. The manual incorrectly states several times that the LCD panel displays 1/10 stop only when Dip switches 3 AND 4 are in the off position. But if #3 if off, the LCD still displays 1/10 stop regardless of the switch #4 position.

The thing that sucks is, since switch 4 does nothing if switch 3 off, you can't have 1/3 stop shutter speeds paired with 1/10 stop aperture readings (you have to buy a more expensive model for that).

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but this is how I understand the switch options:
1. For 1/10 f/stops on the LCD > switch 3 off > 1/2 stops only for shutter speed.
2. For 1/2 stop shutter speeds and aperture stops > switch 3 on, switch 4 off.
3. For 1/3 stop shutter speeds and aperture stops > switch 3 on, switch 4 on.
4. If you ever think you'll use EV mode > switch 1 on.
5. If you never use EV mode, or don't like scrolling through 3 ambient modes > switch 1 off.

Dave Jr wrote in post #12364940
Brandon, I just did some testing. From what I can tell, leaving #1 on all the time does not hurt anything. I get the same AV and TV ambient readings regardless of the switch 1 position. The only reason I can see for leaving switch 1 off is if you do not want to have to scroll through 3 toggle positions in ambient mode. Please let me know if I am missing something there....

Good deal! I don't even have a 358 (I use an older Minolta IV F), just going from memory when I did.. I just know my preferred settings for dip switches was always 1-2 down, 3-4 up.

From the L-358 user manual...

"* EV settings
When DIP switch 1 is turned on, EV exposure reading is possible (ambient light).
* Multi settings
When DIP switch 2 is turned on, multiple flash (cumulative) mode is possible.
* Direct settingsIf DIP switch 3 is on, it is possible to display the shutter speed and Aperture in the stop that are
set by DIP switch 4.
If turned off, shutter speed is displayed in full stop and the Aperture is displayed in 1/10 stop.
* Stop settingsThe combination of shutter speed and Aperture is displayed in 1/2
stop when DIP switch 4 is off and in 1/3 stop when it is on."

You want 3 'on' and 4 'off'

Wilt wrote in post #12368438
You want 3 'on' and 4 'off'

Or, if he wants aperture f/stops in tenths, then 3 off and it does not matter where 4 is, because it will default to 1/2 stops for shutter speed.

I realize this is an old post but I discovered this forum due to doing a search about the topic of the L-358 light meter and f-stop. Hopefully someone here will be able to answer my question.

I recently upgraded my light meter to the L-358 due to the percentage ability and want to be able to use this function but with f-stop. I have been attempting to use it in the uncorded method for flash but can't change my f-stop to help figure out at what f-stop I should be at to have my flash be (if I want) 70%. Is my thought process wrong on this? How do I use the percentage of flash and be able to control it?

You can't set the f/ stop in any of the flash modes. That would be pointless because you can't control flash exposure with your shutter.

You set your shutter speed, fire the flash and the meter will give you ambient, flash and combined readings (f/ stop), plus the percent flash.

Then you adjust shutter speed to change the amount of ambient (which also affects the combined reading and percent flash). You can also change the ratio by adjusting flash power or moving the flash closer/further.

Wilt wrote in post #12368438
From the L-358 user manual...

"* EV settings
When DIP switch 1 is turned on, EV exposure reading is possible (ambient light).
* Multi settings
When DIP switch 2 is turned on, multiple flash (cumulative) mode is possible.
* Direct settingsIf DIP switch 3 is on, it is possible to display the shutter speed and Aperture in the stop that are
set by DIP switch 4.
If turned off, shutter speed is displayed in full stop and the Aperture is displayed in 1/10 stop.
* Stop settingsThe combination of shutter speed and Aperture is displayed in 1/2
stop when DIP switch 4 is off and in 1/3 stop when it is on."

You want 3 'on' and 4 'off'

I use #3 on in the studio, to get aperture readings in 1/10 stop increments. But outdoors I switch #3 to off because it's the only way to set 1/3 or 1/2 stop shutter speed increments to match the camera.

thetxphotog wrote in post #14632237
I realize this is an old post but I discovered this forum due to doing a search about the topic of the L-358 light meter and f-stop. Hopefully someone here will be able to answer my question.

I recently upgraded my light meter to the L-358 due to the percentage ability and want to be able to use this function but with f-stop. I have been attempting to use it in the uncorded method for flash but can't change my f-stop to help figure out at what f-stop I should be at to have my flash be (if I want) 70%. Is my thought process wrong on this? How do I use the percentage of flash and be able to control it?

That percentage display shows the fractional contribution of flash vs. ambient, in the overall exposure. For example, 30% ambient and 70% flash. The meter is designed to only show the flash contribution percentage (e.g. 70%) and cannot be configured to shot f/stops.
I have never really understood what value there was in a a display of that light contribution to 10% increments...what would you do with that precision of information (vs. knowing something to coarser 1/4 increments, 25:75)?!

OTOH, the brightness difference display at the bottom analog scale seems to be beneficial information. And that does show the f/stop measured for flash vs. the f/stop measured for ambient.

Curtis N wrote in post #14632345
I use #3 on in the studio, to get aperture readings in 1/10 stop increments. But outdoors I switch #3 to off because it's the only way to set 1/3 or 1/2 stop shutter speed increments to match the camera.

And I prefer my Minolta Vf for the reason that I do not have to switch settings back and forth like that.

I always have shutter speeds in 1/3EV increments (my choice of 1, 1/2, 1/3 EV increments), apertures in direct read increments (e.g. f/3.5) for ambient light, but apertures in 1/10EV increments for flash measurements.