Do I have to have a light meter for this?

I just bought a 2 strobe package w/ umbrellas and stands from adorama and a Sigma EF-500 DG ST. The strobes are both slaves, firing off of my main flash unit on camera.

Is there a built in mechanism for my 350D to handle this setup, or am I going to have to buy a light meter and control exposure manually? Is there a way to fire, have the 350D meter, then use those settings on the subsequent shots? I am such a noob at this it isn't funny.

So far I have been firing, looking at the histogram, firing. Not very effective, and my models have been getting antsy. (They are 11 and 4).

There is no built-in metering in any DSLR for studio flash units. There is no automated control of exposure built into any DSLR's for studio flash setups.

You can continue to use the guess-and-chimp method (using the histogram for determining needed change) or get a decent handheld meter that can measure the output of flash sources.

I highly recommend the Sekonic L-358 for your purposes.

Skip, how does this usually work? You feed the meter your 2 knowns, like ISO and Shutter, test fire, then it spits out an appropriate aperture? You dial it in to you camera and shoot?

Where does the light meter actually go during readings? Do you aim it at the subject or does it sit in the same spot as the subject for test firing?

Are there any meters I could get by with for less than the Sekonic? If it is necessary I can get it, but if it is just slightly better than something else I'd rahter save a few bucks. You can probably tell that by my choice of flash.

Thanks
Lonnie

You've got how it works pretty much figured out These sorts of meters are (generally) incident light meters, which need to be positioned where your subject is. Note that your subject may have an impact on the results, as people reflect or absorb light too

There are some cheaper options (check on B&H), but let me tell you now ... you won't regret dishing out for the L-358. It has a lot of smarts to help you out and is expandable with a PocketWizard transmitter for when you get REALLY serious The cheaper units are a lot clunkier to use and tend not to have the ambient metering options you might use out of the studio. I got mine in from Hong Kong via eBay.

Good info. I didn't even consider the fact that you could use the meter for outdoor shots, but that makes sense. You could get a perfect exposure every time that way, of your subject anyway.

Oh hell, what's one more thing to buy? Maybe I shoulda just started a coke habit? Mighta been cheaper.

Thanks again.

lhoney2 wrote in post #2662942
I just bought a 2 strobe package w/ umbrellas and stands from adorama and a Sigma EF-500 DG ST. The strobes are both slaves, firing off of my main flash unit on camera.

Just an FYI for anyone reading this thread, your Sigma will need to be in manual mode for this to work. If you dial it down to 1/16 power and aim it sideways, it will trigger the strobes without adding significant light to your subject.

lhoney2 wrote in post #2662942
I just bought a 2 strobe package w/ umbrellas and stands from adorama and a Sigma EF-500 DG ST. The strobes are both slaves, firing off of my main flash unit on camera.

Is there a built in mechanism for my 350D to handle this setup, or am I going to have to buy a light meter and control exposure manually? Is there a way to fire, have the 350D meter, then use those settings on the subsequent shots? I am such a noob at this it isn't funny.

So far I have been firing, looking at the histogram, firing. Not very effective, and my models have been getting antsy. (They are 11 and 4).

If you have a mostly static setup, where the flash to subject distance does not change much, you should be able to get your exposures very close in advance of humans arriving to the session (using the method you describe above), and make very quick minor adjustments when the session starts.

Even without a meter, if you plan in advance, setting your exposure with the histogram should not be burdensome when a session starts.

A light meter may not be necessary, but if you have more than one studio type strobe, or more than one of any type of manual flash, it can make precise ad hoc setup quicker.

Enjoy! Lon

I'm also looking at getting a light meter. Anyone know offhand if the 558 or 758 is worth the extra cost of the 358? Having never used a light meter before, I'm not sure if these are just bells and whistles or if its something I'd actually use.

Thanks,
Robert

Reptile Bob wrote in post #2665744
I'm also looking at getting a light meter. Anyone know offhand if the 558 or 758 is worth the extra cost of the 358? Having never used a light meter before, I'm not sure if these are just bells and whistles or if its something I'd actually use.

Thanks,
Robert

Why stop with the "bells and whistles" verses cost trade off with the units you cite. The Sekonic L-308 is also a very good meter (light, small, accurate, the needed features, and low cost).

Enjoy! Lon