What's needed to USE the sekonic l-358?

I just purchased an AB400 with the hotshoe adapter, to use with my RebelXT. I will be getting a sekonic l-358 next week.
Am I correct in thinking that I meter off the person I will be shooting & then press the shutter so that the strobe fires, to get the meter reading? What do I need to be able to do this? How do I release the shutter to set off the strobes when it is obviously too far away to reach?
I'm sure this sounds totally naive for you pro's.....but I'm just starting out with lighting. I'll be thankful for any advise/recomendations that you can give me.
Kath

Are you using a cord?

If so, that cord will plug into the 358 just as it will with the camera. You can then fire the studio flash units with the light meter.

Enjoy! Lon

That would be the sync cord? I knew there had to be a way without actually taking a picture!
Thanks, Kath

If you want to be totally wireless you need pocket wizards and the radio transmitter module for the l-358.

Right. The same cord that plugs into the hotshoe adapter on your camera.

If you go to Sekonic's website, you can download the instruction manual for the L-358 and read all about it.

Photography is hard, but incident metering is darn near idiot-proof. Have no fear.

Thanks guys. I think I will take a look at that manual, kinda prepare myself. Just starting with the lighting part of this....it really is overwhelming!!

sunnybeach wrote in post #4555152
That would be the sync cord? I knew there had to be a way without actually taking a picture!
Thanks, Kath

Yes, as Curtis indicated. Just plug the sync cord that you would typically have plugged into the camera into the light meter.

You can then fire the flash units wherever you have the meter, with the meter itself. You just push a button on the meter and read the resulting exposure.

Enjoy! Lon

FlashZebra wrote in post #4555129
Are you using a cord?

If so, that cord will plug into the 358 just as it will with the camera. You can then fire the studio flash units with the light meter.

Enjoy! Lon

A link for the cord is greatly appreciated!

zwollenaar wrote in post #4555706
A link for the cord is greately appreciated!

The sync cord is supplied with the AB flash. It's fifteen feet long.

If you use a cord between the camera (and/or meter) and the flash, I suggest getting at least one spare up front. If you buy multiple AB flash units, you automatically have the spare. In practise, you only need one cord because the extra AB flash units can trigger with their optical slave sensors.