Sekonic L-308S vs L-358 for accuracy

I'm kitting out a new studio and am having trouble deciding on which of the above flash-meters to go with.

Because it will be all studio-flash based, a lot of the L-358's advantages seem like they wouldn't be much use and I'm tempted to go with the cheaper meters to save costs, however I'm curious as to whether they give equally accurate readings as this hasn't been mentioned in any of the threads I've found comparing them, and the L-358s (the meters I personally use) do seem to have a much bigger photo-cell.

Anybody who'se used them both care to put me out of my misery?

My honest answer is I don't know, but my way of thinking is you get what you pay for, but I doubt there will be much in it.

Hermes wrote in post #5498577
I'm kitting out a new studio and am having trouble deciding on which of the above flash-meters to go with.

Because it will be all studio-flash based, a lot of the L-358's advantages seem like they wouldn't be much use and I'm tempted to go with the cheaper meters to save costs, however I'm curious as to whether they give equally accurate readings as this hasn't been mentioned in any of the threads I've found comparing them, and the L-358s (the meters I personally use) do seem to have a much bigger photo-cell.

Anybody who'se used them both care to put me out of my misery?

The accuracy of the Sekonic meters, according to their specs, are all the same. What is different is the measuring range of the different models. The more expensive models have a wider measuring range. But for normal studio use, this probably won't make a difference to you.

Thanks for the info, looks like the 308s are the best option.

Does the 308 have to capability to do lighting ratios like the 358?

mnealtx wrote in post #5499560
Does the 308 have to capability to do lighting ratios like the 358?

Nope.

mnealtx wrote in post #5499560
Does the 308 have to capability to do lighting ratios like the 358?

I mustn't have read that part of the manual... I just push the button and do what the meter says. I almost always have to tweak it based on the histogram, except in the studio it's reliable enough.

mnealtx wrote in post #5499560
Does the 308 have to capability to do lighting ratios like the 358?

Are you referring to the ambient to flash (or was it the other way around) lighting ratio? If so, then it really won't be very useful in a studio environment, IMHO.

Yes, the ambient to flash ratio - I missed the part about it being all studio-based, sorry for the confusion!

They're the same. Light meters would be useless if they all had different readings (like those cheap thermometers in hardware stores). Sekonic is also a good company with solid products.

Over on www.shootsmarter.com they have a review/commentary/reco​mmendations article on a few flash meters. You will probably have to be signed up (free) and signed in to read the article, but here it is....

http://www.shootsmarte​r.com …&task=view&id=1​20&acat=16

The Sekonic L-358 is rated a best buy at the lower end of the price scale.

I agree that the accuracy of the Sekonic flash meters should be identical, the only difference should be in the features. However, don't expect any flash meter to be dead on accurate out of the box. As with any precision measurement device, meters should be calibrated on a regular basis.

I recently calibrated mine for the first time after watching one of the Frank Doorhof dvd's, and also because I suspected that my L-358 was giving a slightly overexposed measurement. In the video Frank gives a step by step guide to calibrating the L-358. As it turned out my meter was approximately 1/3 stop over. I adjusted and now I am getting dead on readings. According to Frank the calibration should be done regularly, as the meter will "drift" over time.