Good Light meter studio and outdoor

I weakened and ordered a 358.

I feel dirty!

I may have to look into getting one of these! I have been having a huge problem getting my exposure right, this looks like the thing to help with that!

pprice wrote in post #6051636
I may have to look into getting one of these! I have been having a huge problem getting my exposure right, this looks like the thing to help with that!

Meter the light before you start. Put it in M and set it. If the light changes, meter again... soon you'll be able to judge how much to dial up or down depending on the change you see without checking the meter so much.

Your exposures will start to be more consistent once you go to M as the camera meter won't be swinging wildly at every blip of white or black in the frame. You'll like it, I think... and you'll feel smarter as you won't be depending on the guesses of the latest and greatest exposure program.

Picked up a Gossen DigiFlash, meter is good, working with it sucks.
Went back to my Luna Pro F, just wish it fit my pockets like the DigiFlash

Jack

jr_senator wrote in post #5916179
Gossen Luna Pro F, if you can find a good one (discontinued). And,no,mine is not for sale.

My L358 poverty transmitter

AB8ND wrote in post #6052091
Picked up a Gossen DigiFlash, meter is good, working with it sucks.
Went back to my Luna Pro F, just wish it fit my pockets like the DigiFlash

Jack

Yeah, the Luna Pro F is not a compact meter. I'm too fond of it to give it up though. I wear it on a strap that came with it around my neck. I know everything is digital now a days but I bet if those that have them used a good analog meter many would get one.

TheHoff wrote in post #6051859
and you'll feel smarter

SOLD .

Wow, so you get the reading off of your subject and this thing pretty much tells you what to set you camera too? If this is the case, I am for sure sold!!!

Lotto wrote in post #6052244
My L358 poverty transmitter

A bit OT, but with a flash meter, how do you meter for multiple strobes in order to set a ratio? So my light would be ambient, key, and fill. Assume I want a 2:1 ratio.

Ambient, as in outdoors in the daylight?

To set ratios for strobe, each strobe is metered and adjusted individually. For example of the 2:1 main/fill ratio, I would meter and set the main light to let's say f8, and the fill light to f5.6.

The L358 can read percentage of the flash from bright ambient light. If I fire the strobe outside and the meter read 50%, that means exposure is contributed by half from the flash, half from the ambient. If I want 2:1 flash to ambient ratio, I would increase the strobe power (and aperture on the camera) till the L358 reads about 65%.

Thx Lotto. So in the example of f8 (main) and f5.6 (fill), then I would set my camera to match the main @ f8 to properly expose for it and let the fill drop to f5.6.

This may be a very newbie question, but if the main and fill overlap (as they generally do) that doesn't matter for metering? The camera would still be set for f8 (main)? There isn't any additive factor, or is there?

Photo4u22 wrote in post #6056695
Thx Lotto. So in the example of f8 (main) and f5.6 (fill), then I would set my camera to match the main @ f8 to properly expose for it and let the fill drop to f5.6.

This may be a very newbie question, but if the main and fill overlap (as they generally do) that doesn't matter for metering? The camera would still be set for f8 (main)? There isn't any additive factor, or is there?

Yes there will be overlap (unless at very different angles to each other) and this would generally be classed as a 3:1 ratio.

If you set the key light at f8, and then the fill at f 5.6 the final exposure reading taken with both lights on would be approx 1/3 over f8.

Whatever it is over, if you want to shoot at f8 then reduce both strobes equally, so if 1/3 over reduce both strobes by 1/3 or 3/10.
That is the beauty of digital control IMHO.

Instead of reducing the the power to the main and fill, I usually just take a final read with both lights on, then set that aperture for the camera, most of the time is f9.

Thanks for the help! I will give it a try.