Light meters with cactus triggers...

I searched the forum, but it was a hard subject to narrow down. I'd like to get a light meter now that I'm expanding into using more off camera flash. I feel like I waste a lot of good minutes testing and retesting and moving and messing with power.

I use cactus triggers. Can I get a light meter that I can use with my cactus triggers? I have researched a lot of light meters, but they obviously don't specifically mention triggers. Most say they can use cords with flash, but I am not really interested in plugging it in.

Can I plug a cactus trigger into my light meter with some kind of adapter or am I missing some simple solution?

I have a Sekonic L-358. It has a flash mode that allows you to trip the flash and measure - Auto-reset Cordless Flash. It doesn't really matter how you trip the flash with it, a connected transmitter, a remote trigger, or an assistant pushing buttons on the unit. So you don't need to plug your transmitter into the meter, just push the meter button and then the transmitter button.

So basically you're saying that any meter that is marked as a flash meter will work without any kind of additional equipment? I just want to be sure I understand you because I am not sure how it all works when you add flash into the equation.

I have just purchased the L-308S and im sure it says in the book that you set the meter in a particluar mode, then fire you flash and the meter will give the reading

If it doesnt recieve the flash within so many seconds it turns itself off

I havent tried it yet, but I do have a remote flash trigger, so I guess I should set it up and give it a go

Your meter has a 'corded' mode and you plug it into a radio trigger, it can then trigger the flash unit remotely. The older way (before radio triggers) is a 'cordless' mode, you press the button on the meter and leave it at the subject position, then walk to your flash units and trigger them manually, so the meter detects the burst of light and takes the reading.

The method Wilt describes above is basically what I use, the cordless version. The difference is that I have a spare transmitter that I drop in my shirt pocket. I take the meter, in auto reset mode, to my subject location, point it toward the subject, press the meter button and within 90 seconds I hit my transmitter test button. That fires the flash and the meter reads it.

I hesitate to say that all flash meters can do this, especially around here. I would expect any current model would work this way.

Wilt wrote in post #6211215
Your meter has a 'corded' mode and you plug it into a radio trigger, it can then trigger the flash unit remotely. The older way (before radio triggers) is a 'cordless' mode, you press the button on the meter and leave it at the subject position, then walk to your flash units and trigger them manually, so the meter detects the burst of light and takes the reading.

What kind of cord does this method use? I'm not able to get to my triggers right this second, but I can't picture if they have any kind of cord input other than the hotshoe. I will have to check when I can, but in the meantime I'm still a bit unsure.

I could theoretically carry the transmitter with me over to the light setup and then get my reading, then put the transmitter back on my camera or even carry the whole camera over there. Or get a second transmitter... except I am not sure you can get those without the receivers.

The Cactus trigger comes with a sync cord that has a PC plug at one end and the 1/8" plug at the other. So if you plug the 1/8 plug into the transmitter, and PC plug into the light meter, you can use the light meter's corded mode to trigger the transmitter. The setup will look like the picture below. But like the others said, it's easier to use the cordless flash mode of the light meter.

hmm. Interesting. My triggers didn't come with a cord. I'm guessing I can get one pretty easily, though. Thanks for the info all. Makes sense now.

AndreaBFS wrote in post #6212661
What kind of cord does this method use? I'm not able to get to my triggers right this second, but I can't picture if they have any kind of cord input other than the hotshoe. I will have to check when I can, but in the meantime I'm still a bit unsure.

I could theoretically carry the transmitter with me over to the light setup and then get my reading, then put the transmitter back on my camera or even carry the whole camera over there. Or get a second transmitter... except I am not sure you can get those without the receivers.

Typically one end of the cord is a PC connector (to plug into the meter or camera), and the end at the trigger unit is dependent upon how the manufacturer designed it; for example on the Cybersync there is only a hotshoe and no cord connectiion inherent to the triigger.

What you describe in the second paragraph is appropriate.