flash meter help

ford prefect · Nov 21, 2008

ok i just picked up a vivitar electronic flash computer (keh.com) it has the LEDs numbered 1-7 across the top and a dial to mach to the corsponding lit number telling you the f-stop fairly straight forward right. how ever the one piece of information i have not been able to procure is what the shutter speed is like my old wien was 1/250 so it was an easy conversion but i do not know what this one is set up for i did find one that looked similar by a different company whos name escapes me now and it was set for 1/125 shutter speed. i have searched the internets as well as my favorite butkus.org that place has almost everthing even a manual for my agfa ansco shure-shot box camera but nothing on the vivitar flash meter so if you have one or are familure with it let me know
thanks

JBrunner · Nov 21, 2008

In general, with flash sync shutter speed is irrelevant until it is to fast for sync, or so slow the shutter "drags" and adds to the exposure. 1/60 is a good all around shutter speed for most situations with most cameras, as the flash pulse in effect provides the shutter for the camera. The high end for shutter speed depends on the camera, not the flash or the meter, and the shutter speed of the camera need not be factored, unless it is long enough to provide a meaningful exposure from incident light. The flash meter simply displays the aperture recommended based on the flash power for the flash duration. Make sure the camera shutter is set to "x"

Ed Sukach · Nov 22, 2008

JBrunner said:
In general, with flash sync shutter speed is irrelevant...

Uh... not quite.

I will apologize for replying without being familiar with the Vivitar meter you describe.

Most modern flash meters have adjustable "speeds" governing the length of time the "window" will be open to read the amount of light entering. With most electronic flash - LEAF shutters combinations, the electronic flash duration usually is considerably LESS than the time the shutter is open.

If I feed a full-bore belt from my a Dynalite MX1000 pack into a single tube, the flash duration will be 1/450th of a second (from Dynalite specs.). If I set a flash meter to 1/500th, I will note a reduction in exposure from a speed setting of 1/250th... not much, 0.1 - 0.2 stops or so... due to the meter window closing before the flash completes burning, as does the shutter.

With a focal plane shutter, it is a different situation. There will be a "mechanical speed", where both shutter curtains are open, allowing exposure without traveling across the film. The flash must be used at that speed to allow even exposure of the film.

On older cameras and shutters there is an alternate synchronization delay, - an "M" setting, to allow flash BULBS to burn up to am appropriate output before the shutter opens. Modern electronic flash units work *very* fast, so no delay is needed or desirable. "X" synch is appropriate.

removed account4 · Nov 22, 2008

not sure, but i think ford prefect is wondering what the default shutter speed
his vivitar unit uses to do its calculations ...

my suggestion would be bracket by an fstop or 2 or 3
with the reading your flash meter says your correct fstop will be.
so if your meter says f8, shoot at whatever your camera's sync speed is and shoot at 5.6, 8 and 11 )
you should be able to see pretty well what the default shutter sync speed the meter uses ...

good luck!

john

John Koehrer · Nov 22, 2008

So that's what all that racket is with my flashmeter, The window slamming shut!

ford prefect · Nov 23, 2008

Jnanian wrote
not sure, but i think ford prefect is wondering what the default shutter speed
his vivitar unit uses to do its calculations ...

my suggestion would be bracket by an fstop or 2 or 3
with the reading your flash meter says your correct fstop will be.
so if your meter says f8, shoot at whatever your camera's sync speed is and shoot at 5.6, 8 and 11 )
you should be able to see pretty well what the default shutter sync speed the meter uses ...

good luck!

john

yes that is what i am looking for but i do understand what everyone is saying and i guess it all boils down to a little trial and error

thanks

ford prefect · Nov 23, 2008

fyi My 35mm camera claims to sync at 1/125 but i have read reviews about it that 1/100 is about as close as it gets (pentax mz7) and my othe cameras have leaf shutters

jtheires · Apr 15, 2021

Thanks for all the suggestions! I have one of these also, and have not yet located an instruction manual online either. Only a YouTube video on the EFC2 which does not address the shutter speed question, and a link to Amazon to purchase a book, but I'm uncertain if the book includes instructions for this flash meter.

Pieter12 · Apr 15, 2021

Unless you are using a slow or fast shutter speed, it doesn't matter. The flash duration is going to be what determines the speed and it will be faster than your camera synch speed. At slower speeds ambient light will come into play, at faster speeds you will get synch issues.

ic-racer · Apr 15, 2021

This is my Vivitar meter, does you meter look like this? It was sold under different names. The manual is on Butkus under "Shepherd FM800." Here is a clip from the manual on existing light measurement:

jtheires · Apr 15, 2021

ic-racer,
That's the one! Your post is very helpful. No other info I have found talks about the 1/125 second shutter speed.
Manual must've been written in a hurry (or by non english-speaking persons)...a few typos

wilfredo69 · Sep 5, 2021

I have the Vivitar Electronic Flash Meter 2 and it measures flash and ambient light. The speed for ambient light is 125. It is not just a flash meter.

Pieter12 · Sep 5, 2021

wilfredo69 said:
I have the Vivitar Electronic Flash Meter 2 and it measures flash and ambient light. The speed for ambient light is 125. It is not just a flash meter.

An ambient light meter that just meters at just 1/125 its pretty limited in application. It seems designed to take into account ambient light when it is quite bright and might contribute to a mixed light exposure, like fill flash. Not something that seems ideal or easy to use. I would shop for a proper meter, like a Minolta Flashmeter.

wilfredo69 · Sep 5, 2021

They were the first flash meters to measure flash and ambient light. From this model Shepherd took out several imitations. Today I compared them all to each other with a gray card in iso 100. The winner was Polisyx Gossen. And the Lunasix too. Vivitar and Shepherd had to change the iso to compensate for 1 or 2 stops. Also compare with Lightmeter for android. That very dangerous !!!
View attachment 284453

ic-racer · Sep 6, 2021

The reason that I have the Vivitar pictured in post #10 AND a Sekonic 588, is that the 90% of all my flash phogography is under conditions where the INCIDENT meter of the Sekonic 588 is impossible to use. I need a averaging REFLECTED flash meter. As nice as the Sekonic 588 is, it can't do reflected average flash metering.

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