Foggy Understanding: Sekonic 308S

[Chan Tran]

I don't know about the Sekonic 308s but I have used 3 different models of Minolta flash meters and they all do taken the shutter speed into account. What it does is to measure the light accumulation for the period set by the shutter speed. So it takes exactly the amount of time set by the shutter speed to make the measurement and account for any changes in light intensity for this period of time.

 

[MattKing]

Actually, the manual does discuss both trigger voltage and a number of situations which affect whether you should use corded vs. uncorded modes.
The reference to trigger voltages actually deals with trigger voltages which are low - apparently the corded function doesn't respond well to those.
I would be amazed if the "switch" built into the triggering circuit in that meter was a robust mechanical one, so I would caution against using it with a high trigger voltage flash unless you have something like a SafeSynch in the circuit.
And I would suggest again that your problems with the uncorded mode probably arise from the meter having trouble "triggering" off of flash when the duration is short or the ambient light is high or flickering.

 

[jim10219]

One other thing the manual doesn't even mention at all is trip voltage when using the cord. I bought my 308S in about 2006. By that time, flashes had all gone to low trip voltages. I don't know when they started making flashes with lower trip voltages. The 80's, the 90's. Or later? Not only will I be using the meter with my late model studio flashes, but I'd like to know if I can also use it in corded mode with my 1976 Sunpak 611, which was made in the days if high trip voltages.

It was around the time of digital cameras that trigger voltages dropped to around 6v. They were slowly lowering before that, but a 1976 Sunpak 611 is supposedly somewhere between 100 and 200 volts, with some reports saying it's on the high end. If the Sekonic doesn't mention anything about accepting high trigger voltages, I would assume it wouldn't. That's a selling point, and usually if they spent the money on parts designed to handle such voltage, they'll advertise that.

I have used some old Novatron systems with my digital cameras in the past. I have no idea of their trigger voltages, as I haven't measured them and they changed a lot over the years, but I assume they're quite high. I just use wireless flash triggers with them, and that prevents any chance of complications. I use Phottix brand triggers, as they're cheap and will accept very high trigger voltages (and work well), but there are other brands that will do this too, you just have to check the specs. This would allow you to run the flash chord off the camera, or use a third trigger for the meter, and keep the high voltage from the flash off your meter and camera.

 

[KN4SMF]

It was around the time of digital cameras that trigger voltages dropped to around 6v. They were slowly lowering before that, but a 1976 Sunpak 611 is supposedly somewhere between 100 and 200 volts, with some reports saying it's on the high end. If the Sekonic doesn't mention anything about accepting high trigger voltages, I would assume it wouldn't. That's a selling point, and usually if they spent the money on parts designed to handle such voltage, they'll advertise that.

I have used some old Novatron systems with my digital cameras in the past. I have no idea of their trigger voltages, as I haven't measured them and they changed a lot over the years, but I assume they're quite high. I just use wireless flash triggers with them, and that prevents any chance of complications. I use Phottix brand triggers, as they're cheap and will accept very high trigger voltages (and work well), but there are other brands that will do this too, you just have to check the specs. This would allow you to run the flash chord off the camera, or use a third trigger for the meter, and keep the high voltage from the flash off your meter and camera.

Excellent response. TY

 

[Arklatexian]

Here is my take on it. My old meter only metered flash in flash mode, it was as if the ambient mode was turned off during flash measurement, which, to my mind, is how it should be. I have never done much work that mixed ambient and flash so it was never a problem. My main question now with a meter like the L308S is this: if it is "helping" me deal with flash and ambient at the same time, does that mean it is being affected by the modelling lamp? If so that is crazy as the modelling lamp goes out when the flash is fired. My expectation of a flash meter is it tells me what aperture to use for a given flash output, if ambient light is present I can meter that separately and combine the two myself. Sometimes "improvements" in equipment are not well specified.[/QUOTE
Evidently not all studio lights work the same as my "modeling" lamps do not go out when the flash is fired. Even if they did, it probably would not make much difference as the flash would fire before the modeling lights had a chance to do more than begin to "go out". If the modeling lights are affecting the "reading", wouldn't they also affect the "color temperature" that color film would be sensitive to? Wouldn't that also mean that your shutter-speed is too slow? Just wondering........Regards!