Help with Sekonic L-558 Meter

[Alan9940]

Just recently picked up a Sekonic L-558 meter to use primarily for accurate exposure of LF transparency film. Before buying it, I watched a couple of videos by photographers using this meter or the L-758 and their routine is:

1. Measure important dark shadow area and put that value into memory.
2. Measure important light area and put that value into memory.
3. Hit Average button for average reading between 1 and 2.
4. Holding the measure button down, scan the scene to see the delta EV difference to verify that no value is out of the range of -2 to +2 (basically, the dynamic range of most transparency films.)

One photographer stated that the EV difference of his important shadow area revealed -2, while the important high value area (clouds in this case) revealed +2. All other values of different subject areas were within the range of -2 to +2.

I'm not getting this result. When I do steps 1 - 4 and point to my important shadow area I see something like -3.2 EV difference. Conversely, the high value area might be something like +3.6. I know the meter is working properly because I've checked it against the meter I've used for years and I plugged the average reading into my digital camera and got a good exposure.

However, I'm desperately trying to understand what the meter is telling me when working in this delta EV mode. I mean...an average reading is a good starting point, but I may need to adjust that reading up or down. I was hoping that this EV difference thing would help me make those decisions.

I would be incredibly thankful to anybody with knowledge of using this functionality with either of these meters that would be willing to educate me.

Thank you.

 

[Alan9940]

OK, duh, I think I just figured this out for myself...must have been having a senior moment! I'm allowed to say that cuz I'm 63.

If I meter an important dark area (aperture priority mode in meter) and I get a reading of 1/15 at f/11, then read an important high value area and get 1/1000 at f/11, the average of those two readings is 1/125 at f/11; in other words, a 6 stop dynamic range. Therefore, any subsequent readings of different subject areas should be within the range of -3 to +3; if outside that range, then something wacko happened with the initial reading.

And, being that I'm looking at a 6 stop range this would be beyond the capability of transparency film to record. I would need to sacrifice either highlight or shadow detail if I really wanted to use transparency film, or switch to negative film which could easily record that range. If my readings came back revealing a 5-stop range, then I'd be golden with the transparency film.

Whew! Does that all make sense? Please feel free to poke holes in my logic...

Thanks, again.

 

[Trail Images]

And, being that I'm looking at a 6 stop range this would be beyond the capability of transparency film to record.

On a quick read of your original readings I think you've answered your own question. The span of 6 without the use of filters does not bode well or easily for any transparency film I'm use to. The reason I carry Grad, ND, or Reverse Grad filters. Easier to cut down some light then lift the dark's IMO.

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Just recently picked up a Sekonic L-558 meter to use primarily for accurate exposure of LF transparency film. Before buying it, I watched a couple of videos by photographers using this meter or the L-758 and their routine is:

1. Measure important dark shadow area and put that value into memory.
2. Measure important light area and put that value into memory.
3. Hit Average button for average reading between 1 and 2.
4. Holding the measure button down, scan the scene to see the delta EV difference to verify that no value is out of the range of -2 to +2 (basically, the dynamic range of most transparency films.)

One photographer stated that the EV difference of his important shadow area revealed -2, while the important high value area (clouds in this case) revealed +2. All other values of different subject areas were within the range of -2 to +2.

I'm not getting this result. When I do steps 1 - 4 and point to my important shadow area I see something like -3.2 EV difference. Conversely, the high value area might be something like +3.6. I know the meter is working properly because I've checked it against the meter I've used for years and I plugged the average reading into my digital camera and got a good exposure.

However, I'm desperately trying to understand what the meter is telling me when working in this delta EV mode. I mean...an average reading is a good starting point, but I may need to adjust that reading up or down. I was hoping that this EV difference thing would help me make those decisions.

I would be incredibly thankful to anybody with knowledge of using this functionality with either of these meters that would be willing to educate me.

Thank you.

Forget about the pure EV reading for the time being and concentrate on straightforward scene interpretation, v.i.z.:
Points 1, 2 and 3 are sufficient for a baseline exposure that will work, so long as you know you are working with the range of the film, in conditions which you know the film is deliver the best results. This is to say it's not all about what the meter says! It has a lot to do with your knowledge of what the film will do. If just one of the readings is out-of-zone, then you must adjust the mid-tone value. Your meter must be set on a dark — but not totally black, area; for highlights, a light, but not bright spectral area. Then a mid-tone value. Average all. Available transparency film is best between +/- 3 ... sometimes 4 stops. A six stop range is excessive.

 

[sepiareverb]

Or pull the film?

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Or pull the film?

Not until baseline exposure of the film has been nailed. Then move on to the next thing (pushing/pulling) as required.
Pushing/Pulling of transparency film introduces compromise. Good exposure can be achieved based on correct exposure technique without resorting to post-exposure work to compromise.

 

[gone]

What I know about shooting LF transparency film would fit into a thimble, but I have shot it successfully, and it is as Poisson and Trail Images say. Pay attention to your scene and know what your film is capable of doing. Look for shots that don't have a huge exposure range in each shot. That may be self evident, but I thought it should be mentioned. Shots that B&W negative film can handle seamlessly may not work at all w/ slide film. It has a much narrower exposure range and then poof, there go the highlights, and in a very visible (or invisible, LOL) way. And when they are gone, they are long gone. No amount of fancy developing is going to get them back.

I metered for the middle value in good sun that was behind me, and things worked out beautifully in my landscape pics. As mentioned, if you have more than a 3-4 stop range of values in your shot, decide which value has to be compromised, because something will have to be. 4 is actually more than I would be comfortable with, especially given the cost of LF transparency film. All I used was a small, $20 CDS Sekonic L 188 meter by the way.

 

[Trail Images]

As I only shoot transparency film all of my photos are taken during sunrise and sunset cycles. One learns the exposure latitude by visual appearance of the light. Of course I use a light meter too, but you become totally tuned into what will and will not work. It is ideally a 3 stop range to work towards, even if that includes use of filters to limit the light in the sky area of a scene. I use a L-758 with both incident and spot metering of scenes. I'm real old fashioned and use a very small gray fold up disk too. All three metering processes help me a lot in preventing overall film exposure waste.
##### I should have mentioned I only use Velvia 50 and have since it was brought out 35-120-4x5.

 

[Diapositivo]

I basically only use slide film. It's a lot I don't take new pictures, due to various issues. I used to use Astia film, that has an exposure range way above 6 EV. "2 above and 2 below" it's a restrictive way to use slide film, unless it's Velvia 50. Above +2EV above middle grey you begin losing texture, but that's more or less the beginning of a long foot, you still have a slow graceful fading above that level. Pure white subjects are not expected to show great texture in any case (milk, cow, flour, marble). +2.5 for the highest part of your detail is safe with slides. In the shadows, -3EV below middle you have well-rendered texture, for what you expect to have there. Your main subjects will normally not be at -3 or +2.5 from middle grey. If it is (you are actually taking pictures of flour) you should correct a little bit and put your flour on +2 EV above middle grey (i.e. above lightmeter indication).

I suggest you read my "real-life" example in this thread:
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

The "question" is at post #367 and the answer is at post #388. You don't need to read the rest of the thread to understand what I mean here. I think you have a useful indication on how I use light metering and highlights placing with slide film.
Post #255 might also be useful.

Most people in this forum uses black and white and they print and develop at home. They follow an entirely different set of reasoning regarding what an effective exposure is, because they control other aspects of the process (developing, printing) and exposure is just one parameter of a complex equation.

With slides - supposing an accurate standard processing - you will see that you have no much room for mistakes but, if you use your lightmeter wisely, you will face tricky situations with ease.
I suggest you look at my night pictures in St Peter Square which are quoted in the above texts because the situation encountered there exemplifies quite well IMHO a problematic situation where slides can actually work very well, with correct placement.

As a side note, you will notice that I normally don't average at all. I care about where the highlights must fall. The shadows always fall gracefully. You normally don't worry, with slides, on where exactly your shadows will gradually fade into black. You just care that the exposure is such that the slide is not "bleached" and highlights are rendered naturally. So much so that if the whites are a small detail of the picture (the isolated cow in the distance) you don't care about texture but only about not having a white hole there. Any placement in the foot will work in that case.

 

[Alan9940]

Thank you all for your detailed and helpful replies!

After nearly 40 years of exposing B&W film in all formats from 35mm to 8x10, I felt a little silly asking for help with proper exposure of transparency film. Truth is, though, other than a brief stint with color film as a very young adult and happy snaps of the family as the kids grew up, I've basically not used the stuff. Now, I've got a box of 8x10 Velvia 50 waiting in the freezer--for years I've toyed with the idea of seeing what a LF transparency looks like--and I certainly don't want to mess up even a single sheet, if I can help it!

Again, thank you for all the help.