Sekonic L-398A - What is the red triangle for?

[Ian Leake]

This seems like a really dumb question, but what is the Sekonic L-398A red triangle for? This Sekonic video (YouTube) says that it should be lined up to the red needle, then the black triangle lined up with foot-candles. But I don't see any difference when I ignore it and just line up the black triangle. Moving the red triangle seems to do nothing.

The red triangle must be there for a reason... Can anyone tell what it does?

Thanks in advance,
Ian

 

[BrianShaw]

If we are referring to the same red pointer (not the one with the “H” under it)… It is a “memo pointer”. Useful when the meter is used to measure lighting contrast. It marked one reading while you make the second reading.

 

[madNbad]

The big red triangle is for marking the most recent reading. The smaller one with the “H” is used with the High slide.

 

[Ian Leake]

If we are referring to the same red pointer (not the one with the “H” under it)… It is a “memo pointer”. Useful when the meter is used to measure lighting contrast. It marked one reading while you make the second reading.

The big red triangle is for marking the most recent reading. The smaller one with the “H” is used with the High slide.

Perfect, thanks for your help. (And yes, I meant the big one not the high slide one.) Everything makes sense now

 

[Rick A]

Watch the quick start video

Sekonic L-398A - Yahoo Video Search Results

The search engine that helps you find exactly what you're looking for. Find the most relevant information, video, images, and answers from all across the Web.

video.search.yahoo.com

 

[Ian Leake]

Watch the quick start video

Sekonic L-398A - Yahoo Video Search Results

The search engine that helps you find exactly what you're looking for. Find the most relevant information, video, images, and answers from all across the Web.

video.search.yahoo.com

The quick start video is the one I linked in my question. It says that you should line it up, but not why you should line it up. Perhaps it's in the manual, but my copy is in German which doesn't help me much.

 

[madNbad]

There is a reason the meter is called the “Studio Deluxe”, it was originally designed to establish lighting ratios on movie sets. The red triangle is there to mark a reading before taking a second reading to help set the lights. I’ve owned several and have never found any need for the reminder.

 

[beemermark]

Read the factory manual

Sekonic L-398 instruction manual, user manual, PDF manual, free manuals

Sekonic L-398 light meter instruction manual

www.butkus.org

 

[Ian Leake]

There is a reason the meter is called the “Studio Deluxe”, it was originally designed to establish lighting ratios on movie sets. The red triangle is there to mark a reading before taking a second reading to help set the lights. I’ve owned several and have never found any need for the reminder.

That's interesting, thanks.

 

[madNbad]

The original version in the 1950s was the Norwood Director:


http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Norwood_Director#Model_A

 

[Rick A]

The quick start video is the one I linked in my question. It says that you should line it up, but not why you should line it up. Perhaps it's in the manual, but my copy is in German which doesn't help me much.

I have two older versions of the meter and neither have the reminder arrow, I simply turn the dial to match the reading and use whichever shutter/aperture setting I think will give me the desired results.

 

[madNbad]

I have two older versions of the meter and neither have the reminder arrow, I simply turn the dial to match the reading and use whichever shutter/aperture setting I think will give me the desired results.

It arrived late in the L-398M production when Sekonic reconfigured the dial. The official name is "Memo Pointer".

 

[madNbad]

My mistake, the Memo Pointer was actually introduced with the reconfigured L-398M in 1989.