I upgraded my Leudi I to a Leudi II because the rotating scale came apart. Now the Leudi II has a hard-to-rotate scale. So I'd like to get a meter that will display the camera settings for film exposure with an electronic display.
I have read the manual on L-778, it has many similarities to the L-558 I'm getting.
To be specific, what do you do when you point the spot at an area of your scene that is not middle gray? What meter function do you use to get the meter to display the camera settings for the scene, or do you obtain the camera settings outside of the meter's function package?
I have read the manual on L-778, it has many similarities to the L-558 I'm getting.
To be specific, what do you do when you point the spot at an area of your scene that is not middle gray? What meter function do you use to get the meter to display the camera settings for the scene, or do you obtain the camera settings outside of the meter's function package?
AA experts correct me. My understanding is at some time he used older Weston meters that had indicators on the dial that would represent limits of texture. Essentially zone II and IX.
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Good God! If a new meter is so difficult to deal with, just get the old standby. Just buy a good used Pentax digital spot meter, download the readily available Zone sticker and get to work. I have three...
Doremus
Seems needlessly complicated to me, but if it works for you, that's all that counts.I got the meter today and, as I expected, you cannot really figure out exactly how the buttons alter the display from the verbal descriptions in the manual.
With the meter in my hand I was able to figure out how it can show the proper spot reflected-light reading to expose B&W negative film for large format photography.
First I put it into some mode where I can see the analog aperture scale at the bottom. That is what I will use to read the camera settings. (With Time on the bottom, in LF photography, the correct time could scroll off the scale (below 4 sec) and you won't be able to read the correct exposure with this method)
In the reflected spot mode, find the darkest areas of the scene with the viewfinder circle. Since our eye can be fooled, I choose a number potential candidate values and record them to memory. For fun you can also spot and save some high values too.
Each value shows as a dot on the aperture scale at the bottom.
The correct film exposure for the scene will be BASED on the DOT FARTHEST TO THE LEFT on the analog aperture scale at the bottom. However, you still cannot read the exposure because the meter thought that dot represented a middle gray value. You have to tell the meter you want that dot to represent the shadow.
For me I like using the EXPOSURE COMP because it clearly shows the zone you will be basing exposure on. After testing the meter it seems the spot is still too big to really get a very low value. My testing shows that for a typical outdoor scene (rocks, water, trees, etc) that I favor, an EV value of +3.0 tells the meter the dot farthest to the left is the correct exposure. It can be called Zone II or just +3.0 COMP. The good thing about using EXPOSURE COMP is that it shows in both the viewfinder and the main screen in pretty big numbers. So you won't forget you are spot metering based on the lowest value. You need to set it back to 0 for incident.
Just to review.
1) Calibrate you meter ISO setting and EXPOSURE COMP so that the lowest values of you typical scenes JUST have density in the negatives based on the lowest spot reading in the scene. You can set it any way you want. That is, you can set box speed and the appropriate EXPOSURE COMP, or an EXPOSURE COM of zero and a special exposure index ISO. There will be a thousand different ways to do this. Check your work, repeat the test if needed and don't make a mistake.
2) To Use the meter: Spot and save a bunch of low values from your scene. Each reading will show as a dot on the analog aperture scale at the bottom.
3) Set the camera shutter based on the shutter speed indicated on the digital display.
4) Set the aperture on the camera to the aperture indicated by the dot most to the LEFT of the group of dots. That is your lowest scene value, weather you eye detected that as lowest or not. The dots on the right are highlights if you saved any. Their distance from the left-most dot is the SBR if you need to record that.
You can use the filter factor function, instead of EXPOSURE COMP, like I thought in post #1, but you need to keep your finger on the button. I did not like that. Also, if the JOG wheel is tied up setting the fiter factor, you can't move your exposure value dots right or left on the analog aperture while in the ISO 2 mode.
I find it mind boggling that Sekonic has been making some of the finest 1-degree spot meters since the 1980s (and even the newest model that just was released, the L-858 @ $600 USD) provide no easy way to "Zone Meter."
Actually, without the meter in-hand, it seemed impossible. But if you can demonstrate a better way, please do. In my system you take a shadow reading and the meter displays the camera settings. No guessing or calculations.Seems needlessly complicated to me, but if it works for you, that's all that counts.
Please explain. I have the manual. I don't use the Zone system either. I base exposure on ASA/ISO standard technique.I never needed, wanted, desired or used the floss of the Zone System with a top of the line Sekonic L758D.
THe L758D does not need and the user will not benefit from, ZS referencing. The meter is a lot smarter than that when used in skilled, experienced hands.
Yes, but the meter I have, L-558, does not have that function. That sticker applied to the front of my meter would need to slide back and forth, and would need to be the other way around. Low zones to the left.Have you looked at my sticker? Even though you don't have the tic marks, you can easily count off f/stops from the metered point. I use it to arbitrarily place any reading on any Zone. Shadow on Zone III or my palm on Zone VI, etc.
Have you looked at my sticker? Even though you don't have the tic marks, you can easily count off f/stops from the metered point. I use it to arbitrarily place any reading on any Zone. Shadow on Zone III or my palm on Zone VI, etc.
Once calibrated, it is accurate and easy to use. No needless complexity. KISS. YMMV.I think the pentax meter is far simpler and from what I hear does the job admirably. Hope ic finds a way to meter to their satisfaction.
Maybe Sekonic wanted the Exposure Compensation to match the FILTER FACTOR function behavior.
Bettsy... Who was he anyway??You mean he has to RTFM! Heavens to Betsy! [Whoever the heck she is]
Works fine; see post #92 and #93. Thread was started before I had the meter in my hand and figured it out.OK.....i just read all of this, and i am still confused.
Would you guys mind if a beginner asked.....what is this meter Not Doing for the OP.?
Thank You
What are you doing!?
Baseline calibration of the meter, shifting its value away from a calibrated mid-line either up or down [+/-0.0] (ISO1 + ISO2) is not the same as filter factor (ISO2 [+/- 0.0], applied after metering, and is a known and precise value (not a guess) of whatever filter you are using e.g. for a C-POL, typically between +1.5 and +2.0, but smaller increments are often a better ideal based on experience).
Are you basing your ZS assumptions on baseline calibration of the L558 or by filter factor (which would be invoked by pressing ISO2 after averaging the meter)?
You may be new to the Sekonic way of doing things, but the way these meters behave and their customisations and degree of accuracy is based on a lot of feedback over a long period of time from many, many professional users; that includes the metering standard being 12.6% incident and 16.2% reflected spot (two separate, unrelated metering systems) and either auto or manual switching of the metering buttons (among many other things, including how readings are averaged that can have a bearing on the outcome in critical situations).
Ta-da! 'To mimic...' might be another description. But remember that exposure compensation (or, shifting the mid-tone or averaged whole reading left or right to 'fit') and/versus filter factor are two different functions that affect the meter independently. Read the instructions that came with the meter.
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