Which Digital Flash Meter for under £100/$200

***Dave*** · 28-02-2008, 02:45

This Studio Lighting is starting to cost a fortune

Is it possible to get a decent Digital Flash Meter for under £100/$200 ? What compromises am I making by sticking to this budget ?

stigmundfreud · 28-02-2008, 04:34

I use a Sekonic L-308s (costs a little over budget at around £120) but it does the job nicely - I know it is slightly over the budget but by such a minor amount it is well worth investigating.

***Dave*** · 28-02-2008, 06:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by stigmundfreud

I use a Sekonic L-308s (costs a little over budget at around £120) but it does the job nicely - I know it is slightly over the budget but by such a minor amount it is well worth investigating.

Thanks & if you look at Onestop it can be had for £99

Sekonic L-308S Flashmate

Product Description

To accommodate the demands for an affordable, lightweight and digital ready light meter, Sekonic redesigned the popular L-308BII. The Sekonic L-308S offers the latest in component technology and precise calibration for accurate digital exposures. Software enhancements now offer the photographer a choice of Full, 1/2 or 1/3 step selectable aperture settings to display data just the way today's digital camera does.

With 1/10th of a stop measurement and read out, accurate and consistent exposures are a snap for D-SLRs or point and shoot digital cameras. The LCD panel has also been improved for better readability. Information such as ISO, measuring modes and selected settings has been redesigned similar to the very popular Sekonic L-358 FlashMaster.

tomu · 29-02-2008, 20:30

I too have used that Sekonic meter with my Mamiya RB67 (although I haven't used the flash function). Simple to use and I had no problems with it

Les Meehan · 02-03-2008, 23:51

Dave

If your flash units have modeling lights, do you know that you can use your camera meter to establish flash exposures?

How? Well, what you need is a 'factor' that establishes the relationship between your flash modeling light and the actual flash. Using both at full power (for example), make a series of exposures with your flash at, say, 5 feet. Choose the f/No that produces the correct exposure, let's say f/8. Meter the modeling light exposure off a gray card with the camera meter with the flash at the same distance. Check which shutter speed corresponds with the correct flash f/No. This shutter speed is your 'factor'.
Now, when you have the flash setup you want, simply meter the modeling light exposure and check which f/No is with your 'factor' shutter speed. This is the f/No for the flash exposure. Simple.

Amazing what we had to do before we had flash meters! (or the cash to buy one!)

Cheers

stigmundfreud · 03-03-2008, 13:37

Or you can just fiddle around taking shots till you are happy

emmettleffel · 03-03-2008, 16:40

I have a Sekonic L 308 and have no problems with it.

Hacker · 04-03-2008, 10:02

With the digital age I'm not so sure a flash meter is essential, I looked into this a few months ago and couldn't justify spending that amount when I have the spot meter function on my camera which does just as good a job (imho

).

VinnyP · 04-03-2008, 11:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hacker

With the digital age I'm not so sure a flash meter is essential, I looked into this a few months ago and couldn't justify spending that amount when I have the spot meter function on my camera which does just as good a job (imho

).

I can't see how you use the spot meter as a flash meter?

As for the flash meter I have a Sekonic not sure which one as it's in the shed with the lights and I am too lazy to look. But it's useful if you ever use a studio that uses pocket wizards or use them yourself since it can trigger the flashes to get a reading and it does make the process a bit quicker. On the whole though so long as you are happy with your ability to use your LCD "Polaroid" to judge exposures then trial and error will get you there in a few goes, and you will want to do that anyway to check on modelling. Using the modelling lights for modelling or to judge the exposure can only be really accurate if you have no ambient light the more you have, the less accurate the modelling lights will be.

Les Meehan · 04-03-2008, 23:53

If doing a shoot in a studio there shouldn't be any ambient light. The whole point of studio shooting is control, so any ambient light is not part of studio work, that's mixed lighting.

stigmundfreud · 05-03-2008, 18:09

that is true unfortunatley I need to currently shoot at night or get some black out boards for the window...

***Dave*** · 08-03-2008, 10:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Les Meehan

Dave

If your flash units have modeling lights, do you know that you can use your camera meter to establish flash exposures?

How? Well, what you need is a 'factor' that establishes the relationship between your flash modeling light and the actual flash. Using both at full power (for example), make a series of exposures with your flash at, say, 5 feet. Choose the f/No that produces the correct exposure, let's say f/8. Meter the modeling light exposure off a gray card with the camera meter with the flash at the same distance. Check which shutter speed corresponds with the correct flash f/No. This shutter speed is your 'factor'.
Now, when you have the flash setup you want, simply meter the modeling light exposure and check which f/No is with your 'factor' shutter speed. This is the f/No for the flash exposure. Simple.

Amazing what we had to do before we had flash meters! (or the cash to buy one!)

Cheers

Top advice as ever Les

I assume the advantage of a dedicated lightmeter comes in to it's own when using multiple lights... especially if using one for backlight on hair etc, where you want to ensure it's say 1 stop over the front lights, when hitting the model ??

I can see how you could measure individual lights by switching them off in turn & measuring via model lights.... it's just the backlight one I can't see how you can measure correctly via this method ?