Can i meter a film shot using my digital cam?

bomberman

bomberman

Messages
1,149
Edit My Images
No
Sorry if this has been asked before but i did a search and didn't find what i was after.

I'm using a minolta x-300 and i want to pop my rf-602 trigger on it and use two speedlites off-cam. Is it just a case of setting up the shot in digital and then swapping them over?
 
yep - use the histogram to judge exposure providing the digital camera and guns are on manual not TTL or whatever the equivalent Minolta has and the film speed and ISO on digital are the same otherwise you'll have to calculate the f stop to use. However, a sekonic 308 flashmeter is the way to go and cheap enough.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Thanks, i thought about a light meter but don't really understand too much about them. How would it give me info about multiple flash output? and flash/ambient mix?
 
bomberman said:
Thanks, i thought about a light meter but don't really understand too much about them. How would it give me info about multiple flash output? and flash/ambient mix?
Click to expand...

You can take two readings and work it out with the 308. The 358 can calculate it for you in one, but it costs a bit more and is certainly less compact.

With multiple flashes, you'd still have to read each one and work out the ratios between them individually, though.

Working with a meter is certainly quicker than using a DSLR for the same job IMO.
 
I went into town and bought 3 rolls of film today, the reason being i'll probably use one to get a feel for exposure, keeping a notebook of setting for reference. I can't really afford a light meter for experimenting with film at the moment. It sounds complicated taking a reading for each strobe anyway. I think if i do any studio work in the future i might invest in a light meter but i'll try using the digital camera first. Thanks for the advice (y)
 
Liam said:
You can use a digital camera but I use a western light meter (my great grandads :) ) They are very easy to use, you just set the ISO and point it at what you want to photograph. You then read off the aperture and shutter speeds and your off.


http://shop.ebay.co.uk:80/i.html?_n...+&_cqr=true&_nkwusc=westen+light+meter&_rdc=1

I wouldn't spend more than £15 on one, I saw one in a camera shop for a £5.
Click to expand...

And that would work with off camera remote flash as per the OP's question ? I know that fancier flashmeters (sekonik 308's etc) will of course...and imho are definitely the way to go - in fact i'd get hold of mains studio lights with proper modeling lights rather than the strobes as well - but that's another story.
 
TheBigYin said:
And that would work with off camera remote flash as per the OP's question ?
Click to expand...

I dont think so. The weston is ambient meter ( unless there is a weston flash meter, which Liam is talking about). OP needs a flash meter for his use. The flash meter can be only flash or flash +ambient.

as to using the digicam to set up the shot - it can surely be done for any circumstances. As long as the as the settings (ISO, Speed and aperture and WB) of the digital matches the film, the film will record exactly what the digital sensor is recording


Edit:

obvioulsly films have very limited WB - daylight film and tungsten film, so the digital should be set to daylight WB rather than auto

I just said the above. Thinking through, am I right? What does the WB for flash do in a digital? Why not only daylight, as in films, sionce flashes are daylight temp anyways?
 
Last edited:
Sorry, I didn't read the flash part but its probably worth having a weston light meter anyway.
 
TheBigYin said:
And that would work with off camera remote flash as per the OP's question ?
Click to expand...

In short, no.

Weston made lovely meters (I have two) but you have to be sure that they work properly when making a purchase; especially since the only company I know of in the UK servicing them shut up shop earlier this year. Getting one recalibrated or fitted with a new Selenium cell could prove tricky now.

Not great in low light either.

edit: My Sekonic L358 measures down to EV -2 (the 308 goes to EV 0). A Weston will likely measure only to EV 6 or so.
 
Last edited:
:LOL: I forgot the emoticon after my question - being the happy owner of a weston meter (cheers Pepper (y)) I was just trying gently to point Liam at the actual question :shrug:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top