Flash meter v manual

We were happy with the chosen aperture, but had to figure out the flash exposure. Clear explanation, One note though , actually, for completeness, I think you should mention ISO in your story, but only to set the lightmeter to the iso your are using in order to get the proper reading from it. Justin, using a flash meter makes life soooo much easier, after buying my lightmeter I was immediately sold, and I wondered really why I even ever tried to guestimate with chimping and looking at the histogram.

My exposures are now always exactly how I want them and consistent. I never could get that to work with using the histogram. Now I can work a lot faster, which saves a lot of waiting time for the model, and leaves me more time for creative activities instead of messing with settings. Good point about needing to set the appropriate ISO in the meter. I have amended the article now with that specific step, since it is important to mention that to someone using a light-meter for the first time.

Hmm I see that I use both the wording flash meter and light meter. I actually should have used flash meter consistently every where in my post. Neil, feel free to change that.

So I also tend to use it interchangeably. Ambient light is often the same where the photographer is and where the subject is unless in shade so you can just hold it up facing yourself in most cases. With the original decision inn wanting to clean up the light on my subject, or make it more dramatic, I want to use off-camera flash — then I under-expose the ambient light on my subject somewhat. Maybe 1 stop, maybe 2 stops. Even 3 stops. THAT decision — the amount I want to under-expose my subject by, will dictate then how bright my background is.

It gives me some leeway, but not that much ultimately that I could choose between both pastel-bright background colors OR super-saturated dark background. So usually it is decided this way — I under-expose the ambient on my subject by a stop, and then take a test-shot to see if I still like the background.

Then I might nudge it a bit brighter or darker … and then add flash. The next step is to hold the light-meter where your subject is going to stand. Now trigger the flash while pointing the flash meter at the light source. You need f3. Neil, totally new to flash meters. Bought an older Minolta one. Your quote from above states meter read F7.

Seems F3. Still confused Neil. Again, this light meter thing new to me. I generally, without meter…just shoot and chimp. It over-exposes by 2 stops. Which means you need to reduce the light. With flash you can. Only need F4 Neil?

I need a complete idiots guide, so to speak, from the gitgo, Okay, set my camera to What? Then my flash to what, then Merter. As you can plainly see Neil, metering not my field of expertise. Camera is on tripod. I want to meter the flash in the softbox. Where the heck do I even start? Camera setting? Do I then set Flash to manual same setting as camera? I set Meter to what Camera and flash seetings are? Then I fire flash and it gives me a reading? What do I do with it? Both camera and flash?

Where do you start with settings in this home-studio setup? YOU decide. That part is also confusing. Then meter the flash? Muscle memory they call it I think. Describing it to me doesnt really sink in. I need to get with a photographer in my area and have him physically show me the procedure in studio. Thanks for trying anyway. But really, set a teddy bear on a stool in your living room. Set up your flash with a softbox or an umbrella, or even just an off-camera flash bouncing behind into the room.

Then work methodically through this article. I think I may have to simply keep on chimping. Seems to work. I thought a light meter would make things a tad easier for me. Just confuses me more. Thank you so much for trying to explian it to me. Very patient person considering how busy i know you are. Take care Neil! There are a ton of free videos and tutorials on the sekonic site that will help you learn better with step by step instructions. Ron, I think you can understand thinking as follows: if the flash has a lot of power, is required a small lens aperture to achieve exposure.

Conversely, when the flash power is less, then a larger lens opening is necessary. I have five similar questions about gear and how important they are for a fulltime pro portraiture and wedding photographer like you. Nikon 85 1. Much difference in shallower depth of field? Please make a review of the relatively new Nikon f4! I would love to see your opinions about this lens….

There are some indications that this lens has even a lot of advantages in comparison to the 2. How important is for you the 1 f stop extra capability of gathering light for portrait?

Is the one extra stop in terms of better bokeh, shallower DoF really important or in low light portrait to you? The majority of made portraitures studio on ff are not between f4 and f 5. Your thoughts, opinion… Much difference in shallower depth of field? Would you buy the f4 instead of the 2. What about the impacts of the huge focus breathing of the 2.

How often do you really make portraits from 5 to about 13 feet with the 2. Would you agree with the opinion of Nasim Mansurov and conclusions of the mentioned article above link in terms of the f4 might be even better for portraiture especially for close ups? Thank you in advance and so far!

A lot of times you want all the pix in focus and all you will need to close down the aperture to f5. If you need lots of indoor dark places shots then you need the f2. Pros use the 2. Go to Flickr or pix and find some images taken with each lens to see if you can tell the difference and if you like the images or not.

No matter who explains it, same result, Nada! Have to physically have it shown to me then immediately repeat the precess myself. Kinda like muscle memory.

Might as well be trying to read Chinese. Thank you very much. The more I discuss this the worse I feel about it. I recently bought a flash meter after spending ages thinking about it. This thing basically gives me a perfect exposure every time, once you understand how to use it. I have a small home-studio set up and took some portraits the other day with one of my new black backdrops. If I give you a run-through of what I did then hopefully it might help your understanding of using the flash meter more.

The ISO? Took a test shot without flash, and the picture was virtually all black. No ambient light at all. No problem though, because flash is going to be my main light source.

In this case, no ambient light registering was perfectly ok for what I was trying to achieve. My flash was on a light stand firing through an umbrella at roughly 45 degrees to the subject and slightly above.

The resulting photos were perfectly exposed. But if it helps, think of it this way. Our pupils have dilated got bigger to allow more light in and we see better…lets equate this to an aperture of f3. All of a sudden some one comes into the room and switches the light on….. However our pupils soon cope by constricting get smaller to allow less light through, again enabling us to see better.

Lets equate this to an aperture of f7. If the switch was of the dimmer type you would ask the person to dim the light by an appreciable amount. Our pupils enlarge or contract to deal with any given amount of light too little or excess. Since we chose a fixed aperture of f3. I think you summed it up quite nicely. The reverse thing was blowing my mind.

I like things broken down to their absolute basics with nothing taken for granted. All very patient and that says a lot. I understand completely concept of aperture. So I merely adjust the flash output, then take another meter reading, and adjust accordingly either increasing or decreasing power of Flash?

The light meter on the other hand is reading the light falling on its dome. We take a flash meter reading and it gives us f7. Flash power is adjusted correctly with just one meter reading. You guys explained very nicely. But i def think I have a handle on it. Thanks to all. With an ambient exposure we are adjusting camera settings to get a good exposure with the existing level of light.

With flash we are adjusting the level of light to get a good exposure with the existing camera settings. The light meter is telling you what camera settings to use to get the correct exposure for the existing level of light. Note that this is a very simplified explanation. But it should help get you started. Before long it becomes automatic. Login Register. Best cameras and lenses. All forums Studio and Lighting Technique Change forum.

Started Dec 5, Discussions thread. I have this electronically Reply Reply with quote Reply to thread Complain. D Rice. Re: Minolta Flash Meter V manual. Gregory King. Forum Parent First Previous Next. Color scheme? Latest sample galleries. Canon EOS R3 sample gallery. Nikon Z9 production sample gallery. See more galleries ». Latest in-depth reviews. Read more reviews ». Latest buying guides. Best cameras for landscape photography in Best drones in Best video cameras for photographers in Best cameras for Instagram in Check out more buying guides ».

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