Personal View site logo
Affordable and Effective Light Meter
  • 87 Replies sorted by
  • GabelGabel

    @shian: Of course, I understand. I just wanted to put in some good word for the L308DC.

  • shianshian

    @Mark_the_Harp until I tested the dynamic range of the camera (I thought it had more latitude), I didn't see a need, but now I mainly use it to determine contrast in the scene, and to help me read exposure on faces where the in-cam meter might get polluted by surrounding light bleeding in. With a hadheld meter you are right there, you can get tight accurate readings, and in my experience better exposures than with the camera's meter alone.

  • shianshian

    Again. This is just my preference. Not saying the digisix is better than the Sekonic. Just that I didn't like it, and neither did my gaffer. I'm used to how the digisix works because its a digital version of my my old GLP. It's quick, simple, and operates in a fashion that I'm used to, fits in my pocket, and weighs next to nothing. It also happens to be the cheapest one out there. So for anyone looking to get their first meter, without spending over $200, I highly recommend it.

    BTW not tailored for still photography. Skewed more towards film/video production.

  • GabelGabel

    I really like the L308DC. I always have it in my belt and it has been a very helpful tool. The day after I got it, I shot a short film where I had to do without a proper gaffer (which was ok, as the director does gigs as a gaffer or best boy), but then a meter really sped things up, as I didn't have to go back to the camera. On my last gig we had a shot that was very low key, with rather spotted overhead lighting and then having a meter to check ratios was invaluable.

    And for anybody who has it, the GH2 is actually a bit more sensitive than was it is usually 0, so I had to set the Exposure Value to -0.6. Good to know if anybody is planning on getting one.

  • Mark_the_HarpMark_the_Harp

    @shian (or anyone else) This might sound like a silly noob question, but I assume one advantage of accurate metering is to make best use of the limited 8-bit video range available to the GH2? I haven't used a meter since I had my old manual Zenit B camera, about a million years ago, and to be honest have never thought about using one since, until I read this thread. Normally if I was in a tricky metering situation like (say) balancing lighting from several sources I'd adjust the lighting while checking it in a monitor and then once the lighting was balanced, tweak overall exposure afterwards. I'm guessing that's a bit of a cowboy approach though!

  • shianshian

    My gaffer just bought one (the 308) to use as a beater on run and gun shoots, where a meter might get broken while crawling into tight spaces and such. He broke it out to use on our last gig, and we both hated it. After 3 hours, he ditched and was just borrowing mine for the next 3 days. He keeps joking that the digisix looks like a toy, but I remind him that we kinda thought that the first time we saw the GH2, and look how that turned out.

    Long story short, He took it back and got a digisix for his beater meter... (His main meter is a L-758cine. I love that meter)

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    Two other topics about LM:

    http://www.personal-view.com/talks/discussion/1005/sekonic-l-308dc#Item_7

    http://www.personal-view.com/talks/discussion/946/light-meter-for-video#Item_19

    @shian

    Any reason not to prefer 308DC? It is not much more.

  • kavadnikavadni

    This is the one I am contemplating .. I use a vintage spectra http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/751935-REG/Sekonic_401_310_L_308DC_DigiCineMate.html

  • shianshian

    I can't recall. I just remember reading the meter, setting my contrast, and double checking the key exposure on the meter, and then walking over to the monitor, and the bars on screen coming from the in-cam meter not telling me the same thing as the handheld meter. (The in-cam meter was telling me it was too bright) So I recorded a quick shot, pulled the card and put it into AE, to check the scopes and see how it looked, and it was beautiful. So I was like, "Screw it, I'll trust the meter. Let's shoot!''

    And yes, I read both incident and reflective.

  • RamboRambo

    What are you finding inaccurate with the GH2 metering suggestions, at set ISO's.

  • shianshian

    I was surprised to find that by using the meter alone, and ignoring the EV meter in the camera I was able to get more accurate exposures, and great looking footage on my last GH2 shoot. From now on, I will listen to the meter and not the camera. It seems to have a better grasp of the situation than the camera. As odd as that sounds.

  • RamboRambo

    Not half as interesting as analyzing the many line paths on your palm Shian, interesting life you've led according to my palm reading book.

    On a more serious note, any light meter tips specific to the GH2?

Add a Comment