Lightmeter For DV

[Woodson]

I heard that if buying a lightmeter for DV get a one that they use for TV shooting? Is this right?

[Stas_Tagios]

Cine versions of light meters (e.g., Sekonic's L-558 meter also has a pricier "cine" version) include several features useful when shooting movies, including a setting for shutter angle (with movie cameras, you adjust shutter angle rather than shutter speed; a 180 degree movie camera shutter angle = 1/48 shutter speed on a video camera), and readouts in lux and footcandles.

When shooting with the DVX, you're unlikely to need the additional "cine" features, since the standard meter already offers shutter speed and FPS settings, with which you can calculate your exposure.

[Barry_Green]

Yeah, I have the L508-C (C for Cine), and it has some very nice features suitable for film shooting, but none of it is necessary for video shooting. Even the stock L508 has a few settings for Cine, and would probably be more than one would ever need for shooting video.

[araujofh]

Does this apply to HD as well?

[Barry_Green]

Yes, the same would apply for HD. The cine features of the L508C are primarily concerned with variable shutter angles and variable frames per second. Both factors combined can be reduced to simply "shutter speed" when talking about video, so as long as the meter can calculate based on the shutter speed you intend to be using on your HD camera, then yes, the stock non-cine meter would do fine for HD.

[araujofh]

Thanks Barry!

[Woodson]

Are we talking about this kind of L508

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...73250&rd=1

Today I went to a photo store to check out lightmeters, they had the 558 but not the one for TV/Video. They said that the one for Video they would have to order it and its cost about $1100 Canadian way more than the regular 558.

Are these really that expensive? Or can I find them cheaper?

[Barry_Green]

That is the L508, the one in the ebay auction.

I bought my L508C new on ebay for... oh, heck, I don't remember, I'm sure it was under $500. You should be able to get a used L508 for less than $300, I'd expect (those are US$).