Light meter recommendations

Bucknfl said:
I use the spectra IV incident meter and a very old minolta m spot meter when I'm doing film shoots. I rarely ever use them for video shoots. Sometimes If I'm lighting a set without a video camera I might use a meter but I don't find it that usefull anymore. If you drop that sekonic combo spot and incident meter you'll be breaking 2 meters at one time.
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LOL, yeah you would be breaking two at one time, but then again, I've seen a sekonic take a fall, and it survived perfectly fine. You get what you pay for, and I hate carrying two or three meters around (It's more than two really...).

On the usefulness of them while shooting video, I would disagree. I guess it all depends on what you shoot to some extent. TV News just doesn't care as long as they can see the robber running away or the senator visiting a hooker LOL. Film is a different ball game, quality counts. Jokes aside, I found that it really helped me see light better, and it also made me really think about what I was doing and the end result it would produce. I feel like my generation of DPs is missing out on what they can learn from manual metering (I'm not an old former film guy, I fit in the whole "grew up on digital cams" crowd). Keep in mind that I post process my footage. I don't finish in camera, not very many options like you have in AE or Lustre. When you work like that, your dynamic range changes (gets smaller typically on the shadow end of things). When that happens, I think spot metering is paramount, even if its just a quick check, it can save your butt. When I shoot, it's not "what you see is what you get". It's more like optimized for controlled post processing that results in the image I want.

Ok, I'll stop blabbering :grin: LOL
 
While we're on the subject, any recommendations for economic but effective light meters for DPs just starting to buy their own equipment but who have experience metering?
 
CardMaverick, Another beautiful thing with DVRack is the dark zebra, its the inverse of the luma zebra in that you dial in the IRE you want the dark zebras to detect and it measures your shadows on the grand plain of the scene. I think this would be very helpful with setting the master ped and other black levels/contrasts in any type of lighting you find ourself in.

When you set your masterped, is there an Ire you refuse to go under? I know your big on pushing the higher pedestal numbers [+] to get the pixels highly luminated so you can then go to post
 
Cool Lights said:
Just curious, the 758-D can be had for almost half the price ($400) but I didn't see anyone mention it and it seems to do a lot the 758 Cine does. What really is the difference other than expanded FPS to 1000?

Here's an example with detailed specs:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Sekonic-L-758D-L-758-L758D-L758-Flash-Light-Meter-New_W0QQitemZ200118358302QQihZ010QQcategoryZ708QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD2VQQcmdZViewItem
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That's pretty much the only difference. Another downside for anyone doing photography is that the 758-C doesn't come with the radio trigger pre-installed
 
Well it seems like for a lot of us that would be good enough. I don't think many of us will be shooting at 1000fps for a while. Don't need the radio trigger either.
 
Actually the meter I have does do more than just add the extra frame rates. When you go into metering footcandles, lux, ect... the meter reads out the actual unit, no more decimal number BS which I hate. The lower level meter requires you to carry this stupid reference chart thing around. I hate that. Theres a few other features too (I think it does better low light, etc). Most of these extra features didn't seem to be mentioned in the sales literature though. I personally could care less for radio flash, as I simply hate lighting anything with flash units.

bwest,

On the topic of pedestal, I treat every format and situation on a case by case basis. When shooting HVX, I usually won't go lower than 0, and I'm usually around +7. Thats my typical pedestal range on the HVX. There's lots of factors that can come into play, like the scenes contrast. Lower contrast scenes can be dangerous for higher pedestals. The funny thing is this though, lots of people just push the pedestal down for that for that stuff, when in reality, you should really be creating the extra contrast via your lighting, that will give FAR better results in post.

4:57 am.... time for bed! LOL
 
Yeah, I think it was. I actually made great use of my sekonic today actually. I did a quick ISO rating for the DVX Andromeda, assuming you put 18% gray at 50 IRE, the Andromeda mod comes to about ISO 160 versus the DVX100's post DSP image coming in around ISO 320... makes you think. I bet this apparent artificial brightening of the image is the real reason why the DVX is so noisy going to tape.
 
hey Cardmaverick.

1st. thanks for all your insightful input.

2nd. how are those tutorials going? I'm sure you are super busy and have little time.

3rd. if I'm using my Pentax spotmeter V. what ISO should I be setting it to? I'm assuming this would change with different setups. (I have the redrock M2 w/ nikons also) Could you make a quick list whenever you get a chance.

Thank you so much.
 
siniarch said:
hey Cardmaverick.

1st. thanks for all your insightful input.

2nd. how are those tutorials going? I'm sure you are super busy and have little time.

3rd. if I'm using my Pentax spotmeter V. what ISO should I be setting it to? I'm assuming this would change with different setups. (I have the redrock M2 w/ nikons also) Could you make a quick list whenever you get a chance.

Thank you so much.
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The tutorials are a little bit on the back burner, BUT, I am giving a lecture this month in Baltimore at the Cinema Lounge on June 28th. I'm still working on what I'll present. Antar was nice enough to come out and roll some behind the scenes coverage of my last TV pilot shoot, so a few of those shots will pop up in the future for discussion.

As for the spotmeter ISO settings, its way too much of a wild card. I would have to sit down with the setup and really go over it, and even at that, you can't predict everything. Sorry, but I hope to eventually have a nice detailed tutorial on how to do it, and I'll also touch on some interesting factors, like what IRE 18% gray should be at (this is a little known variable, as it can really be anywhere the calibrator wants....)
 
I see.
Here is an idea. Why not tape your June 28th lecture and the distribute it on DVD. You can then distribute it on RocketIndie. Just a thought.
 
siniarch said:
I see.
Here is an idea. Why not tape your June 28th lecture and the distribute it on DVD. You can then distribute it on RocketIndie. Just a thought.
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Humm... I never thought about taping it. I might, though I hate event videos LOL. I think I'll just re-make it for online though.
 
Light Meter

Light Meter

All Light Meters do the same job...It is what shape and/or esthetics of it you like the most. Price is a consideration of course.
I light for many years with Spectra .
Seconic gives you this option of being a Spot and Incident in one body... But I foud them to be very discalibrated between two modes of reading which pretty much makes it useless for detail work.
 
cardmaverick said:
Humm... I never thought about taping it. I might, though I hate event videos LOL. I think I'll just re-make it for online though.
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I agree. While Siniarch has a great idea (as usual), the only part about that I would change would be that I'd do it alone in a studio environment. I never seem to appreciate information products like a DVD or Audio CD as much that were recorded at some kind of seminar--they never have that extra level of polish we seem to expect from a product. Spend the extra time to make a purpose built product where you're in an environment that's ideal for your subject. I think it will have a far greater appeal. One major reason is that you're never looking at the camera, you're always looking at your audience (as it should be since the seminar participants paid good money usually to be there) so there's never a higher level of contact with the viewer of the DVD and they never feel quite so connected to the process. I'm not saying you can't get anything useful from a seminar video but most people seem to appreciate a 'studio' product more than a 'live' one. One thing I love about studios: you can perfect your performance with retakes as necessary. In a seminar, you just keep going when you made an error! (LOL).
 
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