Recomended light meters for cinema

[nickbeef]

Looking to buy a light meter, and obviously I want to not break the bank. The Sekonic L-308X-U seems to be decent for the price, the only thing I can see is that it doesn't have a spot meter. But I already have false color on my monitor, so perhaps thats not as critical a feature, and plus the recessed meter option seems to work close enough. Most importantly, it has a Cine mode.

Am I missing something? Is there a reason to buy one of the more expensive models? Or is there something other people would recommend instead?

 

[Greg Smith]

I've owned a variety of fancy light meters over the years, up to and including the classic Spectra III and IV, but IMHO, for use with modern digital cameras, the inexpensive Sekonic L-308 models give you all the information you need, and are cheap and easy to use. Mine is the slightly older model L-308DC, but they've folded its capabilities into the more versatile L-308X-U recently, which also has functions emphasizing flash and still photography. (This way they can sell one model that will meet more users' needs, instead of two separate more specialized versions as before.)

You can spend more but will get very little additional accuracy or versatility from a pricier meter.

- Greg

 

[nickbeef]

Thanks Greg. Also, am I correct in my assumption that for the most part in incident reading is more critical, since I can basically take spot reading from the camera with false color?

 

[QuickHitRecord]

I bought the Sekonic L-478 so that I could create and save multiple profiles for frequently used lenses, but the tiny Gossen Digisix gets a lot more use from me.

 

[Greg Smith]

Thanks Greg. Also, am I correct in my assumption that for the most part in incident reading is more critical, since I can basically take spot reading from the camera with false color?

Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth and I took my first cinematography class, I was taught to use an incident meter and was told (by a couple of experienced but opinionated teachers) that there was no other "proper" way to measure exposure for moving pictures. I took that advice to heart and have never used a standalone handheld meter for reflected light readings. Ever. I do use false color and waveforms for tweaking the exposure in the camera, for sure, but not my separate meter. To be honest, I don't use the Sekonic at all that much for setting the iris these days, but it is still the best way to measure lighting ratios and for scouting locations to see whether the existing light is adequate.

- Greg