Using a Light meter for Video

C

Carlos Antonio de Varona

Member
Up until now I have been relying on my Eyes, and my Zebra set at 75 to help me get the correct exposure, but I know there has to be a way to do it easily with a Sekonic Light meter for example..

For still photography I got it down well, but can anyone give me insight as to how I can do this for video?

I shoot on HPX500 of course.
thanks!
 
Ok,

Here is how I do it.

1. Select an ISO on the camera that you intend to shoot at. I shot our 5D at 160 and 320.
2. Set your camera to 30p or 24p or whatever you are going to shoot at.
3. Set your meter to match your camera settings
4. Light your scene to the various F-Stops 1.8, 2.0, 4.0, 5.6, 8.0
5. Take stills at of the scene at each ISO, then open those stills in your video program.

Are the areas you expected to be the brightest falling in the range you're comfortable with? You should be metering for the brightest thing in the scene by the way, and that should be falling below 100 IRE on the chart. Are the readings consistent as you go up and down in aperature? Or are some blown out, and others much more dim? If so, then you either have an issue with the lens most likely not being accurate. If you see the same error across multiple lenses at the same F-Stops, your sensor is not linear and this needs to be noted.

In this way, when you shoot, you'll know that when you shoot your movie, and you select say F5.6 it is a little hot, so you can maybe add a bit of neutral density, or reduce the light 1/3 stop or so.

Very few camera sensors are linear, and very few lenses are perfectly accurate. So these little quirks need to be noted in critical shooting.
 
waveform monitor is the correct tool for video - while a light meter will get you in the ballpark - the sensitivity of video is not the same linear as film and therefore the most accurate exposure tool is a waveform monitor - shows you exactly what is going on
 
smelni said:
waveform monitor is the correct tool for video - while a light meter will get you in the ballpark - the sensitivity of video is not the same linear as film and therefore the most accurate exposure tool is a waveform monitor - shows you exactly what is going on
Click to expand...

Awesome.

Suppose you don't have a waveform monitor? Or you're pre-lighting. Or on a tech scout, or your WFM just broke. How do you set lighting ratios with a WFM?

And film is not always linear either. Waveform monitors have their place and their role. Light meters have their place and their role.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top