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Light Meter Tutorial Photography // Light Ratios with Sekonic L-308X-U Flashmate

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Light Meter Tutorial Photography is an introduction to using a light meter, and helps build an understanding of light ratios. It is also a guide to using the Sekonic L-308X-U Flashmate light meter.
Sekonic L-308X-U Flashmate Light Meter: bit.ly/2KyfGG2
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- Off Camera Flash Photography Tutorial
• Off Camera Flash Photo...
-SERIES VIDEO LIST
Balancing Flash Exposure : • Off Camera Flash Photo...
Balancing Flash Exposure Outdoors: • Off Camera Flash Photo...
Light Modifier Selection: • Off Camera Flash Photo...
Quality of Light: • Off Camera Flash Photo...
Direction of Light: • Off Camera Flash Photo...
Using Quality and Direction to Control Light Patterns: • Off Camera Flash Photo...
Using Color Correction Gels: • Flash Photography Tuto...
Light Meter Basics : Here
Balancing Multiple Lights: • Flash Photography Tuto...
Matching Fluorescent Lights with color correction gels: • Flash Photography Tuto...
Inverse Color effects with color correction gels: • Flash Photography Tuto...
Bringing it All Together Outside: • Outdoor Flash Photogra...
Using Light to Enhance Storytelling:
Selecting Flash Equipment:
Description
Exceptionally portable and versatile in its design, the L-308X-U Flashmate Light Meter from Sekonic is a versatile meter that blends both photo and video-oriented functions into a single unit. Equipped with a sliding lumisphere, the L-308X is capable of measuring incident or reflected light via a lens with a 40° reception angle. It offers a wide metering range from 0 to 19.9 EV at ISO 100, working with exposure times as low as 1/8000 all the way up to 60 seconds; it also has an equally broad flash range from f/1.0 to f/90.9 at ISO 100.
The L-308X offers three specialized metering modes: a Photo mode for still shooting with aperture and shutter priority, a Cine mode for selecting frame rates between 8-128 fps with one-tenth of a stop accuracy, and an HD Cine mode for those shooting video with DSLR or mirrorless cameras. All these settings can be easily viewed on the backlit LCD display, which can be customized to your liking and automatically lights up when working at 5 EV or darker. Other features include a PC sync terminal and a cordless flash measuring option. The L-308X-U weighs approximately 3.5 oz and runs on a single AA battery.
Portable meter for measuring incident and reflected light, features a sliding lumisphere with a 40° reception angle
Measuring range of 0 to 19.9 EV at ISO 100
Flash measuring range of f/1.0 to f/90.9 at ISO 100; flash can be measured with PC sync terminal connection or cordlessly
Remarkably accurate with a rated variance of ±0.1 EV on repeat exposures
Exposure times ranging from 1/8000 to 60 seconds
ISO 850 available, useful as it matches the native ISO of some video cameras
Backlit LCD screen can be customized to display relevant information, automatically lights up under 5 EV
Shutter and aperture priority modes available in Photo mode
Cine mode allows you to select the frame rate, from 8 to 128 fps, as well as shutter angle with one-tenth stop accuracy
Runs on one AA battery

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29 авг 2024

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Комментарии : 284

@chrisnedbalek2866 2 года назад

7:32 start on Sekonic 7:41 buttons 8:06 light dome (reflective & incident) 8:27 the modes

@RolandMoriarty 2 года назад

Hello Robert. I just want to thank you for your videos. I am a photog of 15 years and reference your videos all the time. You have a gift for teaching and you have given me more "aha!" Moments than any other channel. This tutorial has finally help me to understand light ratio and I cant thank you enough! Keep up the great work and know that you are helping the community greatly!

@robhallphoto 2 года назад

Thank you Roland, I really appreciate that response!

@eotceotc 5 месяцев назад

@@robhallphoto What if your key light is 600 watts and the the full light is 200 watts how do you measure ratio on different wattage systems?

@blainemogil2254 Год назад

I've been an amateur photographer for 50+ years shooting mostly outdoors. I've never used light meters nor studio lights - I am making the change to using this light meter and quality studio lights to really up my game for shooting art, sculptures & Asian screens indoors - this video taught me more than I could have hoped for, and tomorrow (when the lights and light meter arrive) I plan on putting this great lesson into action - thanks so much for the highly valuable offering - this has be the highest value investment of my time this year !

@robhallphoto 6 лет назад

I'll be doing an advanced metering video on the L-858D-U regarding metering outdoors, using a base EV, using multiple lights, and a typical 3 light setup. I'll also show more advanced meter functions of more expensive meters like HSS and T.1 flash durations!

@JulesMoyaert_photo 6 лет назад

When, please?

@robhallphoto 6 лет назад

I can't commit to a specific. Tons of videos to make and I need weather and model to demonstrate.

@JulesMoyaert_photo 6 лет назад

Thanks!

@Avat6 6 лет назад

Robert Hall Photography thanks Robert! Waiting for this video

@Avat6 5 лет назад

I know you been super busy..eagerly waiting for this video:-)

@tonyhayes9827 4 года назад

Thanks Robert. I know this video is 2 years old but my house just got robbed and I lost my beloved Sekonic L 358. Thinking of getting the Flashmate. This video was helpful. You're a good teacher.

@teresamattila1729 5 лет назад

Thank you! I bought this meter (used) at National Camera for myself for Christmas and haven't used it yet. Because it was used, it didn't come with any instructions whatsoever. I know how to use it now, thanks to this video!

@tonyjames5444 6 лет назад

Use this meter all the time as it does the job and it's good value for money. On a different note I've still got my old Weston Euro Meter which I used in my Hasslebald and View camera days, beautiful bit of kit and essential for anyone wanting to learn zone metering/sensitometry as I had to in training. Always remember being told to check the latitude of the scene with the meter, (darkest and lightest point where detail is required), and adjust exposure and development of the film in order to get a good print on grade 2 paper. Much easier now of course but back in the day you really felt you were creating something.

@yabowyful 2 года назад

Ultimately MMB g hklj3vjvj

@michellescott4445 5 лет назад

Finally my light meter makes sense. Thank you

@barkyvonschnauzer2188 5 лет назад

Thanks Robert - your explanation is plain & simple & straight to the point. Bravo!!

@zvonimirtosic6171 3 года назад

It’s crucial in street photography that involves people as subjects; measure the light reflecting from the hand, to get accurate exposure for skin tones. Then recheck every 15-20 mins as the ambient light changes of if you change the location. The camera simply can’t do this right.

@bngr_bngr Год назад

Only if your hand is 18% gray.

@RickLincoln Год назад

@@bngr_bngr Or, if you know the differential between your hand and mid-tone. For example, my hand is one stop brighter than mid-tone. Knowing that, if I get a reading of my hand at f/8, I know to "place" the proper exposure at f/5.6.

@jasonbodden8816 8 месяцев назад

Aperture Priority is the least hassle for street photography on the go. It'll get you in the ballpark of what you need and really easy to tweak exposure with Exposure Compensation. My go-to mode for street/walkabout photography.

@thesharpercoder 5 лет назад

THANK-YOU. This is the only video that I have found that explains the f/stop “tenths” display on Sekonic’s light meters. Not even Sekonic’s own documentation explains it. It is really not that hard to understand, nor surmise, but it is nice to see a confirmation of my assumptions.

@beachbum4691 4 года назад

For me there's a lot of exceptional insights=lessons between minute 6.0 and minute 7.35 - Great stuff, thanks for posting :)

@jessicaoppermann7619 2 года назад

I am so glad I came across your video! I've never used a meter, but I needed one for my class. We are supposed to use it for every assignment, and I was at a loss.. I've watched a few videos on how to use it, and was still extremely confused!! (Note, I'm going through an online program, so I couldn't just ask my professor to show me) This was so helpful!!!! Thank you so so soooo much!!

@robertwalker5548 Год назад

This is a very good meter. I had the more complex sekonic meter and bought this one as my backup. From day one this meter became my primary one. One complaint I have about this one and all new meters is that they have auto shut off. I used to have a minolta flashmeter with expensive batteries and no auto shut off. When makers switched to cheap aa batteries they added auto shut off. The main problem with the L 308 is the dome tends to slide over and change the meter reading to reflective. I solved this by cutting a q tip stick to length and placing it so that the dome won't slide. (For reflective metering use the camera meter)

@dennisyandoli1669 2 года назад

i found his video very helpful. It introduced the basic components of light measurement very well and that helped me to understand how measuring the light on different subjects alters and helps me to capture an image. At times Robert moved too quickly, covering more information than I could manage to take in. But watching it several times overcame that nicely and really I wouldn't want him to eliminate any of what he covered. Excellent tutorial for me and I'm sure I'll be back for more soon.

@Royh224 2 года назад

I'm glad that just before ordering a light meter I came across your video. Thank you for your explanation!

@niniko582 2 года назад

This is the most comprehensive video on metering. Thank you so much!

@JuanLopez-oz9kh 6 лет назад

As an photographer I meter light ambient light everywhere I shoot if the light is constant, this way I know how much I need dial my flash or strobes for the look I am seeking. Great video and thanks

@rbcollection28 6 лет назад

Thanks heaps, super helpful for this here novice : ) Being a complete novice, I needed to pause the video many times, and replay sections. Many thanks again

@prayforpeace2204 2 года назад

Thanks for this tutorial. Started shooting on film and needed a brush up on using a light meter.

@ginotarabotto 2 года назад

Great tutorial. Please do a tutorial on light ratios to see how they look.

@michaelscafidi92 5 лет назад

This is the first video out of the whole lot on RU-vid that really made sense to me in terms of understanding light stops. HUGE thanks to you!

@rhsmoe 4 года назад

This was super helpful, especially the part about the light ratios. Thanks

@markgirouard627 5 лет назад

Just enough information without getting to wordy. The explanations are fantastic (as long as you have an understanding of the subject first) and this video is fantastic!!!

@dunnymonster 6 лет назад

Big fan of using a handheld light meter especially given I shoot film fairly regularly. For flash it's essential in my opinion 😊

@rachelstone3079 2 года назад

I know it's 5 years after you published this, but FAB video. Super clear and helpful. Only thing I can't seem to find on RU-vid is how to get my Sekonic Flashmate L-308X to fire my studio flash lights cordlessly (been trying to sync it to my Elinchrom Skyport Transmitter, without success.

@robhallphoto 2 года назад

I don’t have any recent experience with Elinchrom skyport but there is no radio module in the L-308x to fire the lights, that is available in higher models. The “cordless” mode means it will measure the next flash it sees, so you still initiate the flash via testing on the trigger or firing the camera with trigger attached.

@alexmorales9065 Год назад

Oh wow! First time seeing this video and it was truly incredibly helpful. Thank you very much!! I watched a couple of other metering videos thought the last couple of days and now it finally clicked in. Again, thank you, and keep it up!

@CJbanning 5 лет назад

Great video I enjoy a lot of your work I graduated Brooks Institute videos are a good Refresher

@wendystumbaugh695 5 лет назад

Robert, you are an amazing teacher. I love your videos. Was just thinking about buying a simple Sekonic L-308. Your video blows the Sekonic away. Why is that? lol

@miketsou79 3 года назад

Love all your videos! I just bought the L308 after watching this video. Keep up the good work 👊🏼

@rolandf7419 3 года назад

An excellent explanation of when and how to use the Sekonic L-308X light meter. Easy to understand tutorial. Thanks! I'll be subscribing for more.

@Dogsandsewon 4 года назад

Best video I’ve seen on the subject, thank you, incredibly useful

@gregs2466 4 года назад

this is the best explanation of light steps and flash usage along with metering

@michaelscafidi92 4 года назад

I am super thankful for this video. I've always had a difficult time fully understanding the functions of light meters/ratios.. But this video cleared up so many questions I've had. Much appreciated!

@l4ndst4nder Год назад

Great photos, clear explanations, and very practical! Very good video!

@jl1515 5 лет назад

This is exactly what I’ve been looking for. Now I understand fully how to use my light meter. Thank you so much.

@MichaelJones-yx4zv 4 года назад

So hot and hella smart. I bet you make someone very happy. Thanks for the video I finally caved in and bought this light meter and now and a great understanding of how to use it.

@ChrisdeLaatPhotography 7 месяцев назад

excellent information!! Thanks and cheers from Niagara Falls Canada

@SzDaly 4 года назад

This is a great tutorial, thanks for taking the time, much appreciative

@X1014real Год назад

Well, I felt just got a Ph.D on light measurements watching your video. Thank You.

@3obardThawn3 3 года назад

Holy crap... (in a good way if there is one) i learned so much from this video. (I'm new to this by the way...) keep them videos coming... 😍

@jeremyn6726 3 года назад

Your videos are top notch. Organized and helpful. Thank you

@jtes1442 6 лет назад

Still worth using outside. At least to get your baseline exposure . Nice video . Looking forward to your video on the 858 .

@medina8050 4 года назад

Can use this for HSS...Will it go up to 8000 ss

@Project_2501 4 года назад

Well if you are using an old analog camera that doesn't have a built in meter, a hand held meter is a true blessing in any case. I commercially shoot with an old Mamiya in basically every thinkable light condition, with flash and also ambient light and it is the most necessary tool besides the camera itself. I really like the Sekonic Flashmate L-308X, but I find it pretty over priced. Not for what it does, but for what it physically is. It is really not much more than a cheap pocket calculator and also feels like it. It is really just a super basic circuit board with 4 5 buttons, a simple old fashion display, an LED and a simple light sensor - all surrounded by very cheapish plastic. I am very positive that you can produce these devices in Asia for material costs under $5 each! So the current value of over $200 US is really usury. Cheaper ones also do a lot less, but also these simple light meters you can get for $50 or $30 are a scam too, considering the manufacturing costs. I am aware that there is a not a whole lot of demand for light meters in the massive beginner and amateur market, but that is no argument for setting the price that ridiculously high. Then again, what alternative do you have - right? Building and programming one yourself - guess not.

@brainmt Год назад

Wow. Just wow. Well done and thank you so much.

@LeachyPeachy99 5 лет назад

Dude... such a helpful video. I just subscribed and will go through all of your videos. Great job. Not only does my meter makes sense to me now but I have a better understanding of F-stop ratios.

@robhallphoto 5 лет назад

So happy to hear that Lawrence, hope the rest are helpful as well!

@JohnChubbSr 2 года назад

Thank you! Fantastic video for getting started!!!

@Psyclonus7 Год назад

Yeah this kinda cleared it up for me. I was thinking about getting one but if it's primarily for studio, I'll pass.

@paddykeogh511 5 лет назад

Thank you Robert you make it easy to understand lighting even for me

@HR-wd6cw 2 года назад

I think the reason ISO is also not used is because ISO itself (given the same amount of light) can increase the brightness of the entire scene (including the background) but if you want to narrow this down specifically to flash output (and it's impact or a way to measure it) aperture is good because aperture only impacts the recorded light put out by the light source (flash in this case) without impacting the whole scene, including the background. Plus I think it's easier and more accurate to use apertures because given the same scenario (say ISO 100, 1/125s) with a given flash but being tested on an APS-C versus FF camera, the aperature reading in terms of light output would be similar (maybe off slightly but probably not greatly). So aperture may be a bit more universal than ISO in that regard for measuring light especially when dealing with different sized sensors (APS-C and FF mainly).

@smalltalk.productions9977 5 лет назад

still relevant. thank you for the effort and the sharing. thumbs up.

@thenexthobby 4 года назад

Outdoors is where a spot meter is more useful, especially since some models that have them will be more precise than a camera's more broad spot meter. But I don't see that on the L-308X-U, so ... I could see using a meter in a studio to quickly dial in lighting before taking any images, to at least get close. On the other hand, if I'm in the studio I'd be tempted to also then be tethered, which gets easier every year. And then I could see right away the effect of my lighting on a larger monitor I trust.

@keithshenkin3674 4 года назад

Really helpful video, Robert. Thanks and best wishes!

@burning1rr 6 лет назад

I'm pretty sure we measure light in terms of aperture ratio because of film. When you change the position or intensity of your light, you would not necessarily want to change your film or film processing, esp if you were halfway through a roll. As you mentioned, below the sync speed, shutter has almost no impact on exposure from a strobe. That leaves only aperture to control the exposure of the light. Old lights didn't necessarily offer power control.

@kirkdarling4120 6 лет назад

Actually, old lights usually offered power control. Even back to flash bulbs, we could buy different powered flash bulbs, and all but the cheapest electronic flash could quench the pop at lower levels. However, none of the exposure controls back in the day had the illusion of incremental control presented today. We could only slice apertures into half stops, shutter speeds into full stops, film speed into whatever the film came in (usually full stops, though some films advertised or tested to actual incremental real speeds), flash power to full stops. Today, our tools give the illusion of control down to a tenth of a stop or less. I say illusion because those tiny increments don't really matter in practice. If I took three shots of a typical scene varied by a tenth of a stop exposure and showed it to a panel of ordinary folk, they might not even see a difference. If I showed it to photographers, they'd see a difference but they'd disagree over which was actually correctly exposed. But all these tiny incremental controls tend to confuse people. Personally, I've set my camera to show me ISO, shutter speeds, and aperture in half stops--pretty much the way it was years ago. That's because I learned years ago that half stops can be easily remembered and calculated--and they will get you to within a quarter stop of accuracy, which is accurate as anyone can argue an exposure to be. Pretending to be any more accurate than 1/4 stop on a real-world scene is just fooling yourself.

@CryptoJones 6 месяцев назад

This video earned a sub from me. Thanks for the section on ratios!

@FelixDamian 4 года назад

This a quite awesome and thorough video on measuring light. Thank you!

@srb980 5 лет назад

Thank you. I learned some much needed things about a light meter

@lv41anothr60 2 года назад

Great instructive video! Thanks for sharing.

@martatighe7318 3 года назад

Thank you so much for the explanation. I’ve had my meter for over a year and struggled with it.If I may make a suggestion, it would be helpful to explain how to interpret the result. For instance, if you are wanting a 2.8 exposure and your results say 1.4, do you increase or decrease light? That would make this tutorial PERFECT.

@Royh224 2 года назад

you have to cut less light (decrease)

@ILaxative 2 года назад

@@Royh224 he would actually have to add light to get 2.8 to be accurate in camera if the light reads 2.8. The 1.4 means that the room is actually kind of low on light and the he would have to increase light output to match the 2.8. If the light increases so will the aperture because more light means he would have to stop down to a slower aperture (going up in the f/stop#). This is if he wanted the 2.8 to be the end result. If 1.4 was the end goal then yes he would decrease light so everything would equal 1.4

@jerrodlittleton7019 Год назад

Nice video! Thanks!

@Cassius609 5 лет назад

It makes sense to use aperture as a measurement of f-stop is because film ISO is constant!

@tobyhines7587 6 лет назад

My 308 is a version 1 close to 20 years old, I do not think it has all the modes of newer models but still used indoors and out. Replaced My Luna Pro F. Good info Mr. Hall

@robhallphoto 6 лет назад

Thats one of the best things about a meter is they last FOREVER. Not too much has changed especially on the more basic models.

@SenorGancho Год назад

Nicely done Robert A good 'crisp' clear explanation of ratios. The example photos were an excellent way to reinforce the learning points. A question though. For getting a higher light ratio on your subject than the ambient, wouldn't a light meter be best? Or does TTL and flash compensation do the job?

@demonsaint1296 5 лет назад

Five minutes in I finally figured out this wasn’t about a seafood cook off.

@laika25 5 лет назад

Great GREAT explanation. Thanks.

@keithshenkin3674 5 лет назад

Thanks, Robert. Really helpful and instructive. Best wishes!

@williequinlan4946 4 года назад

Very good explanation Thanks

@MarkusAmbrose Год назад

Thank you for this tutorial!

@oo0RECON0oo 5 лет назад

Excellent explanations! Great informative vid! Thank you. Liked commented and subscribed to support channels of this quality.

@StarrDon 3 года назад

Just got it delivered 💯👍🏻👍🏻👊🏼

@eightfingeredhand6112 3 года назад

What a fantastic tutorial! 🖒

@za.jeanpaul 3 года назад

Really good video, appreciate it Robert

@cuzihungry 11 месяцев назад

I wanna take family photos with a backdrop of my family (in different family's homes) and patch everyone together into a panorama, would a meter help make patching it together more seemless or no?

@OhTonyEdwards 3 года назад

Wow, what a great video! Thank you so much.

@12familyadvisors46 6 лет назад

Can't tell you how long I've been looking for this kind of tutorial. Thank you. You paced this perfectly. I am confused about the lights. Doesn't it make a difference if I have a 1000w light versus a 400w light? I was told by a teacher to use 1000w, then I read small studios don't need over 400w. And should key light and fill light be the same type of lamps (like same output ability)...or does any of that matter?

@Connor_Dempsey 5 лет назад

Another great video Robert.

@earlearmstrong2380 5 лет назад

An easy to understand tutorial on how to use a light meter, while keying on some key lighting concepts and real life experience on when to use a light meter, as well as when a light meter may not make sense.

@divusiulius7539 4 года назад

I really love your videos. I learn and relearn a lot of from your videos. One question though. While making your points about light ratios you described the typical situation that involves using a third stop more than the background light as a fill flash to help fill in the shadow detail and create a more natural look. And that's a great point. You used the two wedding images in that scene. You did say that you don't use Light Meters for weddings. Are you saying that you don't use a light meter in those situations? I can't imagine that you aren't using a light meter then. At any time of the day, you never know what you light conditions are going to be. I live and die with my light meter(S).

@drtalebpediatre9293 2 года назад

Best vidéo out there thanks a lot

@theodoresweger4948 4 года назад

Thanks best explanation, I love this meter but I have the predecessor that has only Time mode, it's small and dependable and an extra battery makes me feel safe.

@Fontsman 5 лет назад

Excellent tutorial

@CJbanning 5 лет назад

It would be cool if you did a inverse Square law and include flash with additives

@pianoman6639 3 года назад

Brilliant video thank you

@brejohnson5459 3 года назад

Extremely helpful, thank you!

@herbertvalle4373 3 года назад

Very educational video

@danieljackson654 6 месяцев назад

Thank you very much

@magrau84 2 года назад

Thanks for the class!!!!

@RealHankShill 5 лет назад

I would think the reason we use aperture is because before digital, you had a limited selection of film, or you already knew what film you were going to use. In a studio environment you would be most likely to use the best film possible, so your aperture remained your best easily adjusted setting. Changing a camera setting is far easier than changing your film.

@ZzdeathangelzZ 6 лет назад

And to add, if you are working with film cameras with strobes, you pretty much need one with a PC Sync Cord.

@nikitabaryshnikov1739 3 месяца назад

Hey Rob. Thanks for the great video. I know it's pretty old and not sure if you respond - but is there any way I can make the light meter set the shutter speed faster then 1/500? What if I want to use high speed sync?

@rafaelmaychmaz 3 года назад

Great review! Thanks much

@Mixxwizard 4 года назад

Nice video Robert, I was curious about what F stop light reading & Temperature reading where getting from your Sekonic for this video.

@ellenbogengallery5990 4 года назад

Thank you Robert for the useful tutorial. I've just purchased the Sekonic L-308X-U and the Lumidisc which was recommended for use when photographing FLAT ART. That is exactly what I purchased the meter, unfortunately my searches are not coming up with a specific tutorial for metering artwork in a studio setting. Is there a link to an existing video that you can provide, or even to a text tutorial?

@fortunachesscoach9434 3 года назад

Great video thank you for your research, knowledge and excellent video! :0)

@Drone360pilot 5 лет назад

Thanks Rober, you're the Best! Amazing explanation. Deep respect, man !

@pauldestocki6356 4 года назад

Very well presented.

@deafelephantproductions7109 Год назад

Was that Giovanni and the hired guns? In the opening ?

@indio4055 Год назад

I can’t switch the aperature priority? I’m only able to change to shutter priority. is there a way around this?

@step-hen 5 лет назад

Thanks for the informative video. I want to ask when metering the incident light on the subject, it will then give me the settings for the camera to obtain the correct exposure. But why the distance between the camera and the subject is not needed for such metering? To my understanding, the longer the distance, the less light will be captured by the camera.