I've been playing with my new sekonic l-208 light meter for a few days and it seems to be working pretty well. It's the cheapest one I could find new, so I didn't expect a huge amount. But it does what I need it to fairly accurately.
I was, however quite disappointed with the instructions, which came in every language except the two that I speak. I found an online version, which showed almost nothing I didn't know already.
So after a few days I noticed a glaring error in the EV values.
Look at the picture here - ISO 100, EV15(sunny 16 rule) as expected a reading of f16:1/125.
The green neddle is just right of the centre pattern.
All good. However, if I change the ISO to 1600, EV15, the readout gives - f16: 1/125
Huh?!
Look at the needle - it is in a different place?
So what I can figure out from this, is that the EV values can only be correct at a certain ISO.
For somebody using the meter to set the camera, that is no problem, you don't really need the EV value.
If somebody was trying to learn to use the meter alongside the guesswork EV values they already knew, this would be a pain if you didn't know. This is not in the manual and I am still not sure exactly which ISO the EV values are correct. I think it is at ISO100.
I like using EV values as the meter only reads down to EV 3, which means anything below that I have to guess the exposure. I just hoope I didn't fuck up last nights shots by mixing up my own calculations with my actual light readings.
I've been playing with my new sekonic l-208 light meter for a few days and it seems to be working pretty well. It's the cheapest one I could find new, so I didn't expect a huge amount. But it does what I need it to fairly accurately.
I was, however quite disappointed with the instructions, which came in every language except the two that I speak. I found an online version, which showed almost nothing I didn't know already.
So after a few days I noticed a glaring error in the EV values.
Look at the picture here - ISO 100, EV15(sunny 16 rule) as expected a reading of f16:1/125.
The green neddle is just right of the centre pattern.
All good. However, if I change the ISO to 1600, EV15, the readout gives - f16: 1/125
Huh?!
Look at the needle - it is in a different place?
So what I can figure out from this, is that the EV values can only be correct at a certain ISO.
For somebody using the meter to set the camera, that is no problem, you don't really need the EV value.
If somebody was trying to learn to use the meter alongside the guesswork EV values they already knew, this would be a pain if you didn't know. This is not in the manual and I am still not sure exactly which ISO the EV values are correct. I think it is at ISO100.
I like using EV values as the meter only reads down to EV 3, which means anything below that I have to guess the exposure. I just hoope I didn't fuck up last nights shots by mixing up my own calculations with my actual light readings.