Hand Held Light Meters

[markfroble]

Hi Guys,

I want to get a light meter, but I'm not quite sure whether I just need a normal photographic one, or a "cine" model.

If I bought a normal photographic one (say a Spectra Professional IV-A), what functions will I miss out on?

I know some cine models have settings for shutter angle, but can't I just work out the equivalent shutter speed for my camera instead of entering a shutter angle?

Anything else I need?

What's a cheaper "CINE" model that I could get???
Is the Spectra Professional IV-A any good????????

Thanks for your help guys!

Tim.

[Nigel]

I have a Sekonic 508 and I love it... I think that they have stopped making it or named it something else. The 608 came out about three weeks after I bought my meter and if I knoew it was coming I would have waited. The 608 is a great one.

Good Luck

[Jam]

You will miss an exact reading from the meter, becasue most of the Super8 camera has 160 shutter angle, with 18 fps, therefore you will got a
1/40.5 shutter speed...but most photograhic meter doesn't has this setting, so people might use 1/50 instead.

I'm having the same problem, as some of my camera has 220 degree, therefore sometime I got confused

If you are planning to shoot 16 or 35mm in the future, it's worth to invent for a nice Cine meter.

Cheers
Jam

[Actor]

i would not get a cine model unless it had a way to input both shutter angle and frame rate. Know your camera and use a regular meter.

My meter has cine markings but I ignore them.

[monobath]

If you know your shutter angle, you can calculate an approximate shutter speed for any particular frame rate, then set your film ISO and this approximate shutter speed on your meter to take a reading.

The formula to calculate approximate shutter speed as a fraction of a second is:

((frame rate x 360) / shutter angle) = speed

so for 18fps with 220 degree shutter

((18 x 360) / 220) = 29.4545 ~ 30 or 1/30th second

or for 24fps with 220 degree shutter

((24 x 360 / 220) = 39.2727 ~ 40 or 1/40th second

Unfortunately, many meters won't let you set intermediate speeds. You might have a setting for 1/30th and for 1/60th on your meter, but not for 1/40th. In that case, use the closest speed setting and adjust the indicated aperture slightly more open or closed.

The difference between 1/30th and 1/60th second is one stop. If my calculated shutter speed was 1/40th second, almost half way between 1/30th and 1/60th, I'd set my meter to 1/30th second. 1/30th is about a half stop more exposure than 1/40th second, so I'd compensate by setting the aperture on my camera to a half stop less exposure than what the meter indicated.

For example, if the metered reading said f/8 at 1/30th second, I'd set the camera aperture to f/9.5, a half stop less exposure than f/8.

This isn't exact, but works for fine in most cases. If you need to be exact, get a cine meter that lets you set the fps and shutter angle.

[scott]

If you know the shutter speed for your camera at various frame rates, any decent meter will work fine (for example my Beaulieu 5008S Multispeed is 1/60 at 24fps and 1/100 at 54fps).

I picked up a Vivitar 45 incident/reflected meter for $5 at a small second hand store, and it does a fine job. Before that I had a Weston Master III, which despite having to convert from the old Weston scale to ASA, also did a fine job. Unfortunately the Weston died.

Good Luck!

Scott

[jean]

The gossen digisix I have allows to enter the shutter angle, fps, and returns a f-stop.

[markfroble]

Thanks for your help guys!

I just bought a Sekonic L-508 Cine Zoom Master off Ebay.

I payed too much for it, but at least I've got a good one!!! (I think).

Thanks.

Tim.