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Thread: Sekonic Service

  1. #11
    (Shrek)
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    Mar 2011
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    Montreal
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    Re: Sekonic Service

    Quote Originally Posted by E. von Hoegh View Post
    So you twiddle enough to get them "useable", using an ebay widget with no traceable calibration? This is not calibration. QLM or Sekonic will do it right; getting it done right is cheap at twice the price.
    Pretty much, yes. If they all agree to within 1/2 stop, that's good enough for me. I'm not saying people shouldn't have their meters professionally calibrated by a service center, if they can afford to do so and don't mind being without their meter for a few weeks. But the service center might just be doing exactly what I am.

  2. #12

    Join Date
    Feb 2006
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    3,142

    Re: Sekonic Service

    Quote Originally Posted by Jody_S View Post
    Pretty much, yes. If they all agree to within 1/2 stop, that's good enough for me. I'm not saying people shouldn't have their meters professionally calibrated by a service center, if they can afford to do so and don't mind being without their meter for a few weeks. But the service center might just be doing exactly what I am.
    I sent in 2 Gossens, to the Gossen service dept., a very early Lunasix which is my main meter, and a flashmeter someone self- 'calibrated'; the service dept. explained to me that they return the meters to original spec as to linearity and accuracy. As someone else pointed out, an unreliable meter is worse than none.
    One man's Mede is another man's Persian.

  3. #13

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    Re: Sekonic Service

    Unreliable and inaccurate are two different things, no? I actually subscribe to Jody_S's methodology with one extension. If the neg looks good and "close enough" to what it "should look like" I consider the meter good for use. I've thrown out meters that failed that test but never had one calibrated in my entire life (to date).

  4. #14

    Join Date
    Aug 2008
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    Germany
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    1,384

    Re: Sekonic Service

    I've had a few meters calibrated when I was doing table top cinematography - where my footage tended to be composited with other material shot by other units. At least until high bandwidth, high bit depth all digital editing became feasible, half a stop of mis-exposure could already create a colour or contrast bias that could not be fixed in the post and remained glaringly obvious in the finished TV ad - so you were well-advised to make sure that it was not your exposure that was at fault. Doing LF product shots for composites sometimes had similar requirements - but more often you were asked to match the pre-existing/already bought background shot (a art by itself, but hardly needing absolute calibration).

  5. #15
    (Shrek)
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    Mar 2011
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    Montreal
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    Re: Sekonic Service

    I am somewhat amused by the notion of calibrating meters to some absolute standard, for art photography. Especially when I read the captions, such as 'TMX shot at 200'. Of course there are many situations where that calibration would be crucial; anything from the above-mentioned product shots, cinematography, schools, etc. But for most of us, working alone with familiar film and equipment, calibration isn't nearly as important as reliability.

  6. #16

    Join Date
    Feb 2006
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    3,142

    Re: Sekonic Service

    Quote Originally Posted by BrianShaw View Post
    Unreliable and inaccurate are two different things, no? I actually subscribe to Jody_S's methodology with one extension. If the neg looks good and "close enough" to what it "should look like" I consider the meter good for use. I've thrown out meters that failed that test but never had one calibrated in my entire life (to date).
    When I was having those Gossens recalibrated, I was using 8x10 E6 on commisions. Close enough wasn't an option. It still isn't, even in B&W. For me, if a measuring instrment is inaccurate or less than reliable, it's worse than useless - why I bought my multimeters from Fluke and Simpson instead of Sears.
    One man's Mede is another man's Persian.

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