Can anyone here help me understand how to use the Sekonic L-778 Dual Spot Meter?

[manfrominternet]

I have the instructions and read it a few times, but because it’s a rather poor translation and somewhat vague, I still have really little idea of how to use it.

It’s a dual spot meter, with 1 degree and 3 degrees of view. It’s capable of memorizing 5 readings.

Anyway, for example, this is how I use it. Tell me what I’m doing wrong.

1. I set the ISO
2. I measure a mid tone (like my subject at, say, f/16 at 1/8 second) and hit the memory function.
3. I measure the darkest tone (at, say, f/8 at 1/8 second) and hit the memory function.
4. I measure the lightest tone (like a very bright cloudy sky at, say, f/32 at 1/8 second) and hit the memory function.

Now I obviously can’t just add these f/stops up and divide by 3; the lightest tone will drag the setting to become over exposed.

So how do I properly calculate this? Can anyone here explain what I’m doing wrong and help me figure this meter out?

Here’s the somewhat vague instruction manual: https://www.cameramanuals.org/flashe...onic_L-778.pdf

If anyone can help me understand how to properly use this step by step, that’d be greatly appreciated.

I’m getting worried that I’m relying too much on the averaging light meter on my iPhone. :/

[Mark Sawyer]

It’s capable of memorizing 5 readings...

As a rule, I never use anything smarter than me.

[fotopfw]

Go with the average the meter gives you, but as you know what that will do for your highlights or shadows, adjust accordingly. Or handle (part of it) it in the darkroom, when developing the film, I assume B&W film.

[manfrominternet]

Go with the average the meter gives you, but as you know what that will do for your highlights or shadows, adjust accordingly. Or handle (part of it) it in the darkroom, when developing the film, I assume B&W film.

I should have mentioned that I'm using color negatives and transparencies, Kodak Ektar (100 ISO) and Fuji Provia (100 ISO) and Velvia (50 ISO), respectively to be exact.

[esearing]

Change the mode to EVs - The averaging makes more sense and it will still show you the f-stop and time, pick either based on desired DOF or shutter quirks. EV8 , EV12.2 = AVG 10.1 . @iso 100 ~ f22 0.5 seconds.

Or use the darkest tone to set your f-stop on Zone 3 and closedown two stops (F and or T). Example as above Meter EV8 f16 1 seconds ~ Taking f22 .5 seconds.

I keep an EV chart to double check myself sometimes when I stray from the meter. ev-exposure-chart/

[manfrominternet]

Change the mode to EVs - The averaging makes more sense and it will still show you the f-stop and time, pick either based on desired DOF or shutter quirks. EV8 , EV12.2 = AVG 10.1 . @iso 100 ~ f22 0.5 seconds.

Or use the darkest tone to set your f-stop on Zone 3 and closedown two stops (F and or T). Example as above Meter EV8 f16 1 seconds ~ Taking f22 .5 seconds.

I keep an EV chart to double check myself sometimes when I stray from the meter. ev-exposure-chart/

Thank you for your advice and the link to this chart!!! I really appreciate it! I just printed it out.

[Alan Klein]

Do you develop your own film? Do you use the zone system? Are you shooting black and white negative film? Do you shoot sheet film? If the answer to any of these questions is No, then why are you complicating your life with a spot meter? Maybe an incident light meter or average reflective light meter is better.

[manfrominternet]

Do you develop your own film? Do you use the zone system? Are you shooting black and white negative film? Do you shoot sheet film? If the answer to any of these questions is No, then why are you complicating your life with a spot meter? Maybe an incident light meter or average reflective light meter is better.

Unfortunately, I don't develop my own film. (I wish I did, but, being a student, I still don't have the means to.) I try to use the zone system and do understand it. I'm using color negatives and transparencies 4x5 and 120 medium format, Kodak Ektar (100 ISO) and Fuji Provia (100 ISO) and Velvia (50 ISO), respectively to be exact.

[Doremus Scudder]

Unfortunately, I don't develop my own film. (I wish I did, but, being a student, I still don't have the means to.) I try to use the zone system and do understand it. I'm using color negatives and transparencies 4x5 and 120 medium format, Kodak Ektar (100 ISO) and Fuji Provia (100 ISO) and Velvia (50 ISO), respectively to be exact.

Using the Zone System with color materials is very similar to using it with black-and-white, it's just that you don't have as many development controls and contrast controls at the printing stage are more limited. With color negative film, you still should base your exposure on a shadow value. Then you have to check your highlights to see if they fall within the dynamic range of the process. If they are too high, rethinking the shadow placement (a compromise that works sometime, essentially sacrificing detail in the shadow for detail in an important highlight) or changing lighting or waiting for the light or abandoning the shot altogether. Having a really good idea of what values end up where in the final print is crucial.

With transparency materials, the Zone System gets turned on its head; you need to base your exposure on a highlight value. And, since the film's dynamic range is more limited, usually the textured highlight value falls in Zone VII. Then you check the shadows and see what you can get there. Often, it turns out to be a case of sacrificing shadow detail for the highlights, since the dynamic range of transparency materials is more limited than color negative. Lighting ratio, type of lighting and choice of camera position in relation to the light source(s) is even more important than with negative film. There's a good reason most effective transparencies of landscapes are made with overcast skies...

Using the memory function of your meter to just average values and exposing at the mean value is even less effective with color materials than with black-and-white. What it can do, however, is show you the dynamic range of the scene you are photographing and help you decide where possible compromises lay when the scene's brightness range exceeds the reproduction range of the process.

Best,

Doremus

[Andy Eads]

Dear Manfrominternet,

Allow me to suggest that you first need a working philosophy regarding exposure. None of this will make sense till you have a solid idea of which approach to exposure control will get the results you seek. I suggest you read the first 9 chapters of this treatise I wrote on exposure and development control. It may put you to sleep but I hope it will give you a sense of where you might devote your time productively.

https://www.largeformatphotography.i...cles/VIDEC.pdf

Andy Eads