thierrylaflamme Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 Hello! I recently purchased a medium format camera. As there is no meter inside, I also bought -separately- a vintage Sekonic Selenium light meter. I'm wondering when should I open the top of the meter... Is it only when I shoot inside or all the time that it has to be opened to get the right exposure? Also, I saw a red line, a blue one, and another in yellow. Which one should I read in each specific situation? Sorry for this "basic" question but, as I wrote, it is a vintage meter. So, I don't have any book coming with to give some advice. Thanks in advance for your help. (Last question: can I really trust that kind of meter?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCL Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 It might be helpful to know a model number or post a picture of the light meter so we know what you are talking about. Selenium meters, in their day, did a pretty good job as long as they were 1) kept properly adjusted, and 2) the light wasn't dim. Also, did you check online to see if a manual is available? A good way to check basic adjustment is to go outside on a bright sunny day, point the meter (assuming you are using a reflected and not incident mode) at an 18% grey card. The meter should read a suggested aperture of f16 for the shutter speed which is a reciprocal of the film speed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thierrylaflamme Posted February 6, 2006 Author Share Posted February 6, 2006 It is a Sekonic L-8. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan_olander1664878205 Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 There's a free manual located here: http://www.kyphoto.com/classics/instructionmanuals.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Currie Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 I had a Sekonic similar to that when I was a kid (mine was an Auto Leader in which the auxiliary sensor flipped out rather than plugging in). Unfortunately, in a weak moment some years ago I gave mine away thinking I had another one that worked. It turned out it didn't. As for the top door and the auxiliary sensor (if it's present), there is no hard and fast rule. You open or close as needed to get the needle as close to the mid range as possible. Nice meter if it's in good working order. Check the calibration as suggested above, and if it's good, it will serve you well as long as you remember that it's an averaging meter. It sees a wide angle view, sky and ground and all, so you'll have to remember to compensate for shadows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thierrylaflamme Posted February 6, 2006 Author Share Posted February 6, 2006 Thank you very much to all of you for these precious advice regarding my Sekonic meter. Very appreciated and helpful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now