Sekonic L6 - Very confused...

[truls]

I finally got an external light meter, Sekonic L-6. I cannot figure out how to use this thingy. The manual did not help very much, it says take a reading and set your camera to correspondent setting. Hmm... I can guess how to use it: Set ASA, set shutter speed at ASA setting, e.g. 200, then take reading which may be 4, then turn the aperture dial to 200, which in turn will give a correct exposure. Or could someone point me in the right direction. Funniest thing, aperture values are only from f.1 - f.8. Also I don't understand the OPEN and CLOSED function.

[Stephen]

The scale in the window is light values and are set in the small window next to the ASA, and the scales are the outer are aperture and go from F1 to F32, and the speeds are on the inner scale.

The window gives a low light range open and high closed. quite how the scale reads I can't properly say without checking it, does the scale alter as the window is opened or closed etc.,??.

To check, go into bright mid day sunlight and face away from the sun and take a reading at 100ASA it should be about F16 at 1/100th approx.

Then open the flap and try indoors, and see what happens!!

Light meters used to be made with Light Values to be used with LV shutters that combined the speed and aperture automatically.

Stephen.

[Stephen]

Worked it out, the aperture when the flap is open is read opposite the blue mark, and when closed is read from opposite the red mark.... simple! and very definitely the aperture range is F1 to F32, I can't quite see how you only read it as limited to F8

Stephen

[Stephen]

Just found Original booklet is available on www.cameramanuals.org/flashes_meters/sekonic_leader_l-vi.pdf
But you mention having the instruction sheet......
Stephen.

[truls]

Thanks for your help, I think I begin to understand how it works. I metered with the camera, which gave 1/15 at f.8 ISO 100. Here a picture when the cover is open (use blue readings):



Here the cover is closed (use red readings):



It should mean 1/100 at f.8 ISO100 according to light meter. How could the camera say 1/15 f.8 ISO100?

[truls]

After some more testing I know how it works, the CLOSED and OPEN was the most difficult part. It could differ from the camera as it reads average, the light meter must take reading from the main subject. Big thanks!

[Stephen]

Yes, meters like this average the reading, but TTL meters in cameras tend to spot compared to the hand held meter.

The key is to keep the Sunny 16 rule in mind, which is the F16/time combination for the reciprocal of the ASA number. For 100ASA (or 125) then it would be 100th at F16, or 200th at F8, or any other combination.

This applies to midday light from the south, with you looking North, at mid-summer, with adjustments made for lower light. It gives a very reasonable test figure to work with.

The nearer the meter is to the subject, the less light is reflected, and the reading becomes more spot like, giving a lighter exposure.

An incident meter gets around this by reading the light falling on the subject , rather than reflected. This gives consistency with variable subjects that require the flesh tones to remain constant.

With a general purpose meter like the Sekonic, the same level of accuracy can be achieved by reading direct from the faces etc., that are the point of interest in the shot. You can also use a grey card to turn the sekonic into an incident, (reflected light), meter.

With Colour negative, (and most black and white film), such exposure accuracy may not be needed, the latitude of the film will take care of such finer exposure, but with slide it needs accuracy, basically you need to know what in the shot is to be exposed correctly, and the sekonic will work fine with a touch of planning.

Never trust meters as such, you must estimate the exposure a bit yourself, then confirm the light levels with the meter, plan the centre of interest, and work with the meter and your experience to arrive at an exact value....then if it is vital, bracket some shots!

Stephen.