Light meters
Sekonic L-398 User manual
User manual for Sekonic L-398. 19 pages in English. Read the original PDF, download or print a copy without registration.
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- Brand
- Sekonic
- Model / document
- Sekonic L-398
- Document type
- User manual
- Language
- English
- Pages
- 19
- File size
- 2.6 MB
- Category
- Light meters
- Document date
- Not specified in catalog
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www.orphancameras.com P R I N T E D I N JAPAN 86035000s sEKOtrttcView original page 2
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CONTENTS
FEATURES
Nearly all photographic subjects combine complex variations of
Specifications 4 strongly reflecting surfaces(high reflectivity) and weakly ref lecting
Part Designations 5 surfaces(low reflectivity).These variationsdelicatelyinfluenceex-
Accessories 6 posure determination and to which portion the exposure is set
BasicOperationof Meter Unit 7 becomes a vital factor that considerablyaffects the appearanceof
1. Stopper Button Operation 7 the f inished photograph.
. 2. Zero PositionCheck and Adjustm€rt .......,. 7 Although risk of failure can be minimized by taking maximum and
Standard AccessoryOperation I minimum readingsof all portions of the subject,then averagingthe
Incident Light Measurement 8 values,such an approach is both time consumingand tedious.The
1. Lumisphere B Studio Deluxe is the answer to this problem. lt is designedaround
2. Lumidisc 1 1 a standard reflectivity of 'lB%, which has been derived through
Reflected Light Measurement """"'12 I measurementsof various subjects throughout the seasonsof the
1 . L u m i g r i d 1 2 year.
Other Operations ........"13 Consequently, high effectivenessis displayed with subjects possess'
1 . E x p o s u r eV a l u e ( E V n u m b e r ) R e a d o u t" " " ' 1 3 ing ref lectivitiesin the neighborhood of 'l8o/o(people, buildings,etc.)
2 . E m p l o y i n gC i n e S c a l e " " " " " " " " ' 1 4 and when this can be consideredthe averagevalue (street snapshots,
3. Using ExposureMultipliers(x112, x2, x4)..' 15 trees, forest scenes,etc.).
EmployingSpecialAccessories """"""' 15 1. Optimum exposure meter for incident light measuring method
1 . D i r e c t R e a d i n gS l i d e s " " " " " " " " 1 5 (also applicablefor reflected light method)'
2 . D i r e c t R e a d i n gS l i d eA p p l i c a t i o n" " " " " " " " ' 1 6 2, Freely rotatable light sensor section for very easily performed
MeasurementExampleswith VariousSubjects.......17 measurements.
1. Portrait Photography""""""""""""""""""' 17 3. Meter stopper mechanismallows operation while hand is released
2 . T y p i c a lS c e n e r y " " " ' 1 8 from meter.
3. ObservatorialScenes """""""""""""""""" 18 4. Meter releasemechanism is also included which allows the needle
4. Snow Scenes """""'2O to def lect f reely. This provides greater convenience when
5. Sceneswith Side or Back Lighting ""..".......21 determining light balance.
6. SilhouettePhotography """..."'........'........'.22 5. Lumisphere detects the same light as strikes the subject. Since
ApplicationsSummary .....23 subjects are normally 3-dimensional,according to the lighting
1. SpecialFeaturesof the Studio Deluxe '........23 conditions, brighter surfaces (highlights) and darker surfaces
2 . f l fu m i n a t i o nC o n t r a s t " . . ' . ' . . . . . . ' . 2 4 (shadows) are produced (illumination contrast). The Studio
3. Ref lected Light Measurement ...-....-............26 Deluxe mechanismautomatically takes into account the strength
4 . f l l u m i n a t i o nA d j u s t m e n t . . . . . . . . ' . ' . . . . . . . . . . .2. .9. . . . . of light from all directions,causingthe meter to indicatea value
5. Closeups """""""" 31 applicable to photography. lt is thus most convenient for
H a n d l i n gC a u t i o n s . " . " . . . ' . . 3 4 determining typical exposures.
2
l*,. ,s -1.."*.;View original page 3Page 6 · Read text
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BASIC OPERATIONOF METER UNIT STANDARD ACCESSORYOPERATION
1. Stopper Button Operation IncidentLight Measurement
lf the stopper button @ is press-
ed when the stopper button mark 1. Lumisphere
@ is set to Q , the meter needle a. Mount Lumisphere@ to light
@ deflects according to bright- sensor @ . To mount, alignness. Then when the button is white dots of Lumisphere
released,the needle remains fixed frame and light sensor, then
at the indicated position. turn Lumisphere carefully
By holding the stopper button clockwise to secure.
depressedand turning it clockwise b. Set film sensitivity knob @so that the mark position becomes to sensitivity value of employ-
Q , the needle is released. ed film. Set ASA value to right
At this time, the meter will de- side ASA mark @ and DINflect freely even if the stopper value to left side DIN mark
button is released. To fix the @ . Photo shows setting for
needle, turn the stopper button A S A 1 0 0 ( D r N 2 1 ) .
counter-clockwise to where the From position where subject is
mark is positioned e to be measured, point Lumi-
sphere O in direction of2. Zero Position Check and camera. (Light sensor @ can
Adjustment be turned freely.)
With stopperbutton in released d . Hold meter erect and press
O position, cover light sensor stopper. button @ Meter
needle @ deflects accordingwith hand or black cloth to com-
pletely block light. Check that to brightness. When the stop-
per button is released, themeter needle @ correctly indi-
meter needle becomes f ixed atcates zero position. lf the indi-
the deflected position. lf thecation deviates from zero, while
location is excessively brightobserving meter indication, use a
and the meter needle deflectscoin or similar tool to turn the
beyond scale, insert the Highrear zero adjust screw @ and
slide @ .adjust for zero indication.View original page 6Page 9 · Read text
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e. Press stopper button @ and Read meter needle @ foot-
read meter scale footcandle candleindication @
indication @ . However, since b. Transfer this number to the
footcandles are units of inci- dial scale@ . Rotate dial ring
dent light only, this value @ and set ^ symbol L mark
becomes simply a reference. @. lf the High slide is in-
f. Transfer indicated value to dial serted, set the a symbol H
scale @ . Rotate the dial ring mark @ .
@ and set ^ symbol H mark EV value indicated by EV
@ . mark @ becomesthe correct
g. At this time, shutter speed exposurevalue.
scale @ and aperture scale
@ combination becomes the
correct exposure. 2. EmployingCine Scale
Note: Do not employ slides for lncident and reflected light
ref lected light measure- measurementsduring cine pho-
ment. tography are performed in the* More accurate results can be same manner as described pre-
obtained for ref lected light viously. However, since the cine
measurement by using a scale @ numeralscorrespondto
standard ref lectan ce slide cine camera film speed, read the
(optional accessory). aperturescale @ indicationthat
pertains to the employed film
speed.
Note: Some cine cameras possessfaster exposure times due to
a narrowerrotating shutter angle (angleof light transmitting
portion). lt is important to know the accuratefilm speed
versus shutter angle value for your camera in order to
determine proper exposure. Refer to the camera operating
instructions, maker's catalogue, etc. for shutter speedOther Operations information.
Shutter angleand exposurecalculation:
1. ExposureValue 0 R = Framesexposedin 1 second T = (EV number)Readout 3 6 0 x R T = E x p o s u r e t i m e
0 = Shutter angle
Reading this exposure value to
perform setting becomes con- Note: Standard theatrical cine film speed ts 24 fps at 1/50 sec.
venient for cameraswhich employ This position is indicated by a red line on the scale.
a light value system shutter and
aperture combination.View original page 9Page 12 · Read text
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Distant scenes are subject to haze due to atmospheric effects on 4. Snow Scenes
light and can be easily overexposed. For this reason, first use the
Lumisphere and measure by standard method from the camera a. Many cases of problems occur with reflected light measuring
position. Then point the Lumisphere toward the sun and measure. methods due to snow surfaceglare. Using incident light measure-
Determine exposure f rom the mean of the two obtained values. ment eliminates these concerns. Freshly fallen snow possessesa
ref lectivity of approximately 73o/o,while even after several days
in urban areas, this declines only to about 6o0/o.Compensation
must therefore be performed. Measurementby standard method
is reduced by l ltE - 112.
Example: lf T becomes11125at f 16:
11125x 11,,,8= 11177=. 1t2OO or 11125x 112 = 11250
Note: To obtain the mean of the two values, perform as follows.
. Transfer mean value of the two footcandle indications (aperture
scale)to the dial.
Example: lf 320(8) footcandlesand 80(4) footcandles are obtained,
the mean value becomes 160(5.6). In the caseof 80(4)
and 40(2.8) footcandles, the intermediate becomes the
desired value. Consequently, transfer that value to the
can d i al . take on a flour-like appearance without luster in theo Transfer each footcandle value to the dial to obtain exposure. finished photograph. In casesof the same aperture, setting the shutter speed to the Note:2: l ltP N 112 compensation amount is based on the re- average is acceptable. f lectivity value of snow. This may vary according to snow
quality and soiling.
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In typical casesof back and side lighting, although the surface of
N ote 3: a 3-dimensionalsubject facing the camera becomesdark, a portion is
In situations with direct or top usually strongly lighted. Even though standard measurement withlighting (sun near zenith), the the Lumisphere can bring out detail of the darker portions, onLumisphere will detect ref lected occasion,the brighter portions can become overexposedand difficultlight f rom the snow surface.Some to see. In some instances, this effect can even be enhanced tomeans of blocking the light f rom produce a special photographic composition, but for a generallybelow becomes required in this more attractive result, perform as follows. First use the Lumispherecase. and measureby standard method, then determine exposure f rom the
mean value (same technique as used for ObservatorialScenes).
Snow surface
b. In some cases,good results can be obtained with ref lected light
measurement under back light conditions, cloudy snow scenes
where glare is lessand snow scenesunder direct lighting. Install 6. Silhouette Photography
Lumigrid and point light sensorslightly downward to block light In situations such as a silhouette of a person, tree or bridge in the
from the sky, then from camera position, aim toward subject foreground against the setting sun and brilliantly shining sky as
and measure.Be sure to set the H mark-at this time and do not background, remove slide and point Lumisphere toward the setting
employ slides. sun to measure (as with Ref lected Light Measurement). Then
without inserting High slide, set to H mark. In this manner, the
5. Sceneswith Side or Back Lighting foreground becomes silhouetted by underexposingthe light source.View original page 13Page 14 · Read text
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Light balancemeasurementsare the most important applicationof
the Lumidisc.This consistsof measuringthe ratio of main light and
f ill in light in order to perform vital adjustmentswhen photograph-
ing an illuminated subject. The photographeris advisedto recordAs the Studio Deluxe is a high precisionmeasuringinstrument, by
the data obtained for his particular equipment. This will providef ully utilizing its capabilities,its specialf unctions can be displayed
ready referencein the f uture and allow the same lightingconditionscoveringan additionally wide range of applications.Incident light
to be reproduced.measurementis an extremely practical method in actual photo-
graphic situationsand is often employed by professionalphotogra- When shooting in a studio or similar situation where artificial
phers and cinematographers. Since proper exposure can be lighting equipment is used, more attractive results can be produced
determined even in cases where errors are easily incurred with b y m a k i n gt h e m a i n a n d f i l l i n l i g h t r a t i o 4 : 1 - 2 : 1 . A l s o w h e n
reflected light measurement,it is extremely convenient for both using reflectorseither indoors or outdoors, determine the exposure
color and monochrome. after measuringthe illumination ratio.
The Lumispheredisplaysits optimum value when usedfor incldent Normal sunlight becomes the main light source outdoors, while
light measurementduring color or monochrome photography of white or silver ref lectors are used to brighten shadow portions of the
f leshtones(portrait photography in which f leshtonesare considered subject. In this situation, install the Lumidisc, point it toward the
as the main picture element for determiningexposure). Since good sun and read the indicatedvalue. Next, point the Lumidisc toward
or bad quality portrayals can be discerned even by amateurs, the reflector (shieldwith hand to avoid sunlight)and againread the
fleshtones become the only true standard in color photography. indicated value. To obtain maximum color effect, this fill in light
(They can also be given a wider range of artistic expressionthan source should be 112 - 114 of the main lignt.
visible to the naked eve.) An additional theatrical effect can be produced with monochrome
Well known basic principles form the foundation of the Studio by using a higher illumination ratio. lt is suggested,for example,to
Deluxe, however,plenty of latitude is providedfor obtaining special use a ratio between fill in light and sunlight of 1116 or lower.
effects. By allowing variations in exposure to be performed, exactiy lf the meter needle deflects beyond scale, use the H slide and as
the same reproductions become possibleas those learnedonly f rom describedearlier,multiply the indicatedvalue by 32. Then calculate
experience.Utilizing the selectionof accessoriesalso opens the way main and fill in lighting(seesectionon *Contrast measurement).
to the multitude of applications described in the preceding pages.
After completing light balanceadjustment,replace Lumisphereand
measure exposure by normal method. At this time, hold the
Lumisphereclose to the subject to fully detect sunlight and fill in
l i g h t .View original page 14Page 16 · Read text
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Shown here isan example of using b. Hold meter about 1Scm from the subject, point Lumigrid to
Lumisphere and by normal each surface of the subject and read the footcandle scale value.
measuring method without slide, c. To determine the luminance range, it is sufficient to divide the
meter needle indicates 640 foot- highest meter indication by the lowest. For example, if the
candles. With film sensitivity of highest value is 80 and the lowest 5, the luminance range
ASA 100, exposure becomes f 45 becomes 80/5 = 1611 or 16 : 1.
and shutter speed 1 second. H
mark at this time indicates20.
Lumi nance range measurement
This 20 indicates the exact center point of the luminance range.
In the same condition, install Lumigrid and when standard
reflectivity of 18% is measured, this means that the dial scale will
ind icate 20.
When determining exposure by using the Lumisphereor Lumidisc,
the H a mark will always indicate the center of luminance range,
regardlessof whether or not the High slide is inserted.
lf the measured value is set to the dial scale L ^ mark and the
H a mark does not reach the scale, reflected light measurement
with the Lumigrid cannot be performed due to insuff icient incident
light strength. In other words, af the incident light is lessthan 160
footcandles, ref lected light measurementcannot be performed with 3. To obtain superior color photographs, determine upper andthe Lumigrid. lower limits.
a . Adequate color photographs can be obtained with typical color
film if within the subject luminancedistribution, the maximum
is fessthan 4 times the center point and minimum more than 114
times ( i.e.: overall luminanc€ range becomes lessthan 1 6 : 1 ).
b. With a luminance center point of 20, if the measuredmaximum
luminance is higher than 80 (center point 20 x 4 = 80), color of
that surfacewill become faded in the photograph. Consequently,
2. Determining subject luminance range a slight reduction of incident light to this portion .becomes
a. Install Lumigrid in place of Lumisphereand remove any installed required.
slide. Since the meter needle ind icates relative luminance, c. Conversely,a portion with a measuredminimum luminance less than 5 (center point 20 + 4 = 5) requiresincreasedillumination employ meter scale @ value to compute the luminance ratio. in order to obtain an acceptablecol<ir photograph.
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Stage 4 -F' =- - a . r L 1Adiust luminance range 4 . F ' ( M + l l t -
a. Install Lumisphere. E: Film plane illuminationb. Hold meter at subject position, point Lumispheretoward camera L: Subject luminance and read needle indication. With all lights turned on, adjust M: lmage magnification main light so that indication becomes 500 footcandles. F: F numberc. Set L a mark to 500 and read H r mark indicated value. This Tr: circular constant value becomes 16 to indicate luminance range center point. lf a: constant by experiencethe required results can be obtained with a lumi-
nance rangeof 16 to 1, a maximum luminanceindicationof 64
(center point 16 x 4 = 64) becomes the upper limit for desired
color reproduction. ln this case, the minimum limit becomes
4 (center point 16 + 4 = 4). This means that attractive color
reproduction cannot be obtained unless the subiect luminance
distribution is within 4 - 64. As can be noted from the above formula, if the subject luminance
d. Exchange Lumisphere for Lumigrid and check if there are any is fixed and the magnification changes,the film plane brightness
(illumination) variesin the inverseproportion (M + 1)2. Witfr a large locationson the subject brighter than 64 or dimmer than 4.
subject distance, M is small and this effect becomes nearly absent,
Stage 5 but as the subject distance decreases,M becomes larger. In an
Determine correct exposure actual photographic example, with a magnification M of 1, film
Although above Stage 4b includes an exposure value measurement plane brightnessbecomes (M + 1)2 or 4. This is 1/4th that of a
using the Lumisphere, perform correct exposure measurement as subject distance at infinity and exposure must be increased4 times.
a final check. With the illumination controlled as described, this When the measured exposure value is 1/60 sec shutter speed, this 'll50
should accurately become t15.6 sec. This 5 stage procedure must be compensatedto 1/15 sec (1/60 x 4 = 1/15). In closeup
allows full control of all lighting elements. photography, (M + 1)2 is referred to as the compensation factor.
Measuring Method
Hold meter as close as possibleto the subject and point Lumisphere
toward the camera. lf light source is very close to the subject,
temporarily remove the subject and hold the Lumisphere in the
subject position. The light then striking the Lumisphere becomes
5. Closeups exactly the same as that illuminating the subject. To obtain
It is essential to increasethe exposure value when the subject is exposure compensation for closeup:
closer to the camera than 10 times the camera focal distance. 1. Determine exposure by normal incident light method.
An example of this type of case is with a camera lens focal 2. Measuresubject and image sizes (groundglass).
distance to 50mm and a subject distance of 4ocm. The reason for 3. lf the image is larger than the subject, it is enlarged, while
this is the increasedimage magnification as the subject approaches a smaller image is compressed.Divide the larger value by the
the camera. When light from the subject passesthrough the lens smallervalue.
and becomes focussed on the film, the following relationshipexists 4. Obtain compensation factor from Table 1.
among f ilm plane illumination, subject brightnessand image magni- 5. Apply compensation factor to measured exposure value to
fication. produce compensatedexposure value.
32
, .-.!":t:a\*,: . *,*-r, - -.,.. .-,r=.r..i .,,urtir r..i!.i: i;,r,-i*iki"tView original page 18From the M. Butkus archive. Original publisher and archive notices are retained.
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