Photography News Issue 54

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

First tests

Imaging kit First tests We get our hands on the latest kit and share our first impressions – so you know whether or not to add it to your wish list

Reviews by Will Cheung, Kingsley Singleton, Matty Graham

Sekonic L-308X £215

Specs

Cameras with built-in light meters have been around for generations, and of course now with the instant feedback of digital cameras, the need for separate light meters is arguably smaller than ever. That said, they are really useful accessories, especially for flash, and now with so many stills photographers also shooting video there is more of a reason to use one. Sekonic’s new pocket-sized L-308X is the first light meter designed for the new breed of professionals equally at home using their cameras to shoot moving images and stills, with both natural light and flash. The L-308X is based on the popular L-308S photo meter, with many functions of the video- focused L-308DC added in. There’s also a new backlit screen, which automatically comes on when light levels fall. You can dial in calibration compensation from -1 to +1 stops in 0.1 step increments to match other meters or your camera, too.

Price

£215

Photo mode Ambient: shutter-priority, aperture-priority, EV mode; cordless and corded flash modes HD cine mode Shutter speed priority, frame rate, illuminance Cine mode Frame rate priority, shutter angle, illuminance Measuring Range EV 0-19.9 ISO sensitivity 3-8000 in 1/3 steps, plus 850 Shutter speed Photo and HD cine: 60sec- 1/8000sec ambient, 1/8sec- 1/500sec flash Frame rates 8, 12, 16, 18, 24, 25, 30,32, 48, 50, 60, 64, 96, 100, 128 Shutter angle 45, 90, 180, 270, 360 degree Power source AA battery Dimensions (WxHxD) 63x110x22mm Weight 80g (without battery) Contact johnsonsphotopia.co.uk

There are three modes: photo; HD-cine, ideal for DSLRs or mirrorless; and cine, which is aimed at full-size video cameras. Changing modes involves holding down the mode button while turning on the meter, selecting the mode you want, then turning it off and on again to use. It’s not obvious. The meter has a sliding lumisphere,ordiffuser,whichcovers the metering cell for incident light measurement. Incident readings are preferred by photographers – outdoors and studio – because you aremeasuring light actually landing on the subject, so it’s not influenced by the subject’s reflectance. With manual flash, incident readings are the only way to go. (The diffuser can be slid out of the way for reflected measurements.) The L-308X works with ambient light and flash, the latter both wirelessly and via a PC cord. You set the ISO, then choose either the shutter speed or f/stop that you want depending on the mode, then hit the measuring button. The settings for your camera are displayed, or the EV value, and you can specify whether you want measurements in full stops, half stops or third stops, so all camera/lens options are catered for. The results are shown in tenths of a stop for total accuracy. It’s a precise meter that’s easy touse andaids fast set- ups, which is particularly useful You set the ISO, then choose either the shutter speed or f/stop that you want depending on the mode

Above It’s compact and easy to use – but the limited ISO range does the unit no favours.

Verdict

Pros Versatile, compact, accurate, easy to use Cons No wireless flash trigger option, mode changing users who juggle stills and video, this meter is a great tool that helps in getting the exposure right. It’s small, accurate, useful for stills and video, and good value. Although this Sekonic meter is aimed at the new breed of image makers, it’s not caught up with the camera technology. Its ISO range only goes up to 8000 and we have cameras now that top out at 3,280,000, and many have 12,800. In photo mode, the maximum shutter speed is only 1/8000sec and we have shutter speeds of 1/32,000sec on cameras with electronic shutters. That said, for the majority of

when you are in a studio using flash and want a certain lighting ratio, to show contrast and texture. While shooting Raw stills allows you to tweak the exposure in post processing, if you are shooting video, exposure is far more critical. No DSLR or mirrorless camera – and very few high-end professional cine cameras – can shoot Raw video. You’re always recording a compressed file more akin to a JPEG, so it’s much more important to get exposure right in camera. If the L-308X has a downside, it is a small one – it won’t actually trigger wireless studio flash systems, so you’ll need the flash trigger in your hand when metering a subject a few metres from the camera position. WC