Sekonic EP Target II
- Thread starter Flashy
- Start date
Phil V
Suspended / Banned
- Messages
- 26,303
- Name
- Phil
- Edit My Images
- No
Why do you think you need it?
It never occurred to me to calibrate a meter beyond: use meter, take a shot based on meter reading, does it look about right? Yes - cool the meters good. No - measure the meter against a grey card, if necessary adjust and re-test.
It never occurred to me to calibrate a meter beyond: use meter, take a shot based on meter reading, does it look about right? Yes - cool the meters good. No - measure the meter against a grey card, if necessary adjust and re-test.
I'm trying to calibrate the dynamic range of my Leica M using the Sekonic L758DR. I am familiar with other techniques of meter use but this is what I'd like to achieve.
Phil V
Suspended / Banned
- Messages
- 26,303
- Name
- Phil
- Edit My Images
- No
Blimey - then the £100 looks like a bargain
gary996
Suspended / Banned
- Messages
- 536
- Name
- Gary
- Edit My Images
- Yes
Blimey - then the £100 looks like a bargain
+1
HoppyUK
Suspended / Banned
- Messages
- 23,200
- Name
- Richard
- Edit My Images
- No
Not sure quite what you're trying to do or why you want to do it. And possibly something's got lost in the terminology, but you can't calibrate dynamic range. It is what it is, and will vary with ISO and also post-processing procedure, especially Raw vs JPEG.
Another thing is that if you're looking for absolute accuracy, that Sekonic device depends on the accuracy of the camera's shutter speeds, apertures, and ISO. I wouldn't trust aperture (f/stop vs T/stop) or ISO to be closer than say 0.2 stops regardless of the equipment.
In the quest for exposure perfection, I would say that there is not such thing. There is technically 'correct' exposure but that's not the same thing as optimum exposure, especially if max dynamic range is what you're wanting. By far the best guide to optimum exposure is the histogram and blinkies, coupled to ETTR technique (Expose-To-The-Right of the histogram) though to get the most out of that you need to do some tests to find out exactly how much exposure headroom you've got above the blinkies threshold. I would guess at more than one stop, eg my Canon 5D2 has a bit over 1.5 stops. That headroom also varies slightly according to Picture Styles, notably the Contrast setting.
Lots on't web about ETTR, like here http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/expose-right.shtml And BTW, a hand exposure meter is no help with this kind of thing. Not a great deal of help with anything outside the studio TBH (and even then not for measuring final exposure) when digital provides much better tools.
Another thing is that if you're looking for absolute accuracy, that Sekonic device depends on the accuracy of the camera's shutter speeds, apertures, and ISO. I wouldn't trust aperture (f/stop vs T/stop) or ISO to be closer than say 0.2 stops regardless of the equipment.
In the quest for exposure perfection, I would say that there is not such thing. There is technically 'correct' exposure but that's not the same thing as optimum exposure, especially if max dynamic range is what you're wanting. By far the best guide to optimum exposure is the histogram and blinkies, coupled to ETTR technique (Expose-To-The-Right of the histogram) though to get the most out of that you need to do some tests to find out exactly how much exposure headroom you've got above the blinkies threshold. I would guess at more than one stop, eg my Canon 5D2 has a bit over 1.5 stops. That headroom also varies slightly according to Picture Styles, notably the Contrast setting.
Lots on't web about ETTR, like here http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/expose-right.shtml And BTW, a hand exposure meter is no help with this kind of thing. Not a great deal of help with anything outside the studio TBH (and even then not for measuring final exposure) when digital provides much better tools.
Last edited:
OK. My articulation is poor. I'm trying to calibrate the light meter such that it will allow the dynamic range of my Leica to be used more effectively. The L-758DR allows the dynamic range and clipping to be displayed but the meter needs needs calibrating first. The EPII and specific Sekonic software eases this process.
Like yourselves I am familiar with exposure techniques and associated methodology and you could argue that with Liveview I could just use the rear LCD for exposure. But, thats not the way I work.
So, thanks for all the advice and the responses, but I still would like to rent or borrow the EPII if anyone has one.
Like yourselves I am familiar with exposure techniques and associated methodology and you could argue that with Liveview I could just use the rear LCD for exposure. But, thats not the way I work.
So, thanks for all the advice and the responses, but I still would like to rent or borrow the EPII if anyone has one.
HoppyUK
Suspended / Banned
- Messages
- 23,200
- Name
- Richard
- Edit My Images
- No
Okay, I know where you're coming from, and if that's the way you want to work then fine, but it's not the best way to optimise exposure and dynamic range. ETTR is the way to do that with digital, it's kind of the closest we've got to a digital Zone System, and what that needs is for your hand and eye to be calibrated to the M's histogram/blinkies in conjunction with your post processing regime.
Maybe you could do what you want with something from Colour Confidence, like their Greyscale or Macbeth/X-Rite http://shop.colourconfidence.com/section.php/10384/1/colour-charts/bcb952dd09b9faf2b8e0ebf4d22348c8 Or one of the cheaper clones off Amazon.
Maybe you could do what you want with something from Colour Confidence, like their Greyscale or Macbeth/X-Rite http://shop.colourconfidence.com/section.php/10384/1/colour-charts/bcb952dd09b9faf2b8e0ebf4d22348c8 Or one of the cheaper clones off Amazon.