Shall I sell my Sekonic SPot/Flash Meter?

Janice

Janice

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Janice
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Can I have your opinions please?
I am looking into upgrading to a Canon 30D from my 350d.
There are lots of reasons....one of the main ones being the inclusion of a spot-meter (at last!)
At the moment I have a Sekonic L508 zoom spot/flash meter. I have hardly ever used it but am just starting to do a few portraits with flash.

My idea is to sell my 350d body along with the sekonic light meter and put the rest to get the 30d body. I dont have any spare cash at all..... so bear that in mind when answering!!

What I want to know is.....would you sell the Sekonic as well, or will I wish I had kept it when I get more into portraits do you think?
 
I don't think I'd be selling the 350 and the meter as a bundle, who ever buys the 350 will probably be new to dSLR's and won't know how to use it, or it'll confuse them.

Get the 30D, as it's a fine camera. Try the spot metering and if it's all going well then sell the flash meter to try and recover some of the cost.
 
ooH NO! I certainly wont be selling them as a bundle!
But the thing is..... i wont have enough money for the 30d if I dont sell the light meter as well.
If I decide to keep the light meter I will have to save for more months.
 
go 0% on the 30d :)

then go sell some of your excellent work to make it pay for it's self :)
 
Hmmmm.... food for thought! ;)
 
You can trust ole' Df to come up with the goods ;)
 
I have to balance that with being sneaky and hiding it from my husband though!! ;)
He wont notice the fact that the camera has changed I doubt...specially as the number on the front is very similar!
But if found out at least I can say I sold the 350d and the light meter and just put a couple of hundred quid in for it.

I think if he finds out I got in as o% finance and havent sold the other bits yet will make him go up the wall....as we are struggling for money anyway! :(

(and if any of you want to know why I am contemplating buying a new camera while we are struggling for money....I dont feel guilty because I havve worked for 7 years and all my wages go into the firm and I dont have any of my own.) SO THERE !!! :razz:
 
You can always buy another Sekonic later on. I reckon it's spot metering will be better than the 30D but maybe the 30D will be good enough for your needs?
 
I may be interested in your light meter if you do decide to sell it, depending on price of course :)
 
It's the flash metering part Im wondering if I will need.... i know lots of portrait photographers who dont use one....

but hey. I guess i could get one later once I earn a fortune from my portraits!! ;) I have 3 families who want them...but I am too scared to start!! :bonk:
 
PM for you Neonpollen. :)
 
Do you take your portrait shots in a 'studio' ? the reason I ask is that once you have your equipment set up and working and have gone through the routine a few times you should not need a flash meter. X+Y+Z = a good protrait most times and for those times it doesn't work so well you have lot of leeway in your RAW file to adjust.
 
Steep said:
Do you take your portrait shots in a 'studio' ? the reason I ask is that once you have your equipment set up and working and have gone through the routine a few times you should not need a flash meter. X+Y+Z = a good protrait most times and for those times it doesn't work so well you have lot of leeway in your RAW file to adjust.
Click to expand...

Well. my "studio" is my conservatory which has a fair amount of light and I practised with having my sigma dg 500 super as a slave on a tripod of its own at the side and it is triggered by the onboard flash which is set at its lowest.
It works a treat for the white background shots that most people are wanting at the moment....so perhaps I will just keep it at that for the moment.
(although I do wonder how come the white sheet in the background isnt actually out of focus even when i use f2.8 .....it isnt a problem as i just blow it out in post processing...but i thought f2.8 would make it oof) 1/200 @ F2.8 is what i have used. ( camera in manual and 1/200 as that is the flash synch speed...is that right?)
 
Can you move the camera and subject further away from the background? or buy a fuzzy background :)
 
its not a real problem...any slight wrinkles in my white Egyptian cotton sheet (!!) disappear when I up the levels on the background in photoshop.
I just wondered thats all!!
Im certainly not switching to bri-nylon sheets!! :D
 
BTW I have answered my own question.........the Sekonic is now SOLD!!! :D
 
Quick sale there Janice! :D

I think you should have kept it - the spot metering in my IDMK2 is 3 degrees, I can't imagine the 30D being any different, whereas the Sekonic is 1 degree. But hey... needs must! :shrug:
 
Janice said:
1/200 @ F2.8 is what i have used. ( camera in manual and 1/200 as that is the flash synch speed...is that right?)
Click to expand...

That's right, although 1/200 is the MAX sync speed. The flash will also sync with any slower shutter speed, not that it's any help to you with this particular problem. ;)
 
3 degrees spot metering will do me......that is MILES better than the partial metering of the 350d which covers the centre 5 autofocus points!
 
Janice said:
3 degrees spot metering will do me......that is MILES better than the partial metering of the 350d which covers the centre 5 autofocus points!
Click to expand...

No argument there, and 3 degrees is plenty most of the time tbh. :)
 
Even 1 degree, that Shiela Ferguson can't half warble! :)
 
Now how did I know that was coming!! LOL

(said the actress to the bishop! ;) )
 
Hi Janice,

I really don't think you're going to miss the Sekonic at all. 3 deg spot should be more than ample for most needs and unless you're at the longest focal length you can muster, you can always, zoom/change lens to narrow the metering section.

As for the flash meter bit, I've never bothered using one with a digi setup. It's far quicker to take a shot and look at the result than to meter the different parts of the scene.

I was a bit surprised that you got one at all. I was expecting after trying it out that you'd say something like, "nice kit but I don't really see the point".

Girls and their toys eh. ;) :p
 
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