what light meters to use?

[astronaut]

hi
i'm wondering what's the best kind of external light meter to use for shooting super 8? can i use the same light meters used for still cameras?

any info on this would be great.

thanks in advance.

[Nigel]

I have a Sekonic 518 Zoom Master Cine, I use it for both Super8 and 16mm. This is a Pro meter that has both an incident and variable spotmeter(1 to 4 degrees). It can do all sorts of great stuff that I never use like footcandles. But, you can adjust for different shutter angles which is nice. It goes from 2fps to 360fps. I would not use any other meter. They sell for about $550.00 and you can get them from B&H in NYC. Good Luck and if you have any questions email me.

[[email protected]]

December 7, 2000

LIGHT METERS

I have some light meter links
on my Super 8mm Directory web site:

Here: http://www.IndieFilmsOnline.com/Prod...ghtMeters.html

I use an old Spectra Light Meter.
It's just fine.

Remember, not all cameras have
a 172.8? shutter angle

You need to know your shutter angle
to know your shutter speed at 18 fps
or 24 fps or 36 fps or 45 fps or 54 fps

Here is a shutter angle chart:
http://www.IndieFilmsOnline.com/Prod...er/Angles.html

Main Super 8 mm Page: http://www.IndieFilmsOnline.com/Super8/DirectoryII.html

Best regards,

JOHN LONGENECKER

------------------
JOHN LONGENECKER, DGA
Super 8 Cinematographer
Hollywood, California USA
800 470-4602 | Tel: 310 276-8196

[mattias]

you don't use footcandles? for me it's a lot easier to calculate (or "feel" actually) the contrast between 13 and 160 fc's than between f/2.8 1/2 and f/11. but i even like my analog sekonic better than my digital minolta. :-)

[Nigel]

Matt--

I use my eyes not Footcandles--I don't mean that they are useless. I mean, I just don't like to use that feature because it does me no good.

[mattias]

hehe, i use my eyes too, but i thought this thread was about light meters? ;-) by the way, i think matching contrast between shots under for example strong hmi's is very hard to do by eye. but then again, i'm just a still photographer gone director. cinematography isn't my field exactly, even though super 8 lets me fool around a lot and not be the stupid non technical director when i get on the "real" sets. :-)