Exposure with manual flash and film camera in studio/outdoors

[blacksquare]

Hi,

I have Mamiya RZ67II and need an advice with flash metering.
For ambient light I have sekonic 208 and minolta spotmeter M.

But off-camera flash in studio or outdoors portrait?
I dont have digital camera now and polaroid is too expensive 🙁

How do you measure exposure with flash? Digital camera for preview or lightmeter with flash capabilities?

Thanks and sorry for bad english.
Jan

 

[Soeren]

Sekonic 308 B and Minolta flashmeter F ( i think it's the F)

 

[DNG]

Are these Monolights, or a hot shoe flash?

VERY GENERAL EXPOSURE INFO

With a hot shoe flash, you can use it manual mode, and use the built in calculator or panel for correct exposure with the distance and f/stop you use.
1) focus distance
2) choose f/stop that covers that distance

Or use the hot shoe flashes "A" mode within the distance limits of the f/stop you use


With Studio lights (Monolights), you will need a flash meter for the easiest way to determine the exposure. (knowing the GN with the reflector or softbox will be needed to self calculate the exposure. (GN divided by the distance = f/stop...... GN:100 / D:10' = f/10)
1)Focus distance
2) divided #1 by the GN
3) your answer is your f/stop for that distance (round to the closest f/stop your camera can do. f/10 = f/11, for my example above, unless you camera has 1/3 stop adjustments, then f/10 may be available.

hope this helps

 

[blacksquare]

I want use my Yongnuo 560 manual speedlight with radio trigger.

How difficult is measure ambient light and flash together? I want use flash for fill when shooting outdoor and as key light in studio (or high/low key).
I dont have experience with flashmeter, is sekonic 308 enough?

 

[sevo]

I use a flash meter. When I first got assistant jobs in studios, some photographers still avoided flash meters (it was not until the 1980 Minolta FM III that they developed into all-round capable light meters), and used a incident meter with the modelling light of the studio flashes.

Some thirty years after flash meters grew universally accepted, and with a decline in industry grade flashes, modelling lights unfortunately have grown unreliable for their original purpose - some makers increased them to main taking light proportions, other reduced them to minimal AF focusing needs, so you now have to know your kit (and avoid mixing different flashes) if you want to expose by modelling light. Back when studios still used film, you could safely work with the assumption that each and every flash head had a modelling light with a firm 1s/1 pop ratio, so you could simply use the aperture for 1s and were set.

 

[Soeren]

I want use my Yongnuo 560 manual speedlight with radio trigger.

How difficult is measure ambient light and flash together? I want use flash for fill when shooting outdoor and as key light in studio (or high/low key).
I dont have experience with flashmeter, is sekonic 308 enough?

I believe so. With the 308B you have a setting where the meter "waits" for the flash to go of so you activate the meter and use the test button on the trigger to fire the flash.

 

[Spanik]

I think Stella Dante has a nice guide for dummies on how to use flash on his site. Otherwise, use a Sekonic 758 and read the manual.