dfoo
Well-known
I picked up this meter this weekend, and while the incident mode seems good the reflective reads are terrible! According to the sheet of paper that came with the meter, it should read more or less like a 50mm lens. However, when I compare it to the readout from an SLR with a 50mm lens it seems 2 stops overexposed. What's up with that?
maddoc
... likes film again.
I use the same meter (TwinMate, L-208) and it gives identical readings as my Seconic L-508 and my former M5 and M6 with 50mm lenses attached. Did you use a grey-card ?
ChrisN
Striving
The reference to a 50mm lens is probably the angle of view - the area sampled for measuring the reflected light. Try it against a uniform surface like a brick wall with even lighting.
dfoo
Well-known
I was pointing out the window at the buildings around me, just as I did with my SLR. If I'm going to use a gray card then I might as well use incident mode.
Richard G
Veteran
I suppose it has the right batteries and they have good charge. The fact that incident is OK raises the possibility it is technique: often out a window a handheld meter needs to be pointed down to avoid too much influence of the sky on the reading. (Same with a camera with built-in meter.) Chris is just suggesting a uniform reflecting surface like a wall, not a grey card that you carry. We're just trying to help.
Pickett Wilson
Veteran
Ummm, you are retracting the lumisphere when you take the reflected readings, right?
dfoo
Well-known
Yes, I'm retracting the lumisphere. The 208 matches my Sekonic 558's incident readings. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. For sure the reflected reading was much higher than the my SLR with a 50mm lens mounted at the same angle. If I pointed the 208 directly at the sky, I got a very high reading. I'll try again tomorrow (its quite dark out now).
squirrel$$$bandit
Veteran
Some DSLR's underexpose intentionally, so that inexperienced users don't blow out any highlights.
dfoo
Well-known
This is a nikon FE2. I'm pretty sure the meter is fairly accurate.
john_s
Well-known
I found the same with the 208: incident agrees with several good meters, but reflected is way out. I just alter the film speed, after which it is fairly close to my other meters.
squirrel$$$bandit
Veteran
Hmm, I dunno then. I have that meter and it works well for me. That said, I've never checked it against anything else...
ChrisN
Striving
Man with one watch knows the time. Man with two watches is never certain what the time is. 
dfoo
Well-known
I'll go out in a bit and try the reflected mode against a wall, and then compare with my SLR (and other meter).
John, you mean you alter the ISO so that the reflected readings are correct?
John, you mean you alter the ISO so that the reflected readings are correct?
katgut@earthlink.net
Established
It seems quite unrealistic to expect a reflected reading to match that of a camera. It's very difficult to know if both are measuring the same thing in a scene. It all depends on the metering pattern of the camera. The incident reading is much more accurate. If you meter a gray card with your camera and than take an incident reading with the meter, they should be pretty close.
BTMarcais
Well-known
Remember that the metering in the FE2 is center-weighted... only 60/40, but enough to affect the reading depending on where you have it pointed.
-Brian
-Brian
dfoo
Well-known
The FE2's reading agreed with my reading of the scene (it was a bright sunny day, so F16/100 is about right).
Ultimately though, isn't the point whether using the meter in reflected mode is at all useful? If it is out when measuring a fairly neutral scene by 2-3 stops over a incident reading then it doesn't seem like a tool that I'd ever use since it is very unreliable...
At any rate, I just tried again. Its bright & sunny out right now. In incident mode the meter says EV 15 (which also agrees with my 558). In reflective mode, pointing more or less horizontally out the window I get EV 17. If I point the meter very downwards I get close to 15. I guess the meter must be picking up quite a bit of sky.
Ultimately though, isn't the point whether using the meter in reflected mode is at all useful? If it is out when measuring a fairly neutral scene by 2-3 stops over a incident reading then it doesn't seem like a tool that I'd ever use since it is very unreliable...
At any rate, I just tried again. Its bright & sunny out right now. In incident mode the meter says EV 15 (which also agrees with my 558). In reflective mode, pointing more or less horizontally out the window I get EV 17. If I point the meter very downwards I get close to 15. I guess the meter must be picking up quite a bit of sky.
maddoc
... likes film again.
Your meter readings are the same that I had last weekend with my Seconic L-208 at a sunny day around noon and set to 100ISO. EV 17 when pointed upwards the sky or against a white wall in bright sunlight (all measured in reflective).
dfoo
Well-known
So is the moral of the story when using reflective to make sure the meter is pointing down? Or is the moral that reflective sucks with this meter?
maddoc
... likes film again.
So is the moral of the story when using reflective to make sure the meter is pointing down? Or is the moral that reflective sucks with this meter?
... my guess: The truth is in between
When using this meter in bright daylight I always point it down, BTW.dfoo
Well-known
I rarely use reflective anyway. In fact, these days I rarely use the meter outdoors at all. I can judge the light fairly well, especially after an initial reading.