Using your light meter.
If you are interested in taking professional-quality photographs, then you need to learn use a light meter, like a Sekonic Miro-Leader light meter. This is a small electronic device that takes a reading of all the light in the immediate area and helps you to determine the balance between natural light and how much flash you should use. The good news is that if you spend a few minutes with your Sekonic light meter, you should be able to figure out the basics of its operation.
Instructions
1. Press the circular power button on the front of the light meter to power on the unit.
2. Set the ISO setting on the light meter to match that of the film stock you are using. Do this by pressing the ISO button on the front of the unit while simultaneously turning the dial on the front of the unit until the ISO reading on screen matches that on your film stock label. ISO (International Standards Organization) is simply the measure of a film's light sensitivity. The lower the ISO, the grainer and duller the footage.
3. Press the "Mode" button on the front of the unit and simultaneously turning the dial to scroll through the various mode options. Select "Available Light" or 'Flash" depending on whether or not you will be using your camera's flash or natural light when shooting your subject.
4. Stand where you intend to shoot the photo and point the white dome on top of the meter to the light source. Press the large black "Activation" button on the side of the meter and the recommended shutter speed will appear on the light meter screen.
5. Manually set the shutter speed on your camera to the recommended speed displayed by the meter. You have now effectively used your Sekonic light meter.
Tags: light meter, button front, front unit, button front unit, film stock
