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using a light meter with DV question
I have to train someone who wants to learn how to use a light meter when shooting video and I’m a bit stumped on what to cover. the only time I use a light meter is when I’m setting up for a set and need to see how even the coverage is …. for correct exposure I usually trus a calibrated monitor and my eye and maybe add a waveform monitor when doing green srceen work but I’m open to suggestions, SO:
What tecniques do you guys have for using a light meter and shooting DV???
Michael Webb
Training / Support
Apple Certified Technician Digital Video / Xsan for Video
Microsearch, Houston Texas
713-988-2818
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Michael Webb
Editor/Videographer
Post Squared -
2 Replies
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Michael,
I must say with an altered degree of experience, I have never seen anyone using a light meter with DV. the first HD job I shot I used my incident meter for a reference of the key level. Only to see what the asa of the camera was. after that I never used it again. However, indulges as they may be, I guess anything goes and I would use it like you are shooting film and see what corresponds and what doesn’t. Please post results.
Todd McMullen
Flip Flop Films
Austin -
The first thing you need to do when using a light meter with a video camera
is calibrate the meter’s ISO number to match the the camera you are using.
This can be done by flat lighting an 18 percent gray card, and then shoot the card with your camera.
Look at what the camera shows for an F-stop, for example F5.6 shooting at 1/60th of a second.
Set the light meter for the same frame reading that you are shooting with your camera,
and then take a reading with the meter.
Change the ISO number until the F-stop showing on the light meter matches the F-stop of the camera.
This will give you the ISO number for that video camera, for example ISO 320,
and will allow you to calibrate the the metering system of the camera and the light meter together.I hope this helps.
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