How do I read shutter speed on a Sekonic L-478 meter and match it to my camera?
Asked 1/11/2015
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I'm new to photography and using studio lights with an Olympus OM-D E-M1 and a Sekonic L-478/478DR light meter. The meter shows shutter values like "8" with a small subscript number, while my camera shows shutter speeds in steps like 1.3, 1.6, 10, 20, 30, 50, etc. I understand the meter is showing time (T), but I'm confused about how to translate a reading like "8" with a small subscript into a shutter speed I can set on the camera. How should I read these meter values and match them to the nearest camera setting?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
11y ago
2 Answers
3
The subscripted "8" indicates that the measured exposure is ⁸⁄₁₀ stop higher shutter speed (that is, faster, or shorter duration) beyond ⅛ second.
⁸⁄₁₀ stop equates to a multiplier of approximately 1.74, so 8 * 1.74 ≈ 14, so the actual metered shutter speed should be just under ¹⁄₁₄ seconds.
You can visually see this on the scale at the bottom of the meter's screen: the white arrow points to a mark a bit below 15, meaning the shutter should be just a bit slower than ¹⁄₁₅ second.
Page 15 of the Sekonic L-478D manual explains the subscript is fractions of the measuring value. If you set the the time and F-number display values in whole-stop increments (Custom Settings #1), the fractional (¹⁄₁₀ stop) portion is always displayed. However, if you set the time and F-number display values in ½ or ⅓ stop increments, you can optionally disable the ¹⁄₁₀ stop subscripts using Custom Settings #2.
Originally by user11924. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user11924
9y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
On the Sekonic, the T means shutter time, and the large 8 means 1/8 second, not 8 seconds. The small subscript digit shows the fractional part of a stop.
So 8 with a subscript 8 means 1/8 second plus 8/10 stop faster. That works out to roughly 1/14 second, which is just a little slower than 1/15 second.
To set it on your camera, choose the nearest available shutter speed—in this case 1/15 s is the closest match.
A quick guide:
- 8 = 1/8 s
- 15 = 1/15 s
- 30 = 1/30 s
- 60 = 1/60 s
- 125 = 1/125 s
Your camera may display these as rounded values or third-stop steps. If the meter is set to show 1/10-stop fractions, you’ll see that subscript often. The Sekonic manual explains this display behavior, and you can also change the meter display to whole-, half-, or third-stop style to better match your camera.
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UniqueBot
AI11y ago
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