Cinematographer
Aus DoP-Perspektive ist dieses Element essentiell für die visuelle Gestaltung. Es ermöglicht mir die gewünschte Farbstimmung und das ästhetische Bild konsistent umzusetzen.
Sekonic L-858D: incident and 1° spot meter with cine modes and flash analysis for stills and motion picture.
Overview
The Sekonic L-858D (full model designation in North America: L-858D-U, SpeedMaster series) is a professional handheld light meter from Japanese manufacturer Sekonic. It combines incident and spot metering (1° spot with viewfinder) and is aimed equally at photographers and camera crews in film and TV. On set, it serves the Director of Photography and the Gaffer to precisely measure lighting conditions and translate them into exposure values for the camera (aperture, shutter angle, ISO).
The device is operated via a 2.7-inch color touchscreen display. Characteristic of the SpeedMaster series is its ability to measure and analyze not only continuous light but also flash, including High-Speed Sync (HSS) and flash duration capture.
Technical Data
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Sekonic |
| Device Type | Light Meter (Incident + 1° Spot) |
| Measuring Range (Incident) | EV-5 to EV22.9 (ISO 100) |
| Illuminance | 0.1 lx to 2,000,000 lx |
| ISO Range | ISO 3 to ISO 13,107,200 (+ ISO 850) |
| Spot Metering | 1° with viewfinder |
| Display | 2.7" Color Touch LCD (Dot-Matrix) |
| Weight | approx. 0.24 kg |
| Dimensions (H × L × W) | approx. 4.9 × 17.6 × 9.4 cm |
Cine Functions
For motion picture applications, the L-858D features dedicated cine metering modes that directly convert the measurement results into film-typical settings:
- HD_CINE (T-priority) and CINE (f/s priority) – Measurement referenced to shutter speed or frame rate, respectively.
- Frame Rates: 1 f/s to 1,000 f/s, plus user-definable values (according to Sekonic from 0.001 to 99,999.999 f/s).
- Shutter Angles: 1° to 358°, plus user-definable values (according to Sekonic from 0.001° to 360°).
- Light Measurements: Display in Lux/Footcandle and Luminance in cd/m² or Footlambert.
On-Set Use
In incident mode, the measuring dome is held at the subject towards the light source or camera to capture the amount of light falling on the subject – the basis for consistent exposure across multiple setups. The 1° spot mode allows for selective object metering of individual image areas from a distance, for example, to control lights and shadows or to balance backgrounds.
The flash analysis function measures continuous light and flash simultaneously and displays the percentage of flash contribution to the total exposure, which facilitates balancing flash and ambient light in mixed lighting situations. Via separately available transmitter modules, the L-858D can be coupled with radio-controlled flash systems (depending on the module, e.g., Godox, PocketWizard, broncolor, Elinchrom, or Phottix).
From the crafts
Perspectives
Producer
Diese professionelle Lösung erhöht die Produktionseffizienz und reduziert Post-Production-Anforderungen. Sie ermöglicht flexible, schnelle Anpassungen während des Drehs.
Gaffer
Als Gaffer ist dies ein unverzichtbares Werkzeug meines täglichen Handwerkszeugs. Es ermöglicht mir professionelle Lichtkontrolle und schnelle Anpassungen auf Set, was Zeit spart und Qualität sichert.
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