Considering how accurate your camera’s light meter is, selling a light meter to a photographer sounds as weaselly as selling ice cubes to an Inuit or Yupik person. In terms of accuracy, the new Sekonic Speedmaster L-858D-U Light Meter can calculate ambient and flash exposures to within 1/10 of a stop, which would be pretty impressive if Sekonic’s entry-level L-308S-U wasn’t equally accurate at 1/3 the price. So, what more do you get for an additional $400? Read on.
Sekonic’s Speedmaster L-858D-U is the, great-great-great-grandchild of the Sekonic L-508, a revolutionary meter I purchased, sight unseen, when it was introduced in 1997. Ergonomically, the new meter and the meters that came before it are intuitively designed, regardless of whether you’re taking wide-field incident readings or narrow, 1-degree increments of the scene. For incident readings of 3-D subjects, the L-858D-U features a lumisphere that can be retracted to measure light coming from a single light source or checking the evenness of light across flat surfaces such as documents, artwork, and green screens.
Overview
Conceived with still shooters, videographers, and filmmakers in mind, Sekonic’s latest Speedmaster is designed to analyze and compute exacting ambient light and flash-exposure data. The meter can also calculate mixed ambient/flash readings. The ISO range of the L-858D-U goes from ISO 3 through ISO 13107200 (yes, 13-million, 107,200...)
The new meter has come a long way in terms of features and performance levels. For starters, the sensitivity of the L-858D-U is three stops greater in incident mode and two stops greater in reflective mode than its predecessor. That’s all fine and dandy, but the real reason we’re popping the bubbly today is because Sekonic’s new Speedmaster is the first multi-function flash meter that can measure flash duration, a.k.a. “burn time,” which varies depending on the make, model, and power settings of the flash unit. If you have a penchant for freeze-action photography, we have a feeling you’re going to want one of these pups.
Having the ability to compute the precise duration of the flash burst enables you to adjust your exposure settings with equal measures of accuracy. Sekonic’s Speedmaster L-858D-U also offers the option of setting selectable flash duration measurements from t=0.1 to 0.9. These features should prove to be priceless among sports photographers, stop-action studio photographers, and anybody else who’d benefit from knowing the precise burn times of whatever flash system they happen to be using, indoors or out.
Still Imaging
For ambient light readings for still shooting, Sekonic’s L-858D-U can measure light in Shutter priority, Aperture priority, and Shutter/Aperture priority, which uses ISO sensitivity to maintain the correct exposure. Ambient Cine modes include, HD CINE mode, Lux/FC, and Cd/m² mode.
For flash applications, Sekonic’s Speedmaster L-858D-U features Multiple flash, Cordless/cord-in, HSS Flash, Flash Duration, and Radio-triggering modes. When shooting flash outdoors, the meter can display the ratio between the flash and any ambient light in the scene.
In a bid to make the meter future-proof, many of the meter’s displays are in increments that go far beyond the technical limitations of today’s photo gear. Shutter-speed displays for ambient readings go from 30 minutes to 1/64,000 of a second. Shutter-speed displays for flash readings range from 30 minutes to 1/16,000 of a second. Flash duration measurements range from 1/40 to 1/55,500 of a second (25ms to 18µs).
The new meter also enables you to calculate exposure settings accurately, for the briefest of High Speed Sync bursts.
Sekonic’s Speedmaster L-858D-U can be used with a sync cord or wirelessly, and optional PocketWizard radio control modules are available for wireless communication with Elinchrom EL-Skyport and Phottix Strato/II flash systems.
Video and Motion Picture Features
As mentioned earlier, Sekonic’s Speedmaster L-858D-U is an equally powerful cinema and video tool. Shutter angles can be set to a range of 1° through 358°, with the ability to create up to 20 additional settings with shutter angles of up to 360°. Frame rates can be set from 1 frame per second to 1000 frames per second, along with the ability to create 20 additional settings at up to 99,999.999 frames per second, which makes this meter the ideal companion for cameras such as Phantom Digital High-Speed cameras and similar high-speed cameras.
2.7" Color Dot-Matrix Touchscreen
Considering how many functions this meter can perform, the idea of incorporating a 2.7" color dot-matrix touchscreen—a first among flash/light meters, was a no-brainer. The menus are easy to access and are generally intuitive. One of the biggest complaints I have with camera menus is that, with few exceptions, the menus are too confusing and/or time consuming to plow through when I’m on assignment. The menus on the Speedmaster 858D-U are happily quick and easy to access and edit.
A potential problem with touchscreens is that, being touch sensitive, your chosen settings can sometimes be inadvertently altered due to an errant swipe of the screen. To prevent this nightmare, you can lock your settings in place by simply holding the menu button for three seconds—problem solved!
Designed to withstand the rigors of daily use, Sekonic’s Speedmaster L-858D-U is dust- and weatherproof (JIS Class 4) and is powered by a pair of AA batteries.
Sekonic Data-Transfer Software
Like most things in life, camera sensors are not uniformly perfect. No two sensors record color, exposure, or dynamic range exactly the same way, and here’s where the Speedmaster L-858D-U goes beyond the parameters of other light/flash meters.
Sekonic’s Data Transfer Software enables you use the Speedmaster L-858-D-U to create and edit exposure profiles based on the sensitivity characteristics of your camera sensor. Only by mapping your sensor can you determine the parameters of your camera’s ability to capture highlight and shadow detail.
Mapping your camera sensor enables you to identify unique exposure variations due to shutter speeds, aperture choices, and lens characteristics, resulting in cleaner, better-exposed image files that require less post-processing time. Sekonic’s Data Transfer Software allows you to create and save up to 10 camera exposure profiles using Sekonic, X-Rite, or Datacolor-brand calibration targets.
Included with each meter is a padded ballistic case, caps, a strap, a User Quick Guide, and a 3-year warranty, when you register your meter online.