Learning to Use My Pocket Wizards

[DanStar]

I just got a couple of pocket wizards. One is mounted on my Canon 30D, the other attached to my 580 EX. Once I get everything set up I figure out I need to set up the camera manually. My question is whether there are some typical flash setting to start with. Are there some techniques I can use to determine what the settings ought to be, or is it mostly trial and error? Lastly, I just think I discovered my light meters are needed even in the digital world. So, what do you think? Should I go get a light meter?

Thanks!

Dan

[bondarnes]

You have a lot of questions without a lot of info to go on. How do you plan on using this setup. I use something similar for adding light outdoors. I shoot in manual mode 98% of the time anyway and I only use a flash meter if I want the exposure to be correct, which would be 100% of the time. In that situation I first meter the ambient light and assuming the background is about the same exposure, I would adjust the flash until it is 2/3 stop more than the ambient.

I think you need a hand held meter. Getting one with a built in pocket wizard would be a bonus.

[DanStar]

yesterday I was struggling to get it right for some indoor basketball team photos. I eventually just gave up.

I didn't know there were exposure meters with a pocket wizard built in! Can you recommend a couple? By built in, do you mean you can trigger the flash from the exposure meter to get the reading?

thanks a lot for your hel Don

[bondarnes]

Originally Posted by DanStar

yesterday I was struggling to get it right for some indoor basketball team photos. I eventually just gave up.

I didn't know there were exposure meters with a pocket wizard built in! Can you recommend a couple? By built in, do you mean you can trigger the flash from the exposure meter to get the reading?

thanks a lot for your help Don

Sorry about your trouble yesterday. Maybe this will help. The Seconic L358 and the L758 can both be ordered with a Pocket Wizard module built in to trigger the flash from the meter. I think it is about a $50.00 upgrade. The L358 is a great meter at about $300.00 with the PW module. The L758 will run you over $500.00. Other meters may also offer this add on feature. I use the L358 because it does everything that I need a meter to do.

[prairiefire]

Don, I agree with your advice and would add:

If you are using Pocket Wizards, you should definitely use a Sekonic meter with the transmitter built in. It's an "add on" with the L358 and is built into the L758.

I have both meters.

The L758 is different in two key respects. It can be programmed to "marry" your camera; all cameras and meters are idiosyncratic. F5.6 on the meter may not be the same as F5.6 on the camera. The L758, when programmed equalizes the two. That's important because many digital cameras come from the factory set to deliberately underexpose -- part of the hysteria of "blowing highlights" which is less and issue when shooting RAW.

The other good part of the L758 is that it has a spot meter built in.

Here's how this plays outside. If you have a backlit scene, and you want to equalize the light on the face, you use the spot meter to take a reading on the sky/clouds (try to find something white or grey). You then set the flash to give you that reading on the subjects face.

The spot meter is also very helpful in the studio when shooting high key or chroma key; I use it to read the backdrop to make sure I'm getting even light all across. In those situations, a reflective reading is more accurate than an incident reading.

Either way, you can't go wrong with the Sekonics.

[bondarnes]

Originally Posted by prairiefire

Don, I agree with your advice and would add:...................In those situations, a reflective reading is more accurate than an incident reading..........

Maybe I misunderstood what you were saying, but I believe an incident meter reading will always be more accurate than a reflective reading. However, if you are only using it to judge the eveness of the light across the background then that would be different. I only bring this up to be sure that we don't confuse a newbie.

[prairiefire]

I only use reflective readings when:
1. I'm outdoors and trying to use off camera flash to match background light -- like a sunset; and,

2. On backdrops in the studio where I'm setting up high key or chroma key. The reason I go reflective here is that the the backdrops absorb and reflect light and are not always consistent in their composition. Measuring the light before it hits them, in my mind, is less accurate than measuring it as it comes off the backdrop. Usually, it's not critical, but it is in high key and chroma key.

Hope I didn't cause confusion.

[eRoc]

I recently purchased the sekonic L358. $280 from arlington camera with the PW module. Prolly one of the best investments I've ever made.

My only critisicm of it is I wish i could set aperature priority in the PW flash mode. You can only set the shutter speed and then click off the flashes. I'm still new to it so I may not know what I'm talking about.

But its deff a good investment.

[bondarnes]

Originally Posted by eRoc

........My only critisicm of it is I wish i could set aperature priority in the PW flash mode. You can only set the shutter speed and then click off the flashes............

The reason is that the PW only triggers the flash and gives you a reading of its output. It cannot adjust the output of the flash. This you will need to do yourself.

[eRoc]

Ok so lets say I want to take a shot at f/2.8 regardless of the flashes. Would I just take a reading with the light meter in ambient mode, stop it down, then turn on the flashes?

What I want is to be able to take a reading from the light meter with my flashes, but make sure my aperature is set to 2.8 (mainly to get a small DOF). Then set my shutter speed to let in more or less ambient light as needed. Am I doing this wrong?

[mike_sax]

The one big problem with this scenario is you may be pushing the shutter speed past the possible sync speed of your camera. Be sure to take into consideration the max shutter sync speed for external flashes.

[eRoc]

Most of the time I'm trying to use this situation at night. During the day I could see this as being a problem, but I'm planning to buy some ND filters just for this situation.

[bondarnes]

Originally Posted by eRoc

Ok so lets say I want to take a shot at f/2.8 regardless of the flashes. Would I just take a reading with the light meter in ambient mode, stop it down, then turn on the flashes?

What I want is to be able to take a reading from the light meter with my flashes, but make sure my aperture is set to 2.8 (mainly to get a small DOF). Then set my shutter speed to let in more or less ambient light as needed. Am I doing this wrong?

The easiest way would be to start in flash mode. I usually set the shutter speed on the meter at 1/250th to disregard some of the ambient light. Work with the flash until it reads f 2.8. Then switch to ambient mode and find the correct shutter speed to give you about f 2.2. Set your camera at f 2.8. This method should give you just a little pop from the flash, but still not have an obvious "flash added" look. But also keep in mind that your lens has more f-stops than 2.8 and you may not be able to always use that. I normally use between f 4.0 and f 5.6. In my opinion many photographers pay way too much homage at the "Altar of Bokeh".

[eRoc]

Originally Posted by bondarnes

The easiest way would be to start in flash mode. I usually set the shutter speed on the meter at 1/250th to disregard some of the ambient light. Work with the flash until it reads f 2.8. Then switch to ambient mode and find the correct shutter speed to give you about f 2.2. Set your camera at f 2.8. This method should give you just a little pop from the flash, but still not have an obvious "flash added" look. But also keep in mind that your lens has more f-stops than 2.8 and you may not be able to always use that. I normally use between f 4.0 and f 5.6. In my opinion many photographers pay way too much homage at the "Altar of Bokeh".

Well its just something I was trying to accomplish just to know how to do it, in case the need ever arise. I usually just set my flash to 1/250th and click it off (cuz thats my max sync speed), and work it from there. I usually stay in the f5.6~8 area. Plus most of the time thats where the light meter tells me to be, and I do whatever my light meter says....for now. lol

Thanks for taking the time to teach me the ways of the force. I must now go practice....

[DanStar]

Thanks for the great info here. So I went and bought the L-358 + PW at AC (great store and very helpful staff). I have been experimenting with it. What a heck of a difference the right tools make!

So on to the next challenge. I will be taking some soccer team pictures this Saturday morning around 8:30. I am assuming I will need some fill flash. Maybe not much but some to help the team and individuals standout from the background and fill in some likely shadows. How would I use the L358 to meter this? My guess would be to take an flash reading near the face then back off 2/3 to a stop and check the balance in my LCD.

Is there a better way to do this?

Thanks again for all your help and guidance!