Sekonic readings...

[Kofman13]

So I just got my l-358 in the mail and it was used so no manual and I'm just fooling around and I noticed every reading is about 2 shutter heel clicks over exposed everytime. What could be wrong?

 

[Christie Photo]

Well....

Of course, check that the ISO is set correctly.

How are you using it? Reflected or incident? If incident, are you directing the meter toward the camera or the main light?

-Pete

 

[Christie Photo]

You can find the operating manual online.

 

[Kofman13]

I noticed I can use exposure compensation on the meter now it's a little better

 

[Kofman13]

Maybe the DIP switches also..

 

[Derrel]

What are you comparing the readings "to"?????? You say it's overexposed two shutter wheel clicks, which is most likely 2/3 of an EV value...but...you are not stating how you are arriving at this conclusion. Are you comparing an incident light reading against a reading taken with the camera's built-in reflected light metering system? Or are you shooting photos based upon incident light readings and then transferring those readings to the camera and getting over-exposed images?

I ask because I know you are new to incident light metering (we've shared PM's about this), and I **suspect** that the meter might have had its adjustment screw turned a little bit by the prior owner...who maybe, just maybe....used Portra 160 as his film for flash shots, and who set the meter to read for a generous over-exposure of 2/3 of a stop, which brings the effective ISO down to 100, which is where MOST professional shooters expose Portra 160 color negative film....

Also, many portrait shooters will expose for the shadow values when shooting color negative film, whereas slide shooters and digital SLR shooters typically want to have their incident light meter set so that a highlight-side reading "pegs the high tones".

Anyway...there are a number of reasons that incident light flash meters have an adjustment screw hidden, usually underneath the battery compartment door...

 

[Kofman13]

I was comparing sekonic readings to what actually looked perfectly exposed once i got readings and tweaked the shutter speed a little and on average it was two clicks slower shutter speed than what looked good. But i did like -0.7 in expo compensation in the light metet and now its good. As long as i successfully point the metet at the lens....

 

[Derrel]

Looked perfectly exposed "where"??? In the camera on the LCD? On the histogram,either in the camera or in Photoshop? On your computer's display? In a print sent to the printer?

You need to be very specific and careful when "calibrating" an incident light meter...

 

[Kofman13]

On LCD screen lol

 

[Doitallman]

shooting in the dark is hard.

 

[KmH]

Calibrate the meter. There are video tutorials online.

 

[usayit]

ISO ratings on digital cameras are not accurate.. kinda of a toss back from the film days.

I have labels under my different cameras that tell me the compensation from my sekonic handheld. Some require a little positive adjustment others negative.

DXOmark has ISO measurements for each camera.. should give you a starting point.