Strobes and a Grey Card

[b0sslady]

As mentioned in a previous post, I know the purpose of a grey card.

Now my question is, when using strobes with it, how can I figure out what f-stop, shutter speed and ISO to manually set my camera at?

Do I NEED a light meter? I've read so many articles and what not on exposure and it's giving me a headache.

 

[tirediron]

A grey card really has very little application in this case, other than verifying white balance. You can either use trial & error for your exposure calculations, or the guide number method if you don't want to buy a flash meter.

 

[EIngerson]

You're kind of over thinking it. You're camera will tell you your exposure settings. Understand and use your histogram. Your grey card isn't going to help you expose.

But have fun and keep playing around. You'll learn more from your mistakes than you will from the answers you get here.

 

[astroNikon]

When I first started using speedlights all the Guide number stuff didn't make any sense.
So I got a light meter. okay, confusion still.

But since you are digital it's easy. Just pick an inanimate object for your subject.
Pick a shutter speed .. say 1/125 - 250 that is good for indoor portraiture work.
Then pick a Aperture or Depth of Field setting that you want for the subject.
Then fiddle around with the strobe setting until you get an appropriate exposure. Do an entire range for the strobe from 1/1 to 1/128 and compare them.

Then set the shutter and strobe and play around with the aperture, doing an entire range and compare the exposures.

Keep playing around by fixing 2 settings and fiddling with the 3rd.
It'll start to make sense after a couple sessions as it's the Exposure Triangle.

Then when you read all these online books, they'll make sense.

fyi, as mentioned, the grey card is only for white balance.

 

[tirediron]

You're kind of over thinking it. You're camera will tell you your exposure settings. Understand and use your histogram. Your grey card isn't going to help you expose.

But have fun and keep playing around. You'll learn more from your mistakes than you will from the answers you get here.

If, as I take the OP to mean, you're using manual flash, then no, the camera's meter won't help you with the exposure, other than determining ambient light.

Astro's method will definitely get you in the ballpark, but really the Guide Number method I've linked to above is very easy for the non-mathematically challenged.

 

[astroNikon]

Astro's method will definitely get you in the ballpark, but really the Guide Number method I've linked to above is very easy for the non-mathematically challenged.

I think it took me 3 testing sessions to understand the correlation between everything.
A good "ooh, is that how it works" method.

 

[EIngerson]

You're kind of over thinking it. You're camera will tell you your exposure settings. Understand and use your histogram. Your grey card isn't going to help you expose.

But have fun and keep playing around. You'll learn more from your mistakes than you will from the answers you get here.

If, as I take the OP to mean, you're using manual flash, then no, the camera's meter won't help you with the exposure, other than determining ambient light.

Astro's method will definitely get you in the ballpark, but really the Guide Number method I've linked to above is very easy for the non-mathematically challenged.

Wasn't talking about the meter. I said histogram. But….all my responses are going to gear towards people shooting more. Make mistakes and figure it out. Best learning tool there is.

 

[tirediron]

...You're camera will tell you your exposure settings...

Sorry, I guess I mistook your meaning. What I understood from this statement was that you meant the camera's meter could be useful in determining manual flash settings. With respect to your contention regarding the 'trial and error' method; I will respectfully disagree. While it is a way to learn, unless you understand what you're doing wrong, and how to correct it, you can spend a lot of time trying to figure out how you made your mistake and how to correct it. That said... to each their own. If it works for you, that's all that matters.

 

[EIngerson]

...You're camera will tell you your exposure settings...

Sorry, I guess I mistook your meaning. What I understood from this statement was that you meant the camera's meter could be useful in determining manual flash settings. With respect to your contention regarding the 'trial and error' method; I will respectfully disagree. While it is a way to learn, unless you understand what you're doing wrong, and how to correct it, you can spend a lot of time trying to figure out how you made your mistake and how to correct it. That said... to each their own. If it works for you, that's all that matters.

No worries. to each there own indeed. But one thing I went through when I was starting out was information overload. Its all great info and very helpful but gets over whelming. Especially when you don't fully understand whats being thrown at you. Combine that with shooting more and it all comes together.