Need help with Sekonic L-758 Cine & RED 1 MX

[Michele Lombardo]

Hi everybody,
after 3 years of intense "false color use" (I love it!!!), after MX upgrade (I don't like so much the new fc....) I decided to buy a light meter. I got the Sekonic L-758Cine.
I'm studying it, trying to calibrate with my R1. But I have some difficulties... So, I was looking for a kind DP, Cinematographer or Red owner that owns and know very well this meter to meet just one hour and set some settings together.
I live in LA (Culver City) but I can reach you everywhere (in LA).

THANK YOU EVERYBODY!!!!!!!

 

[Jason Comparetto]

I would do it for you but I'm on the East Coast. When are you coming to NYC?

 

[Noel Evans]

Michele the calibration component is not that difficult, but I would highly recommend using the Sekonic exposure chart as its made for this purpose.

 

[Michele Lombardo]

Hi Noel,
thanks for your reply. I purchased the Sekonic Target chart II, but I'm having problems.....

This is what I, doing:

1. measure the light on all chart surface, to ensure it's flat
2. RED white balance on the 18% grey side
3. set the 758cine in this way: 800ISO and 1/60th
4. my Fstop is 2.0 (incident) 2.06 (reflective)
5. shot 3 mini-video: one at 1/60th f2.0; one +3EV at 1/8th (varispeed 8fps) f2.0; one -3EV at 1/500th f2.0
6 export three TIF from RedCineX without any grading
7. put them in the Sekonic software for the calibrating

Wheh the app calculates the data, before showing the curve, gives me an alert "... the level doesn't exist in the image.... change level.....". I've tried several times... always the same alert. Click OK, the resulting curve is not a curve!!... but only a strange graph... only a couple of times I had the alert, but then the curve SEEMED to be ok....
I tested the 758cine with a Nikon D300 camera, with the same lens (50 f1.2) and setting (800ISO, 1/60th)..... the software worked PERFECTLY!!!!!!

WHY???
Thx!!!

 

[Michael Panfeld]

I've read on a blog from Ryan E. Walters that Sekonic is going to announce a major software upgarde for the 758Cine that is specifically targeted at filmmakers. He says that its supposed to be in the early part of 2012.

 

[Michael Panfeld]

This video might be helpful as well.

http://lightingalchemy.blogspot.com/2011/11/lighting-101-using-meter.html