The Ultimate Guide to Light Meters for Cinematography

Find full-length BTS on Patreon: The long-awaited light meter video is here! It’s DENSE with tons of info; once you start to understand a concept, re-watch it again. Then 3 times more. I basically rolled up 1.5 of my college cinematography courses in 18 minutes. It’s a lot of info. I believe this is one of the most in-depth videos on light metering on YouTube. I’ve always been frustrated with the lack of available resources for aspiring visual storytellers (specifically cinematographers) in regards to light metering, so I grabbed a bunch of friends and we made our own. There are plenty of light meter photography videos, but none that cover the vast expanse that is filmmaking. Exposure is so much more than taking a peek at the waveform and checking false color; it’s about understanding how using light can supplement your story. In this guide, I’ll walk through 5 different ways I utilize my light meter on set including incident metering, spot metering, exposure compensation, ISO 1/2, and ∆ EV. Check out each individual scene here: If you have questions, drop them in the comments below. I’m happy to clarify all the technical mumbo-jumbo from the video. How to read a waveform: KINETEK: KY Productions: Other great light meter videos: A Tale of Two Meters: Arthur Woo - Do you need a light meter for video? Features of the newer L-858: Using a Light Meter: Win a Sekonic L-858 Speedmaster Giveaway details: HUGE THANKS TO MY AWESOME CAST/CREW B camera: Jeremy Le C camera: George Mentchoukov AC: Fausto Darquea AC: Tyler Stefanelli Stills: Mike Paragas Grip: Blake Gilmore Grip: Shane-Mark Gallo Audio: Q Model: Savanah Joeckel Model: Danny Shepherd Gear used in this video: Sekonic L-858 (Light Meter): ColorChecker Video (Color chip/grayscale): Camera Sony FS7 (A, B, C camera): a7R III (D camera): 128GB XQD (FS7 media): Metabones Speedbooster (Lens adapter): FS7 Extension Unit (Timecode Generator): Tentacle Sync E (Timecode Generator): Wooden Camera UMB-1 (Matte box): Schneider RHOdiums (ND .3-2.1): HyperCore 150 Gold Mount (camera batteries): Miller CX8 (tripod): Inovativ Scout 42 (camera cart): AFFILIATE LINKS YouTube Gear Camera: Lens: Microphone: Key light: Modifier: Check out my LUT pack here: My Favorite Variable ND for 4x5 matte boxes: (use code ’ISTHATARED’ for 20% off) My favorite on-set comms: Video gear I use: Find me on social media: #isthatared