Sekonic L358 or L558?

Tom (2) wrote:

I'm leaning toward buying 2, X1600 White-Lightning strobes,
triggering them with PocketWizards, and shooting with an F100. So I
need a meter and it looks like the PocketWizard feature takes me to
Sekonic L358 or L-558.

What I need now is flash metering that either will do. But I don't
want to not get the 558 if there are features I will either use or
later learn to use. It looks like the 558 will do 1 percent spot
metering which my F100 already has and I don't use much. It looks
like the 558 will fire each strobe separately which looks like I would
use. The 558 also meters at f2 at iso 100. I do use an 85mm F1.4 and
the 105mm F2 DC. Am I to assume that the 558 would therefore be a
better choice because of my fast lenses than the 358?

With the spot metered Sekonic (558) you can "flash spot meter"
with your studio strobes ... something you can't do with the spot
meter in the camera. ... so the 558 would be the better choice.





--
-- rec.photo.equipment.35mm user resource:
-- http://www.aliasimages.com/rpe35mmur.htm
-- e-meil: there's no such thing as a FreeLunch.--

Tom (2) wrote:

I'm leaning toward buying 2, X1600 White-Lightning strobes,
triggering them with PocketWizards, and shooting with an F100. So I
need a meter and it looks like the PocketWizard feature takes me to
Sekonic L358 or L-558.

What I need now is flash metering that either will do. But I don't
want to not get the 558 if there are features I will either use or
later learn to use. It looks like the 558 will do 1 percent spot
metering which my F100 already has and I don't use much. It looks
like the 558 will fire each strobe separately which looks like I would
use. The 558 also meters at f2 at iso 100. I do use an 85mm F1.4 and
the 105mm F2 DC. Am I to assume that the 558 would therefore be a
better choice because of my fast lenses than the 358?

With the spot metered Sekonic (558) you can "flash spot meter"
with your studio strobes ... something you can't do with the spot
meter in the camera. ... so the 558 would be the better choice.





--
-- rec.photo.equipment.35mm user resource:
-- http://www.aliasimages.com/rpe35mmur.htm
-- e-meil: there's no such thing as a FreeLunch.--

Scott M. Knowles wrote:

Nick Zentena wrote in message ...


I have the 358 and it's a nice meter but if buying today I'd likely spring
the extra cash for the 558. It would save me buying a spot meter. If you're
100% sure you'll never want a spot meter then the 358 I think does
everything the 558 does. OTOH the difference in price won't get you a nice
spotmeter later.

Nick


I don't understand, the L-358 has 1-degree, 5-degree and 10-degree
attachments available. And you still have the Pocket Wizard
capabilities.

Attachments suck. More 'things' to track and get lost.

--
-- rec.photo.equipment.35mm user resource:
-- http://www.aliasimages.com/rpe35mmur.htm
-- e-meil: there's no such thing as a FreeLunch.--

Scott M. Knowles wrote:

Nick Zentena wrote in message ...


I have the 358 and it's a nice meter but if buying today I'd likely spring
the extra cash for the 558. It would save me buying a spot meter. If you're
100% sure you'll never want a spot meter then the 358 I think does
everything the 558 does. OTOH the difference in price won't get you a nice
spotmeter later.

Nick


I don't understand, the L-358 has 1-degree, 5-degree and 10-degree
attachments available. And you still have the Pocket Wizard
capabilities.

Attachments suck. More 'things' to track and get lost.

--
-- rec.photo.equipment.35mm user resource:
-- http://www.aliasimages.com/rpe35mmur.htm
-- e-meil: there's no such thing as a FreeLunch.--

"Tom (2)" wrote in message
...

Tom,

Ultimately the decision in yours. I have a 558, and it is the "Swiss Army
Knife" of light meters, with the toothpick:~)

I always look to what I may need in the future and right now, your scope
for purchasing the light meter is focused on the need at hand. Well, if in
a year you need to do some flash product photography of small items (say:
Jewelry), you will need a spot flash meter to do it right. More cash
outlay, more time waiting for the meter to arrive and more time to learn to
use it. You've just added 4 days to this shooting. Even if you rented one,
the only difference is waiting for it to arrive, so you drop the wait to 3
days.

Like I said, your decision, but I'd get the toothpick (and did).

Jim

On Sat, 11 Sep 2004 20:50:20 +0200, "Jim Phelps"
wrote:


"Tom (2)" wrote in message
.. .

Tom,

Ultimately the decision in yours. I have a 558, and it is the "Swiss Army
Knife" of light meters, with the toothpick:~)

I always look to what I may need in the future and right now, your scope
for purchasing the light meter is focused on the need at hand. Well, if in
a year you need to do some flash product photography of small items (say:
Jewelry), you will need a spot flash meter to do it right. More cash
outlay, more time waiting for the meter to arrive and more time to learn to
use it. You've just added 4 days to this shooting. Even if you rented one,
the only difference is waiting for it to arrive, so you drop the wait to 3
days.

Like I said, your decision, but I'd get the toothpick (and did).

Jim

Makes sense. Thanks for the perspective. The toothpick it is.
Tom

"Jim Phelps" wrote in message
...

"Tom (2)" wrote in message
...

Tom,

Ultimately the decision in yours. I have a 558, and it is the "Swiss
Army
Knife" of light meters, with the toothpick:~)


In which case I suppose the 608 is the SAK with a watch and a little torch
built in too...


Peter

Bandicoot wrote:

"Jim Phelps" wrote in message
...

"Tom (2)" wrote in message
...

Tom,

Ultimately the decision in yours. I have a 558, and it is the "Swiss
Army
Knife" of light meters, with the toothpick:~)


In which case I suppose the 608 is the SAK with a watch and a little torch
built in too...


What does the 608 have that the 558 doesn't?

Nick

Bandicoot wrote:

"Jim Phelps" wrote in message
...

"Tom (2)" wrote in message
...

Tom,

Ultimately the decision in yours. I have a 558, and it is the "Swiss
Army
Knife" of light meters, with the toothpick:~)


In which case I suppose the 608 is the SAK with a watch and a little torch
built in too...


What does the 608 have that the 558 doesn't?

Nick