How to Calibrate a Light Meter for Film

Shooting a movie on film is difficult and costly. To ensure that your shots are properly exposed you will need to calibrate the light meter to the film camera and lenses that you will be using.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Camera
• Lens
• Film stock
• Light meter

1. Make sure to use the exact camera, lens and film stock during the test as you would during the shoot. Set the camera to a the standard shutter speed of 1/24.

2. Load the film into the camera and take note of the ISO rating.

3. Establish the subject and make sure to have enough light on the subject so that an image can be recorded. Flat even lighting would work best.

4. Place the light meter in front of the subject with the sensor pointing directly toward the camera. Make sure not to block the light from the sensor with your shadow.

5. Input the ISO of the film and the shutter speed of the camera into the light meter to get an f-stop reading.

6. Adjust the lens to the f-stop reading and capture a couple of seconds of footage.

7. Capture 4 more shots of a couple of seconds with f-stops that are a -1/2, +1/2, -1, and +1 stops above and below the light meters reading. This is called bracketing.

8. Develop the film and decide which shot looks the most properly exposed. This will tell you how to calibrate the light meter to the camera and lens. For example, if the most properly exposed shot was the one that was +1 f-stop higher then the light meter's reading then you know that the light meter is off by -1 stops.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure to record the f-stops and the order that the shots were taken during the bracketing.

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