How to Set Aperture on a Light Meter

The light meter will tell you the best aperture to use on your camera. Remember that the smallest F stop, which is the measurement of an aperture, is the widest aperture. The wider the aperture, the more light the camera will accept. A wider aperture will allow you to use a faster shutter speed. You can follow a few steps to use a light meter to determine the correct aperture.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Point the light meter toward the subject you want to measure. Do this from the camera position or direction. If you measure from the camera position, then the whole object is measured. You need to get close to measure just one part of the subject.

2. Press the mode button to select "Shutter Priority." Press the up or down button to select the shutter speed you want.

3. Press the measuring button to take a measurement.

4. Release the measurement button. The device will have measured the aperture value. On the Sekonic 308S light meter, it's the reading on the right side of the display. If you look carefully you'll see a small F adjacent to the reading. The numerals on the left side of the display will be the shutter speed you set.

Tips & Warnings

• Be careful not to cast a shadow with the light meter because it will mess up your measurement.

References

• Sekonic 308S Manual