I got a lightmeter 3 weeks ago...
went to use it and it wont sync with my lights...
Haven't actually called anyone about it yet but wondered if anyone here may know why first..
I got the L-358 lightmeter
and my lights are the Profoto D1 500 Airs with the air transmitter
My lights are from the U.S. and so is my camera..
Lightmeter is from Europe..
could that be why the lightmeter isn't syncing??
not sure if I need to buy something additional to make it work with these lights or not..am I missing something???
Do I alsi need to buy some pocketwizards?
EDIT**since it keeps being brought up I already have the RT 32 module..so thats not the problem..
The profoto AIR system is not compatible with PW products
You would need a pocketwizard to talk to your meter
Also the L-358 does not have built in radio transmitter you have to buy an optional module
Set the meter to passive mode and trigger lights with your transmitter
Will work the same as you had a PW setup
Read the manual on all your new stuff
Brandon J - wrote: On my sekonic I had to buy a transmitter that plugged in in the battery compartment. You may want to look into that also did you read your manual?
are you talking about the little transmitter that makes it wireless?
If so I already have that in the lightmeter...so it isnt that..
RacerXPhoto wrote: The profoto AIR system is not compatible with PW products
You would need a pocketwizard to talk to your meter
Also the L-358 does not have built in radio transmitter you have to buy an optional module
ok so I need to buy a pocketwizard....cool...I was wondering what I was doing wrong and why it was not syncing up with the lights
If by "syncing" you mean triggering your lights----you need to use a compatible trigger and receiver.
The Sekonic L358 uses a pocket wizard "chip" (optional) to trigger lights. It is not the same as Profoto's Air system.
You need to either go all PW or all Profoto Air (transceiver). Check your camera system for what works best for you. For example, wireless flash sync is limited to about 1/400 on the PW; new Profoto Air can wireless flash sync with capable systems such as Phase DF up to 1/1600. Get what works for you...
TheScarletLetterSeries wrote: If by "syncing" you mean triggering your lights----you need to use a compatible trigger and receiver.
The Sekonic L358 uses a pocket wizard "chip" (optional) to trigger lights. It is not the same as Profoto's Air system.
You need to either go all PW or all Profoto Air (transceiver). Check your camera system for what works best for you. For example, wireless flash sync is limited to about 1/400 on the PW; new Profoto Air can wireless flash sync with capable systems such as Phase DF up to 1/1600. Get what works for you...
No idea on Sekonic but the old Minolta Flash meters had a read while firing through the meter PC connection or held open until a flash was read. Are you sure you cannot leave it in the second type of option?
The l-358 has an optional pocket wizard module in the battery compartment most are sold that way and since you were expecting it to work wirelessly i will assume yours does. Pocket wizard is not compatible with profoto air.
You can either buy a profoto air transmitter and connect it to you meter via pc cord.
Or you can get a pocket wizard and hook it to your light and not using the built in air system.
Either way something you already purchased is going to waste.
Neil Snape wrote: No idea on Sekonic but the old Minolta Flash meters had a read while firing through the meter PC connection or held open until a flash was read. Are you sure you cannot leave it in the second type of option?
hey Neil...
I tried all the options I could from looking at manual and of what I could understand of it..It would meter on sunlight mode ofcourse...but would not meter or sync with my strobes..though ofcourse im no expert on meters...but think all I am missing is the pocketwizard so I will go buy one tomorrow and see if that fixes everything !!!
Set the meter to Auto-reset cordless flash mode (page 16 in your manual). Take your wireless trigger off your camera. Walk to where you want to meter from. Point the meter at your strobe light (with the dome up). Press the test button on your trigger while holding the measuring button down on the meter.
This is how I use the L-358 remotely with my Cybersyncs. Should work with any remote triggering system. You don't need to buy anything extra.
As others here said I think what was lacking was a pocketwizard....
Yes but can you manually fire the Air on Profoto and read with the meter on open flash? IF you have an assistant, or a small pocket flash if set to cell, or a PC cord .
Bill Sylvester wrote: You can either buy a profoto air transmitter and connect it to you meter via pc cord.
Or you can get a pocket wizard and hook it to your light and not using the built in air system.
Either way something you already purchased is going to waste.
lol yeah so it seems....hate wasting stuff...
thanks for your advice as well
As others here said I think what was lacking was a pocketwizard....
Again I stress read the manual fully the meter has lots of useful functions hidden away in there.
You can work around with no PW by triggering the lights with your AIR system and having the meter set to non corded mode.
Thats what I do using Elinchrom or AB triggers
Neil Snape wrote: No idea on Sekonic but the old Minolta Flash meters had a read while firing through the meter PC connection or held open until a flash was read. Are you sure you cannot leave it in the second type of option?
yes, that works too, Neil.
I still have an old Sekonic (no chip available). I don't like wires/pc, so use a handheld PW transmitter/transceiver to trigger the lights. Ghetto-ish it is, but it works. I guess I could use my Sekonic 758 which has the chip too....
Hensels and Profoto Airs on the way just to make it all more fun!
GM Photography wrote: Set the meter to Auto-reset cordless flash mode (page 16 in your manual). Take your wireless trigger off your camera. Walk to where you want to meter from. Point the meter at your strobe light (with the dome up). Press the test button on your trigger while holding the measuring button down on the meter.
This is how I use the L-358 remotely with my Cybersyncs. Should work with any remote triggering system. You don't need to buy anything extra.
Yes that is the way it works with Minolta more or less.
Bottom line is the Air system and the Pocket Wizard system don't speak the same language. So, to work wireless, you need to add a pocket wizard to your pack for the most direct method.
You could just hand hold an Air transmitter or hook up a sync cord from the pack to the meter, but that kinda defeats the purpose of working wireless and efficiently.
If you get the hyper sync model of the PW you can sync with speeds up to 1/500 of a second, but that is a sizable investment ($380) for the two items you will need.
It states that there is a difference between EU & US radio modules...
You need to get the right module...
FCC=US
CE=EU
I don't think she needs to buy any module at all. She can fire her lights remotely with her trigger and take a reading with the L-358. Why waste money buying pocket wizards when she already has a wireless system?
Marco Vallentin
Posts: 1,108
København, Hovedstaden, Denmark
TheScarletLetterSeries wrote: (...) new Profoto Air can wireless flash sync with capable systems
such as Phase DF up to 1/1600. Get what works for you...
Interesting !
I always thought that Schneider PQS optics were the fastest ones one the market, sync'ing at up to 1/1000 sec ???
photoimager
Posts: 4,111
Stoke-on-Trent, England, United Kingdom
DanaColePix wrote: I got the L-358 lightmeter
and my lights are the Profoto D1 500 Airs with the air transmitter
My lights are from the U.S. and so is my camera..
Lightmeter is from Europe..
I did not realise this was the PW convention.
OP, ignore all mention of PW in above posts apart from the correct ones that the PW module for the Sekonic meters will not work with Profoto Air ( just a little logical that one ).
I use a Sekonic L408, no longer available, and the Hensel radio trigger. All I have to do is use the cable provided by Hensel, plug it into both the the radio trigger and PC socket on my meter, set the meter mode to flash and away I go. It's been working that way for 6 years.
From the Profoto site: 'Signal connections are made with either a hot shoe or a cable' but the cable is not listed as being supplied with the radio trigger. The only thing that you might need to buy is the cable to go from the meter to the trigger. I'd go back to whoever sold you a PW module for ther meter, get them to take it back and give you the cable as recompense for the needless trouble they put you to.
Edit: The meter being Europe will not have any impact on the above since you are going to be using the Profoto trigger.
People advocating the PW are indirectly saying that the Op should lose all of the remote control facilities that the Profoto Air, Elinchrom and Hensel systems permit. What a waste.
i have my 358 chipped for pocketwizards and it's not very reliable (sometimes the range is only about a foot). i'm guessing there are interference issues on the strobe side.
I always thought that Schneider PQS optics were the fastest ones one the market, sync'ing at up to 1/1000 sec ???
The Phase leaf shutter lenses sync up to 1/800, but where the 1/1600 figure comes from, is that *some* of the Phase backs can augment the physical shutter with electronic gating in the sensor.
If you don't already own any PW's rent them or borrow from a friend. to test the set up
Several years ago I purchased a seconic meter off of e bay cheap it turned out to be a euro version. they are programed to work on a different frequency than the US versions so the chip you have will not "talk" to the meter so it will not fire your strobes. The meter will work in every other way normally it just wont work with the PW's
photoimager
Posts: 4,111
Stoke-on-Trent, England, United Kingdom
G M Bacci Photography wrote: If you don't already own any PW's rent them or borrow from a friend. to test the set up
Several years ago I purchased a seconic meter off of e bay cheap it turned out to be a euro version. they are programed to work on a different frequency than the US versions so the chip you have will not "talk" to the meter so it will not fire your strobes. The meter will work in every other way normally it just wont work with the PW's
The OP does NOT NEED PWs. Believe it or not, there are other options and the OP already has a better option.
photoimager wrote: The OP does NOT NEED PWs. Believe it or not, there are other options and the OP already has a better option.
I think the confusion comes from Profoto having PW compatible receivers built-in as an option for many years. I've used Profoto many x's w/ my PW on camera. The Air is a new proprietary wireless system, & I didn't realize that when I posted...
Is the Profoto wireless really better than PW ? Or is that brand loyalty speaking ?
Paul Brecht wrote: Is the Profoto wireless really better than PW ? Or is that brand loyalty speaking ?
Feature wise in comparison to PWs yes the AIR system is vastly superior if you have the profoto units that are compatible with them.
Full remote control functions over the lights is very useful.
Brooklyn Bridge Images wrote: Feature wise in comparison to PWs yes the AIR system is vastly superior if you have the profoto units that are compatible with them.
Full remote control functions over the lights is very useful.
Ok, I was wondering because when the Cyber Commander (Buff) gets talked about, it gets slammed by the haters as being gimmicky, etc., when it seems pretty good...
I didn't see any literature, on the transmitter, when I was looking @ the Profoto Air monolight. So it's similar to the Cyber Commander...
When I got my sekonic 358 with the PW module to work with my TT5's I remember having an issue of not being able to set the channel on the meter. If you hold down the MODE button and go further right on your settings dial you will see the option I'm refering to. That was a big headache for me because I didn't have the manual with me on my shoot and had to resort to watching the PW TV videos on my phone to diagnose and correct the problem. If you have any similar issues and need help PM me. I can walk you through it with much greater detail
photoimager
Posts: 4,111
Stoke-on-Trent, England, United Kingdom
Brooklyn Bridge Images wrote: Also depends if her air transmitter has sync port
Some new products dont have option for wired connection
Like my buddies crap PW Mini TT1
The Profoto Air can, according to Profoto, be triggered by hot shoe or cable. I did show this in a quote from the Profoto site in the post of mine that you referred to. Even if it does not have a sync socket it doesn't take much to get a hotshoe to pc lead. Much cheaper and simpler than getting a second radio trigger system.
photoimager
Posts: 4,111
Stoke-on-Trent, England, United Kingdom
Paul Brecht wrote: Is the Profoto wireless really better than PW ? Or is that brand loyalty speaking ?
For me it cannot be brand loyalty since I use Hensel. It is the effect of having had over 5 years of being able to remotely adjust power settings and control the modelling lights using the Hensel system. Adjusting the power of a light that is high up on a stand or in some other inaccessible place, being able to rack up or down the power of all lights in one go, PWs cannot do this, you need the system specific radio trigger.
photoimager wrote: For me it cannot be brand loyalty since I use Hensel. It is the effect of having had over 5 years of being able to remotely adjust power settings and control the modelling lights using the Hensel system. Adjusting the power of a light that is high up on a stand or in some other inaccessible place, being able to rack up or down the power of all lights in one go, PWs cannot do this, you need the system specific radio trigger.
The Profoto Air can, according to Profoto, be triggered by hot shoe or cable. I did show this in a quote from the Profoto site in the post of mine that you referred to. Even if it does not have a sync socket it doesn't take much to get a hotshoe to pc lead. Much cheaper and simpler than getting a second radio trigger system.
The easiest thing to do is just pull the wireless trigger off your camera's hot shoe and take it to the spot you want to meter from and trigger your light(s) with the test button and take a reading.
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