Flashmate (lightmeter) Help

[Koko]

Hi,
I'm new here and have been reading lots and think this is the place to ask for some help.
I have purchased (I'm great and buying equipment) a Sekonic Flashmate L-308S and feel the manual might as well be written in double dutch. Can anyone tell me where I would find a good source of info on how to use it.

Thanks Jane

[kiwi]

hmm, i thought the manual was quite good, its an easy thing to use i think, whats the problem ?

[Koko]

Hi Kiwi,
I found out a lot by viewing YouTube.. but as I mostly shoot in Manual, ( choosing the f/stop) I am having trouble with the f/stop.
I can change the ISO and shutter speed but is there a way that I can chose the f/stop first. Or am I wanting something it wont allow me to do.
Any help you can offer will be appreciated.

[kiwi]

ahh I see, no, the whole premise is that for a given iso and shutter speed it will tell you what F/stop to use (which is actually te easiest way to operate I think)

Anyhow. You'd have to work out the stops so that if you want f/2.8 but it wants f/4 then you need to manually half your shutter speed to achieve the same exposure - you could create a little chart and stick it on the back maybe ?

[Bercy]

That's what I do with mine - I didn't even recognise it as a problem, as they have reciprocity. So if it come up as F5.6 but I want to shoot at F4, then I click up the shutter speed reading, which as mentioned, you could actually chart and in the end probably would end up knowing off by heart anyway. :)