Studio Lighting - Leica Digilux 2 Field Manual

Studio Lighting

The Leica Digilux 2 may be used in conjunction with
electronic studio flash lighting equipment for an even
higher level of control for portraiture or still-life appli-
cations. When using external lighting, manual exposure
mode operation, and the histogram will allow you to
quickly establish the proper exposure. To configure the
Digilux 2 for studio lighting, follow these steps:
You will need the following items:
•a Kodak 18% Grey Card
•a Hot Shoe to PC adaptor, or a radio remote unit.
Note: Certain older studio electronic flash units carry
high voltage across the PC cord connector which may
damage the electronics in your Digilux 2 camera. The
camera has been tested by Leica engineers up to 280
volts +-. If unsure of your flash equipment consult your
manufacturer before connecting a sync cable directly
to your Digilux 2. Using a radio remote to trigger your
lighting will prevent the possibility of damaging your
camera, and will also eliminate cumbersome cabling.
•Set the Digilux to Flash Mode
•Set the camera to any shutter speed (you may sync up
to 1/2000 sec.)
•Set the aperture to a middle Aperture (f/8)
•Set the camera ASA to 100
•Position your lighting and place the Kodak gray card
in the scene
•Take a test exposure, and make a visual evaluation
of the image on screen. Adjust the light power, light
distance, or aperture until the scene looks properly
exposed.
•To fine tune the exposure, choose the image histogram
from the display menu. The peak of the histogram
should be centered between the darkest point (left)
and the lightest point (right) of the image histogram.
•Set the camera to manual white balance mode. You
will be prompted to capture an image of the grey card.
Once you capture the grey card image, every subse-
quent image will inherit the proper color balance.
Using the above procedure will help you establish a
repeatable process that will lead to more color and
exposure. The few moments of time you spend up front
will, dramatically reduce the time you will spend edit-
ing color and density on your computer, and your work
will be more consistent.
Note: If your studio lighting is too powerful, you
may purchase a neutral density filter to reduce the
exposure. Neutral density filters often come in sets
calibrated to f-stop equivalent densities. As the camera
is in manual mode, and the image display is driven
from the sensor captured data, focussing will not be
affected by the addition of the ND filter. The E69 Filter
adapter will be required to mount filters to the lens.