Sekonic L-398 A

[LeicaBraz]

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Wonder whether any forum member is using or has used this light meter. What seems attractive is that it uses no batteries.

Comments on experience appreciated.

Thanks

[Guest Benqui]

From time to time especially in difficult light situations I use the Seconic. You are right, there is no need for batteries and up to now it worked  without any problems. Furthermore it is really very easy to use. There are some YouTube Videos which explain how to use it. And to be honest, the Sekonic is a beauty and looks very very cool. If you want one, go for it, you will not regret it.

 

best regards

 

Marc

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[Matlock]

As I posted on the MP or M-A thread yesterday, I use one which I bought in 2008. Great meter.

[IkarusJohn]

I use one as well

[madNbad]

The 398A Studio Deluxe started out as a cinematographers tool in the 1950s called the Norwood Director.   Powered by a selenium cell it never needs batteries and with proper care the cell can last for decades.  Sekonic bought the rights and have been producing them for over fifty years and the design has remained basically unchanged with the only major additions being increased ISO sensitivity and a dial lock.  Originally designed for studio work there is an optional set of slides (in addition to the HIGH slide) which allows the photographer to choose a combination of film and shutter speed.  This allows a quick reading of just the f stop making the meter very fast to use.  The meter normally includes a dome for reading incident light from a three dimensional subject, a flat disc for setting overall lighting (such as for artwork) and a honeycomb disc for reflective readings.  Like any meter it has restrictions.  If a majority of your photography is compatible with incident readings and find you don't need flash meter capabilities it's a great general purpose meter.  Take the time to learn about what it is capable of and how to make best use of it's strong points.  You have a meter that will last for years.

[sblitz]

After going through a number of smaller ones, I have adopted this one. Built to last, no batteries, has some interesting ways to make a very fast read. I use it to take a couple of readings, then I have the sense of light and shadow and off I go with my MA adjusting by eye along the way .... Great meter you will have forever, as long as you dont drop it in the ocean.

[adan]

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The only downside to the "egg" is that its sensitivity poops out in really low light. It'll get you down to about light requiring 1/30 and f/1.4 @ ISO 800 - so generally, anything you can hand-hold anyway.

 

Also keep in mind that it has a MASSIVE magnet inside to drive the needle with the micro-voltages the selenium puts out. So don't let it get near magnetic storage media, or (should you still have any) CRT monitors or TVs. But it shouldn't affect flash memory like thumb drives, SD/CF cards, etc.

 

http://tsgphysics.mit.edu/pics/G%20Magnetic%20Fields/G6%20Magnetic%20Deflection%20of%20a%20TV%20Image%20still.jpg

 

I got the predecessor L-28C2 back in the 70's as my first "serious" light meter, and it still works.

[eckart]

It is a beauty and very cool to use.

I love it.

I do have a bigger one too, the Sekonic L-508, which I prefer to use in portrait sessions, but running around with my M2....nothing but the egg;)

[bocaburger]

I don't mind a single AA battery.  They last a long time in those meters and the cells are much better in low light.  Several Sekonics have a sliding egg that allows the meters to be used in relfective or incident. 

[eckart]

By the way, in Germany we call it not the egg but the egg-timer

[enboe]

Bought and sold, the limitations on low-light measurement and size were my deciding factors.  Three tiny, battery-powered meters I like better include the Sekonic 208, Gossen Digisix/Digiflash, and Voigtlander VC meters I/II.  Your mileage may vary.

 

Eric

[Matlock]

Bought and sold, the limitations on low-light measurement and size were my deciding factors.  Three tiny, battery-powered meters I like better include the Sekonic 208, Gossen Digisix/Digiflash, and Voigtlander VC meters I/II.  Your mileage may vary.

 

Eric

Horses for courses. I use a Voigtlander VC when I want a small convenient meter when travelling light (with my M2 and 35mm lens). For serious work the Sekonic is my meter of choice.

[105012]

I have the 398 (new amorphous silicon solar cell model) and the 208. The 208 has become my favourite due to it's small size, quick operation (one button-one dial rotation) and the battery lasts for ages. I do like the 398, just I love that the 208 can disappear into a pocket of my jeans when I'm out and about. Negative of the the 208 is that the ISO dial can inadvertently move a little, but not enough I've become annoyed with it.

 

The battery for the 208 worried me, but it is really a non-issue as it is a slim CR2032 type, which is widely available and cheap and besides, I carry a spare in my bag, tucked invisibly into an SD card slot builtin to my Dothebag (I use M3's or an M5 so the SD card holder has no other use). I'm still on the first battery, which shows as 95% full after 6 months of daily use.

[atournas]

The 398A is an excellent choice for incident light metering. I use it constantly with an SWC and have never rejected a shot for false exposure. I wouldn't equally trust the 208's small dome-like rectangular cover for accurate incident light results. On the other hand, the immediacy of switching between incident and reflected on the 208 is a plus.

 

However, for reflected light metering, I can't see why a well-tested, centre-weighted, in-camera meter would be inferior. So, it all depends on what kind of photography you are doing. 

 

Final word for the 398A: do not hesitate to buy it if you consider it.

 

Paul

[dfbldwn]

Bought and sold, the limitations on low-light measurement and size were my deciding factors.  Three tiny, battery-powered meters I like better include the Sekonic 208, Gossen Digisix/Digiflash, and Voigtlander VC meters I/II.  Your mileage may vary.

 

Eric

Absolutely correct. 

 

Also underexposed years of Kodachrome.  How?  When using incident egg, I had no slide in the meter.  It would let in extra light from any clear sky directly overhead.  It became too much trouble to cover the open slide slit with a finger while trying to get an exposure. 

 

Putting tape over the slit made measurement of reflective light that much more aggravating.  Number of dials on the meter became ridiculous.  Digisix's simple, straightforward and highly consistent output of Exposue Value on the display became my strong personal preference in any meter.  Sekonic electronic meters do not strongly support EV mode, compared to their support of aperture/shutter priority modes.

 

In a controlled environment, far too slow for 35mm photography, it is still useful for checking other meters for their accuracy.  Also, the analog display is nicer than any digital display I've seen or used.