Light meter suggestions? Need more sensitivity.

[rgeorge911]

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Hi,

 

I currently use a Sekonic L-208 light meter with my Leicas. I like this meter, as it's very small, has both reflective and incident capability, and is pretty reliable.

 

However, it's not very sensitive to low amounts of light. For example, when I tried some night time street photography with Delta 3200, my meter was basically useless, with the needle firmly planted at the bottom of the light scale.

 

Anyone have suggestions for a similarly small meter that is more sensitive?

 

Thanks,

Reed

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[Jean-Michel Komarnicki]

Inexpensive and quite accurate: use your nosemeter! You 'nose' that the exposure for a well-lit street (at ISO 400) is around 1/30 or 1/60 at f2.8; you 'nose' that a shop window probably needs an 1/30 at f4 exposure, well maybe 2.8; a distant view of a city will need about a second at F2.8 or F2; and so on! You can get exposure tables from books, and, I imagine, the web.

 

You could also use your meter to measure areas bright enough to get your neddle moving; take the reading and place it on the 'zone' that you want it to be and set your exposure by opening the aperture or lowering the shutter speed accordingly.

You could also use your meter to measure the light reflected by the palm of your hand, if you are caucasian, open the aperture by one stop to give a realistic, daytime, exposure for the skin; or expose at that level to give a less lit impression of that skin.

 

And keep notes, say he who never does! You will soon have your own nosemeter finely calibrated.

 

Jean-Michel

[luigi bertolotti]

If you like the kind of dark environment picture you speak of, agree completely with the "noisemeter tool" above mentioned. I have a Gossen Lunasix 3... years ago it was by far the most sensitive to low lights...want one? not too costly neither difficult to find... not small but not so unportable into your pocket... noisemeter anyway lighter

[marknorton]

I use a spotmeter to meter the highlights and then make a judgement how much I want to over-expose those to lift the shadows. I use a Gossen VarioSix F2 with Spotmeter attachment or else a Pentax Digital Spotmeter.

[luigi bertolotti]

If you like the kind of dark environment picture you speak of, agree completely with the "noisemeter tool" above mentioned. I have a Gossen Lunasix 3... years ago it was by far the most sensitive to low lights...want one? not too costly neither difficult to find... not small but not so unportable into your pocket... noisemeter anyway lighter

 

Sorry, a type error NOSEMETER is a nice term, noisemeter does not fit at all, expecially with M series shutters...

[kodaktrix]

Go for a used Minolta Autometer II. It is said to be the most sensitive analog meter ever built.

I have been using a Gossen Lunasix III and a Gossen Multisix for decades and years. After using the Autometer II for some time I sold them both.

If You do reflecive light metering it not that comfortable as You need to change the light dome against a 10° Finder, but I do incident light metering most of the time so it does not trouble me.

 

Regards

 

Oliver

[peter_n]

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A Quantum Calculight XP. Reads down to -7EV at 100ASA. Incident and reflective. About $60 on eBay.