Light Meter for the M3

[plaidshirts]

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I try to use the sunny-16 rule when I can, but when I'm confounded and don't have my incident meter with me I use a free app called Lux on my phone. I find it to be the most intuitive to use if you prefer shutter or aperture priority style of shooting.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lux-professional-light-meter-for-film-photography/id926139057?mt=8

[edstock]

I have the Sekonic Twin meter but use on my MP-4 a new Voigtlander VC meter II. It uses LR 44 lithium batteries and mounts in to the hot shoe or uses hand held.

[Michael Geschlecht]

2 hours ago, edstock said:

I have the Sekonic Twin meter but use on my MP-4 a new Voigtlander VC meter II. It uses LR 44 lithium batteries and mounts in to the hot shoe or uses hand held.

Hello Ed,

Are those LR44's Lithium?

I have found that Silver Oxide batteries give a smoother & more stable response than Alkaline batteries when used in MR Meters & in Minolta's SRT101.

Best Regards,

Michael

[EoinC]

My favourite is the Sekonic Studio Deluxe III, which fits easily in a pocket, and has no battery. I use a Sekonic 758 DR for spot metering for LF, but it’s a brick.

[MikeMyers]

I've been looking for an exposure meter for my M3, and I selected the Sekonic L-208 TwinMate.  I see a lot of people responding here like it.  I got to wondering after reading this thread, is it possible to buy a 2021 version of a Leicameter, that looks like the old ones that matched the camera, but which has up to date electronics?  I had two 50-year-old Leicameters which haven't worked in half a century.  

Second question - the Sekonic L-208 TwinMate comes with an accessory shoe adapter.  Is that what people usually do, or do people keep it in their pocket for use only when needed?

I bought a larger Sekonic meter several years ago, which works fine, but is still rather confusing to me to use.  If I take the time to use it properly though, it works fine.  

The Leicameter looks like it belongs on top of a Leica.  .....just thinking out loud.

[Michael Geschlecht]

Hello Mike,

Which model of larger Sekonic meter are you having complexities using?

Best Regards,

Michael

[MikeMyers]

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18 minutes ago, Michael Geschlecht said:

.....Which model of larger Sekonic meter are you having complexities using?.....

It's a Sekonic L-398A Studio Deluxe III.  I found a YouTube video which explains how to use it, and after a few minutes practice it works fine, but when I'm trying to concentrate on the picture I'm taking, I get confusabobbled when I take out the meter to get a reading.  By the time I have the meter all sorted out, and know what a good exposure might be, I've mostly forgotten what I was thinking about the image I wanted to capture.

Like anything else, if I use it a lot more, it will eventually be obvious.  If I remember correctly, my Gossen LunaPro was much easier to deal with, but I don't think those batteries are available any more.  I haven't used it in maybe 40 years......  

The TwinMate L-208 seems to be much easier and faster to work with.  My problem is the only times I use any of them is when I'm shooting film with the M3, and in the past half year I've only taken one 24 exposure roll of film.  My experiences were terrible - I'd get out the meter, and my mind would go blank as to use the red, or the black, or which disk might go into the meter, or whether to use it for reflected light or incident light.  

The honest truth is that I'm spoiled by all the new digital stuff I have, and using one of these old light meters is like trying to do math on an abacus for me.  

What annoyed me the most, is I want a meter on top of my M3, not in my pocket.  Maybe tomorrow I'll get the 208 hooked up, and get used to it.  

 

No need to take the above seriously.  If I put all my other stuff away, and spend an hour with either meter, then go use it, I'm sure I'll be fine.

[david strachan]

Mike..

don't panic.  Relax and carry on.

The twinmate is a beaut meter. Batteries last forever, reliable and it's analogue giving the exposure combinations at a glance.   I use it mainly from my pocket, sometimes put it on my IIIc.  It's lovely and lightweight, and works in low light.  I've checked against my M6, Luna six pro, Zeiss Ikophot...all within 0.5 of an EV.

Just carry your lightmeter in pocket for a few days and "play" with it.  You'll start to feel confident and might even start to think reflected vs incident light.

Have fun is the secret.

...

[MikeMyers]

The last thing I am is "panicked" over this.  I may not get to shoot my next roll of film for many weeks, so I've got all the time in the world - well, actually I have four weeks, as that's how long I get to try it out before I have to decide if I'm keeping it.  

The larger Sekonic is probably "better", but it takes a few minutes of practice each time before I can work it smoothly.  I suspect that everyone I know personally thinks I'm nuts for wanting to bother with film at all.  The meter goes way beyond film though - I'm sure it will be useful for all my cameras, including the M10.

I'm glad that so many people here like the small Sekonic.  That makes me feel better about it.  I haven't decided yet if it should go in my pocket or be mounted on the M3, which was my original intent.....

[105012]

I second what David says above, the 208 is good.

I rarely need to use a light meter these days because I have learnt to read the light for a picture myself. I use the 208 as an occasional check (like once in a week or two) where I say to myself, "f/5.6 [@ 500]", then use the 208 to check myself. Low-light levels are trickiest because of the eyes ability to adapt, but you learn how to get past that eventually.

Knowing the light is important for a photographer and it feels good to be free of worries around using a meter (in-camera or external).

[MikeMyers]

Do you guys mount it on the camera, or keep in your pocket?  My intent was to have it attached via the accessory shoe.  My ability to "read the light" ain't what it used to be.  Even as a kid, when I developed my film, I remember thinking "uh oh".  Sunny-16 always worked, but in poor lighting I never really got good.  This was mostly with a Contax II, my Nikon SP, and then my Leica M2.

[105012]

2 hours ago, MikeMyers said:

Do you guys mount it on the camera, or keep in your pocket?

Pocket, rarely used. If the light is reasonable I usually don’t bother to bring it.

[wizard]

Am 12.4.2019 um 22:01 schrieb Michael Geschlecht:

Are those LR44's Lithium?

 

Michael,

Judging by the LR44 designation, those batteries should be alkaline ones. SR44 would be the silver oxide variety.

Cheers,

Andy

[MikeMyers]

In the instructions for Sekonic Light Meter Twinmate L-208 it says:   "Battery:  one 3V coin-type lithium battery, model CR2032".  I've already got lots of those, as that is the battery my red-dot sights for my bullseye handguns use.

I expected that the meter came with a battery already inside, with the "protective tape" still in place, but there was no battery.  On the box it says in large letters "Battery Not Included".

[earleygallery]

Voigtlander make a simple shoe mounted finder

https://www.wexphotovideo.com/voigtlander-vc-meter-ii-black-1618458/?account=457-026-7116&campaign=PPC+-+DSAs+-+Global&group=&mkwid=s_dc&pcrid=418810349986&kword=&match=b&plid=&pgrid=64418952238&ptaid=dsa-19959388920&si=&gclid=CjwKCAjwmK6IBhBqEiwAocMc8tTnmpBxtHTGnwxWOJIrGYGKbkc0TLIKfEf8Wjr8ZdKbUoqUJFYX0RoC8lwQAvD_BwE

[MikeMyers]

I think the Voigtlander would be better for my purposes than the Sekonic, the cost is almost double, but this is for a camera that I'm not likely to be using very much.  I prefer the information display on the Sekonic - very simple, and helps me make the "better" choice.  I'll probably put it on the accessory shoe of the M3, and use it to re-learn to interpret the light.  The Voigtlander "looks" more like it belongs on top of an M3.  As the guy at B&H Photo put it, I've got 30 days to decide.  

One other thing - the Voigtlander seems to suggest one particular aperture and shutter speed, which is misleading.  The Sekonic shows lots of combinations, and is more likely to have me think about which combination is best for the shot I'm about to take.  In that sense, the Sekonic is probably "better" for me.  I know both show the same data, and leave me free to make the proper choice, but the Sekonic helps me to think properly, and not simply accept the middle reading.  

Having said all that, if I was going to shoot a lot of film, I prefer the Voigtlander, but if I shoot more than two rolls of film a year, I'll be surprised.

[Danner]

Gossen Sixtomat F2.  Fits comfortably in a shirt or pants pocket (it's thin).  Accurate, does incident, reflected, and flash.  Durable.  One-button meter reading, no power switch (easy to take quick readings).  Battery lasts forever.

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[verwackelt]

Although my old leicameter needs no battery and is still working as it should i always wanted a spotmeter that is not so big as my Minolta Spotmeter F.
I pre ordered that promising little device:
https://www.reveni-labs.com/spotmeter

The first reviews from pre production units sounds quite promising.
I am keen on playing around with it…

[Vlad Soare]

29 minutes ago, Danner said:

Gossen Sixtomat F2.  Fits comfortably in a shirt or pants pocket (it's thin).  Accurate, does incident, reflected, and flash.  Durable.  One-button meter reading, no power switch (easy to take quick readings).  Battery lasts forever.

I second that. I have its twin brother, the Sixtomat Flash. It's really great. Small, light, extremely easy and quick to use and, most importantly, unbelievably accurate. I've been using it for nineteen years now, and it still looks and works like new.
That it takes one standard AA battery, which lasts for years, is also a nice bonus.

 

 

Edited August 5, 2021 by Vlad Soare

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[MikeMyers]

All done.  Meter is mounted, seems to work fine, 100 ASA B&W film is loaded, and maybe over this weekend I'll see how my images improve from getting the exposure correct.  In the 1970's, this was my main camera.  Then my love of Nikon gear pushed it out of the way.  I've got a good local shop for processing, and a good scanner, and as far as I know, everything I need to go back 50 years or so.  Gee, the viewfinder looks SOOO nice!

I'm not sure what I think about the meter.  I like what I see, it's light, and is fast and easy to use.  The rest is up to me.

Speaking which, this ancient 50mm collapsible Summicron has a focusing tab on the bottom - now that I've learned to take advantage of it, I'm impressed with this lens.  Supposedly this lens would work fine on my M10 if I mount and unmount it with the lens extended, but I've never dared to try.

I guess this meter will be just as useful should I ever want to shoot film with my old Contax cameras, or my Nikon SP...  but I think I'm better off sticking to Leica.

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