Light Meters

[Camera Obscura]

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I am thinking of getting an external lightmeter to work with my M6, an R8 and a poorly/not functioning R4 light meter. Any suggestions on this? I am not necessarily looking for a "bells and whistles meter", something simple, easy to use with accurate readings.

 

Thanks for any thoughts!

 

Cheers, John

[guywalder]

If you search I think you will find that this subject comes up regularly.

I have always used Sekonic meters, first a 308B which was great but felt flimsy. I sold it on when I got a 508 and regretted it. The 308B slips into a pocket, the 508 doesnt.

n fact I found the 508 so big that I ended up getting a 358 (I think thats the number), which is in between. It has the weather sealing and sturdy build of the 508, but not the spot facility (with its infuriating plastic finder cap), and its a bit smaller. Its still quite big, but feels like it will last.....

[Ronazle]

HI, all things (except size) considered, an older Luna Pro used is probably the best choice/buy. However, every thinking photographer (how pompous that is), carries in his gadget bag a selenium cell based old light meter for emergency (no battery) backup. Very possibly the most likely to be found accurately working is a General Electric DW-68; one might cost you as much as $10 in superb working condition. Most Westons have completely given up the ghost or are inaccurate and near impossible to calibrate. Hope this is helpful. ron

[guywalder]

every thinking photographer (how pompous that is), carries in his gadget bag a selenium cell based old light meter for emergency (no battery) backup.

 

Really?? Where I live (India) we are already in the 21st centuary, batteries successfully power all sorts of things from watches to cars... amoung them all my cameras, film and digital, my phone, my music player, my computer, the office server (when the mains cuts out) etc etc etc.........

[MPerson]

I have a couple of Westons if I feel like carrying them but I have two small meters that mount on the flash shoe:

 

Sekonic L208

 

and the:

 

VC Meter II

 

I like the VC best.

 

 

You can get Westons repaired/overhauled at:

 

UK

 

Netherlands

[bill]

Really?? Where I live (India) we are already in the 21st centuary, batteries successfully power all sorts of things from watches to cars... amoung them all my cameras, film and digital, my phone, my music player, my computer, the office server (when the mains cuts out) etc etc etc.........

 

Absolutely. Actually, my "spare" lightmeter is Sunny-16 and experience... I am clearly not a "thinking photographer"

 

Regards,

 

Bill

[MPerson]

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I am clearly not a "thinking photographer"

 

Regards,

 

Bill

 

Carefull Bill the "Leica Thought Police" permeate the forum

[alifie]

L308, cracking little meter and it comes with a sliding (no losing it) incident light thingy. Westons are good too, the same nail banging in qualities of Leicas.

 

Westons are also one of those things you can take out and use just to practice estimating, no one knows what they are.

 

I am still supprised when I think 'f4 1/250th' and then use the meter and get 'f4 1/250th' very useful when carrying a non metered camera and need that grab shot.

[kenneth]

I use a Weston Master V with invercone and find it gives, near enough, the same sort of readings as my M6, allowing for the fact that the M6 meter is much more of a "fat spot" meter-Leicaspeak by someone else on this forum- I cannot claim originality

[earleygallery]

There are loads of options.

 

A new Gossen/Sekonic or similar meter

 

S/h meters (I bought a Minolta Auto Meter recently, its excellent - incident only but I can buy other attachments for it and its a flash meter too)

 

Older cheap meters like the Lunasix Russian meters or even older Westons (subject to problems mentioned above)

 

Buy a small digicam - my Panasonic is smaller than my light meter but works well for readings as well as photos! (thanks to Bill Palmer for that idea).

 

Finally good old Sunny 16 and a little experimentation/experience. I shot a whole roll of film in difficult lighting recently - meterless - and every frame came out I'm pleased and surprised to say

[kenneth]

I have a couple of Westons if I feel like carrying them but I have two small meters that mount on the flash shoe:

 

Sekonic L208

 

and the:

 

VC Meter II

 

I like the VC best.

 

 

You can get Westons repaired/overhauled at:

 

UK

 

Netherlands

 

This Dutch site is an excellent primer and guide to the use of Weston Meters- Thank you for pointing it out- Shame about the UK site

[jonathan_r]

After a couple of duds which had to be replaced/repaired, I've now had my current Gossen Digisix for several years. It needed a simple collar around the function button to stop that being depressed by accident, causing battery run-down. Having done that, it's good as gold. My biggest complaint with it now is that the numbers on the scales are too small, requiring reading glasses.

[roguewave]

DIGISIX. Small. light weight & very accurate. I keep one in my pocket all the the time.

[Ronazle]

Correction to previous post General Electric DW 58 vice 68. I certainly did not mean to offend Weston owners. My favorite light meter ever was a Weston Master IV; my Weston Ranger is somewhere in the Pacific Ocean (another story). In the past 10 years I have purchased several Weston meters which appeared to be ok, they were all reading low. While the repair is not hard (replacing precision resistors), the parts/repair is expensive in the U.S. . If anyone knows of bargain repair in the U.S., let me know - I have at least two "IV"s I'll send in.

 

For India: I am sure batteries fail in India, particularly post-mercury ones, just like the rest of the world. That is why I suggest a selenium cell meter as back up. Regards, ron