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"Back to the Future"


markplawchan

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I had a Sekonic 508, dropped it 18 inches onto concrete. It died. Replaced with a 558 which is bigger and does more but I do not like it. Too big for street use. Too clumsy for many other uses. Ok for studio but thats about it. Would also be good for zone exposure work, has the 1 degree spot. But for general out and about shooting it kinda sucks.

 

I saw someone with a little gossen, I think? No batteries, very old, but it worked. Also was quite small. Since I do mostly incident metering something like that would seem to work quite nicely. A small easy to use meter and one thats easy to put back in a pocket is what I am looking for.

 

Sorry I'm not much help but thats my $0.02 worth.

 

vic... :)

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I bought a somewhat older Capital meter (model D-1 i think) for 10 euro, that I use with my rolleicord and yashica D tlr's. It measures down to about EV 1 with accuracy that is more than satisfying for my needs (i never shoot slides). I used it several times in very dark pubs, 1/15 s @ f/3.5, shooting delta3200 film.

 

It's on battery, but i dunno which type since i never had to change it. It fits in my hand, plastic and lightweight. Previously i had an old sekonic l-8, that was half size and double weight and it's selenium thus, works without batteries, BUT- it cannot handle low-light (i think the limit is EV7-ish).

 

These things fit in a pocket, are cheap, simple to use and don't look like guns:)

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Mark, I am pleased with my Sekonic L-398M incident meter. It has an EV readout which I use on my Rolleiflex. It's an older model that doesn't need batteries. The fact that it is still sold new should say something about the quality. It is not as small as some models but it is always ready to go.

 

Victor, that is a lot of money to have invested in a meter you don't like. Let me know if you want to sell it.

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I like the Sekonic L-508 for street shooting. If you're looking for a selenium meter, the Zeiss-Ikon Ikophot is very accurate and easy to use. However, make sure 1) it works and 2) the needle doesn't stick.

 

Westons are also good. Same warnings apply.

 

In general, the selenium meters aren't the best choice for low-light photography.

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...Victor, that is a lot of money to have invested in a meter you don't like. Let me know if you want to sell it....

 

Robert, I appreciate the offer but since it is now all I have and it does serve its purpose well for certain things...

 

When the 508 was working I used it for everything. Being just a tad smaller than the 558 it was easier to handle. (okay, thats why I dropped it right?)

 

The 558 only has the 1 degree spot whereas the 508 had the 1 to 4 degree. With the 4 one could easily spot on the sharp line of a high contrast shadow and get an average very quickly, with the 1 degree its much more difficult.

 

The 558 is better in the studio as a flash meter, as a spot meter especially. Although on small scale items the 508 incident was better, a slightly smaller dome housing allowed better placement. For large sets it makes no difference. The lower light capability of the 558 in the studio helps a lot. Can meter those dark subtle shadows to know exactly how, or if, any detail will show. Polaroids are ok with overall lighting but just dont show dark detail very well.

 

The other thing I dont like about the 558, the spot viewer has an adjustable diopter. When set best for the readout(viewable in the spot viewfinder) the subject is out of focus, when subject is in focus the readout is not. The 508 was not readable in the viewfinder and I can still read the 558 the same way as the 508 so in that respect its still usable.

 

All in all I like Sekonic. Just wish they were made to take more abuse. I now treat mine like a fragile delicate instrument unlike the tough impression their ads suggest, to wit: ...the meter housing has been constructed with durable, rugged conditions in mind... Perhaps the housing is well made but its innards get suicidal if dropped.

 

vic... :)

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Forget battery conversion kits. Get Luna Pro SBC or Luna Pro F (if you need flashmeter). Both meters have 0-needle scales and take 9V batteries. 0-needle is sweet feature, basically you push button and then turn the computer wheel to put the needle to 0. After that, you can read everything you want from the computer wheel. No funky number transfers and very usefull -3 .. +3 EV scale right under the needle. Very accurate metering and switching from reflected to incident is as easy as sliding the dome aside (no screwable modules).

 

Best of all, everybody seems to be set on getting Sekonic or Luna Pro S so the SBC and Pro F are really cheap on the eBay. There's nothing wrong with Sekonic, but there's nothing wrong with the SBC or Pro F either.

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......I suppose I'm going to need a light meter......

 

Actually, not necessarily. I probably would need a meter, but,...

 

Depending on what and when you are shooting and if using film with wide exposure latitude and a bit of practice you, as well as the rest of us, could just use the sunny 16 rule.

 

I dont know if the following site is better or worse than any other but take a look:

 

http://www.fredparker.com/ultexp1.htm#Light%20Intensity%20Chart

 

You never know. Might be all you need.

 

vic... :)

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I've got the Gossen Luna Pro shown above. It keeps going and going and going. As mentioned, it needs a battery conversion and you really need to force yourself to change out the batteries after a couple of years.

 

Also, have a Gossen Digisix, which is tiny in comparison, So it see more use. Just don't leave town without a spare battery cell.

Best Regards - Andrew in Austin, TX
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The Gossen Luna Pro SBC is an excellent meter. I bought mine in 1982

and it is still my main meter. It is also one of the most sensitive

on the market - important in low light. I also use the spot

attachment with it.

 

Konica Minolta have a very good line of meters as well. I have the

Spotmeter F, but it really is a second meter rather than a first.

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