markplawchan Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 O.K.--Now that I've acquired A Rolleiflex and a Yashicamat 124, I suppose I'm going to need a light meter....what does anyone recommend as a an "all-purpose" solution? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markplawchan Posted September 3, 2004 Author Share Posted September 3, 2004 Don't say "carry your EOS3"... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blake_abbott Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 I use a Hasselblad 500cm and a Sekonic L308BII. It's small and accurate and it's also a flashmeter as well. I think it's about $160 at B & H. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bueh Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 Sekonic Zoom-Master L-508: Incident and reflected light (spot) metering, flash metering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victor4 Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 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... :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bacsa Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 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:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bacsa Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 Oh, i forgot: the capital has a slide-in dome for incident metering that seems to be very accurate too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donald_brewster Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 I'll second the Sekonic L308BII for a modern solution. Small and light and works great. If you want to go totally retro, acquire a Weston Master IV or V and have Quality Light Metric in LA give it a go over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert_dermer Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike_elek Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victor4 Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 ...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... :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mskovacs Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 Did you have a budget in mind? Do you need a refective spot meter? For me, my old Gossen Luna Pro has never let me down. It has the factory conversion kit for silver oxide cells installed.<p><center><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/2577624-lg.jpg"><p><i>1960 Kiev 4A w/ Zeiss Sonnar 50/1.5, Gossen Luna Pro</i></center> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim obrien Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 I'll second the Luna Pro. Sometimes you get a good deal on these, but you need to factor in the 20 dollar conversion kit for the batteries. tim in san jose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lee_frost Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 Gossen's are TOUGH [dropped mine of a bridge !]. Had my Luna Pro stolen and then picked up a cheap[er] Luna six [bridge model]. Can't tell the difference. Both for incident or reflective, they are magic and the batteries last forever !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mskovacs Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 Actually there is one individual on photo.net that got the conversion kit for free from Gossen. (mine was $20 at B&H) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pavelp Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
affen_kot Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 gossen pilot. old, tough and inexpensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
affen_kot Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 as of two minutes ago, if you run a search for "gossen super pilot light meter" on spoogeBay, there are a couple very affordable gossen super pilots available 'buy it now' for 42 and 34 bucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_bedell Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 The Sekonic L-208 is very compact and does both incident and reflected metering. A nice, simple solution that works well doing general shooting with my classic cameras. <P> <A HREF="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home? O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=200224&is=REG">B&H listing</A> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stwrtertbsratbs5 Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 I had a Gossen Luna Star F2, but I sold it. The digital interface didn't cut it. I prefer analog meters. One quick glance and I can see all usable combinations of shutter speed and f stop. I now have a Gossen Luna Pro SBC. Nice, but kind of large. I may opt for a luna pro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victor4 Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 ......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... :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dean_williams Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 I'm gonna throw in another vote for the L208 (Twinmate) Sekonic. Very small and light and comes with a clip on adaptor for a hotshoe. Also has a hold function, so the needle stays put for a few seconds after you take the reading, making one handed measurememts easy. They're about $90, new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew in Austin Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nang Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 I also recommend the Gossen Luna Pro. I got mine for a steal on ebay ($40!), but they're not all that cheap. Still, they're quite affordable, and always perform. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
will_legge Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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