best low budget light meter?

Hello all,

 

I recently acquired a Kiev 60 medium format system from Hartblei to give medium

format a try. It came with a TTL metering system that for lack of better words,

is a worthless, overpriced, piece of crap. This is a really fun camera to shoot

with, I have some beautiful glass for it (30mm Arsat fish eye) but I hardly ever

use it as I need to also carry my digital kit in order to accurately meter for

it. The only simple answer is to pick up a hand-held light meter.

Now before someone tells me I need the newest Sennheiser Ferarri to plug into

the studio strobes that I don't have (or care to have for that matter), let me

tell you, I am a starving college student who cannot afford bells and whistles.

I would be plenty happy with an ambient light meter or a simple spot meter.

Everywhere I look I only find references to the lobster meters - when I go on

Ebay, I have a hard time distinguishing practical, simple meters from dinosaurs

that are probably best treated as bookshelf relics. If I need to do anything

technical, I have a comprehensive digital kit that I will always use.

Yes, I simply need a solid, basic light meter - spot or ambient that fits nicely

in my pocket and most importantly, in my meager budget.

 

Any suggestions?

 

Thanks and

cheers,

 

Jonathan

A good used Minolta Auto Meter IIIF shouldn't cost too much. Mine was battered with the head dangling by the wires when I bought it for five bucks. Ten years later, still working fine. It's a good incident, non-selective reflective (not spot) and flash meter. Don't count on finding one for five bucks tho'.

 

I recently gave away a working Bewi Automat selenium meter along with some other stuff. Thing must've been nearly 50 years old, still surprisingly accurate. Those things didn't use batteries and sometimes the selenium cells go bad after a few decades. Occasionally you'll see 'em on ebay for only a few bucks. Good for film speeds from around ASA (pre-ISO) 25-250. Not fancy, but pretty little things in ivory colored plastic cases (not Bakelite, as some sellers claim).

 

Some older meters may work fine but may be a bit difficult to find batteries for.

I second the Minolta Autometer III. Very inexpensive and good enough for most situations -- until you have the money for the Sekonic L508.

I picked up a 50 year old GE selenium meter at a thrift store for $2. Works just fine.

If you're looking for new, the Gossen Digisix.

2 votes for the Digisix. I have used one for some time and am quite content. jr

I've used a Sekonic L-398 for about ten years now, in some very remote and harsh

environments all around the world and it has never let me down.

 

I acquired it on "indefinite loan" from a photojournalist friend who had carried it for God-

knows-how-many years throughout Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

 

The L-398a is about the same price as the Digisix and does not require a battery.

I've used a Sekonic L-398 for about ten years now, in some very remote and harsh

environments all around the world and it has never let me down.

 

I acquired it on "indefinite loan" from a photojournalist friend who had carried it for God-

knows-how-many years throughout Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

 

The L-398a is about the same price as the Digisix and does not require a battery.

I got an L328B Sekonic on ebay pretty cheap, but sometimes it takes a while before a good deal comes around.very happy with it.

I have an old Gossen Bisix 2, uses no batteries, works really well. No good for really low light work, but I won't be selling it, good and reliable. I have seen them on ebay here in Oz.

I used to use a Lenningrad 8. It worked well enough in daylight as it was selenium cell powered.

I like the Gossen digital F. Accurate for flash and ambient .. incident and reflective readings; fits in my shirt pocket, thinner than a deck of cards; light weight to go in a bag or worn around on the neck lanyard.

 

I'm on my second Gossen digital F. Dropped one in a creek. The settings and menus are about as simple as it gets .. which is refreshing since I get enough menu play with my digital and high end film cameras.

 

I'm entrigued with Gossen Digisix also .. great size. New price is a bargin!

 

Also have a Minolta Flash Meter V .. but seldom use it because it is the size of a point-and-shoot camera (great meter).

 

Also have a Pentax digital spot meter when I want to feel like Ansel Adams .. and practice the zone system (I'm never gonna get this right)

 

I know others feel confident in using a digital camera on the side as a light meter .. to me that is silly .. for the simple reason the camera meters differently with differnt lenses! ...

 

By the way .. I always try to guess my expose before taking a meter reading .. I don't know why .. perhaps it goes back to the days when your light meter was printed on the box of film .. that's what you used! Actually, that is a pretty good reference.

 

Expect to be satisfied at about the $100-150 level.

Two Sekonic candidates: 318 and 308. The 318 is cheap, accurate, but lacks flash metering(the 328 has it). The 308 is the updated version with flash metering. Hands down my favorite meter: the 308 is ultra compact,sports flash/incident/reflective metering, and takes a single AA. The old Minolta IIIF is often available in almost NOS condition for not a lot of $ but suffers from limited flash metering flexibility. You're instinct to ignore old--and likely inaccurate or non-linear--holy relic meters is correct.I'd shy away from selenium-cell meters(also have the Sekonic 398m)for age-related issues or simply because even new ones, like the Sekonic 398, are inept in low light--a baked-in problem, alas.

Thank you all for your responses. This has all been extremely helpful.

Oh, I forgot to mention the best *free* light meter: Fred Parker's "Ultimate Exposure Computer."

 

http://www.fredparker.com/ultexp1.htm

 

Print a copy and keep it in your bag. It's a good aid for training the eye to guesstimate exposures when necessary or expedient.