Is anyone still using a Selenium light meter?

<p>I use an older, batteries not included, Gossen Pilot selenium light meter with my 80 year old Leica II. It works well until about EV7 @ 400 ISO for B/W negs. In its reflective mode, I do have to aim it down a bit away from any bright lighting or even a cloudy sky. It's incident mode works really well.</p>

<p>Out of curiosity is anyone else using a Selenium meter with their vintage camera?</p>

<p>Best Regards, </p>

<p> </p>

<p>I have several, all working well. two Weston Master II's, a tiny Sekonic and a GE PR-1 among them.</p>

<p>Yes, I do. I have one built into the Praktica Nova 1B. Still works well. I also use a Leningrad 7 [has two scales, High and Low] and a Gossen Pilot. All work well. sp</p>

<p>Weston Master V, lovingly calibrated and reworked by Quality Light Metrics. Spot on, and I found an Invercone for it.</p>

<p>Sure, but not often. I have a couple of old Leica ones and then there are some in my camera bodies. All work, but "Sunny 16" or my "Ultimate Exposure Calculator" are about as accurate.</p>

<p>Weston Euromaster, and like Michael Howard it was resurected by Quality Light metrics.</p>

<p>I rarely do, but when I do I have a Gossen Pilot II, which is like the original Pilot except that it has a tiny calibrating pot hidden under a plug, which allows fine adjustment. </p>

<p>I have a number of Gossen Scout models which work. I use them when the light is good. I also have Gossen CdS and SBC meters for when the light isn't so good.</p>

<p>Pilot user here too. Cheap, sturdy, reliable. Will meter all outdoor light and can just respond to very bright indoor light. Handy plastic case makes it very portable.</p>

<p>My go-to dim light meter is a Luna Pro. Spent less than $25 for both meters. </p>

<p>I have a Weston V and a IV. They've both been "re-celled" in the past few years by Quality Light-Metric - all the good things said about this company are true! My IV was done a year or so ago, and I was told they were down to only 3 or 4 cells in their inventory. The supplier, in the UK apparently, was no longer producing them. So I moved quickly before QLM ran out.</p>

<p>Should be good for another 30 years, so I've been told.</p>

<p>The selenium meter on my Contax IIIA works quite well, and I use it along with 30+ years of experience... In low light I reach for my Sekonic L 718 incident meter which is a lot more sensitive.</p>

<p>The selenium cell in my Rollei B35 still gives spot-on readings. My favorite fixed lens camera for traveling light.</p>

<p>I use a Gossen Pilot 2 and I love it. </p>

<p>Quite a few responses. I'm in the John Robison camp. So much so that I bought a spare for $15.</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>"<a href="/photodb/user?user_id=1500304">john robison</a> , Jul 21, 2014; 10:58 a.m. Pilot user here too. Cheap, sturdy, reliable."</p>

</blockquote>

<p>And I'll add - once the match needle is set all the possible shutter/aperture combinations for specific light value are easily read from the dials.</p>

<p>Best Regards,</p>

<p>Yes, and not just with vintage camera's.<br>

A Brockway (Norwood) Director. Got it cheap and it works well. Essential tool for incident light and luminance readings, nice that it has a swiveling head. In good light it is fine for reflective readings too.</p>

<p>A few of the selenium built-in meters on some of my Prakticas still work. Most long since passed on. My Weston meter gave out some time ago, and I use a Silicon Blue Gossen meter with a 9-volt battery when I use a meter at all.</p>

<p>Most of the time, 'Sunny-16" (avoid searches for Sweet-16 without a filter) works more than well enough for negative films. The meters were more crucial for slide film and it's been a while since I shot any.</p>

<p>My Euromaster just keeps on keeping on, and a couple of pretty Zeiss Ikophots are accurate and a delight to use. I much prefer the simple meters for everyday use, though as <strong>Chris</strong> mentioned, the Norwood Director is a great meter, but a little fiddly to use. Luna-Pro when the going gets tough.</p>

I too have and occasionally use a Gossen Sixtino/Pilot. And the same meter (i think it is, though i'm not 100% sure) built into a metered advance knob for Hasselblads.<br>They still work, but slow and a bit off in low light.<br><br>I also have a couple of the original Gossen Sixtomats. I like those. But not enough to use them.

I too use a Weston Master V, re-celled several years and by Quality Light Metric. It lives in the bag for my Super

Ikonta A, which is my Light weight travel kit.

<p>The selenium meter on my Vittessa still works fine.</p>

<p>I use two, a Brockway clone Sekonic Studio meter (incident light) and a Weston Master IV. The Sekonic works just fine in the field.</p>

<p>Occasionaly use a Sekonic L-398M. Accurate but fiddly with the "High" slide necessary for bright daylight. The baked-in low light limitation is really my only beef. Use a 308 and 558 far more.</p>

<p>Michael Howard wrote:</p>

<blockquote>Weston Master V, lovingly calibrated and reworked by Quality Light Metrics. Spot on, and I found an Invercone for it.</blockquote>

<p>Me, too. My, this forum has turned into an echo chamber.</p>

<p>I dropped my beloved Weston I again but this time it did not respond. I have also a Weston IV as the echo chamber reverberates that was calibrated/refurbished by Quality Light etc And MY Contaflex worked until most recently but the Zenit 11 still marches on as does my little Contessa 35 and it'S Cousin the Contina </p>

 

<p>I have Selenium meters that mostly work fine. I also have the meter that works with rangefinder Canons, such as the VI, which works some of the time. A little tap on the side will often get it to respond.<br>

As well as I understand them, they depend on contacts that aren't all that reliable. </p>