jin_xing Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 Hi, My sekonic died all of a sudden after little use. I have a feeling that the on/off switch is loose. When I cam to open the case, I only found 2 screws to release (they sit under the AA battery). I tried to open the case, but something on the other half of the meter is preventing it. Just to be sure before I do anything I regret, would the head of the meter come off? I opened it and what i saw was 3-4 screws holding it to the body. Has anyone ever opened a Sekonic before? Or had such a problem with the on/off switch? Cheers,Jin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinesisphotogear Posted November 20, 2004 Share Posted November 20, 2004 When my 328 died I sent it to Sekonic for repair. It was past praying for (not repairable), so they gave my 1/2 off on a new meter (L508). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike_elek Posted November 20, 2004 Share Posted November 20, 2004 Is this meter still under warranty? If so, opening the case usually voids the warranty. A lot of these devices use snap enclosures to hold the main case together and then just two or three screws to secure it. You would need to figure out if this is how this is constructed and then where those points are. By the way, the obvious question. Did you try a different set of batteries? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jin_xing Posted November 20, 2004 Author Share Posted November 20, 2004 Thanks for the prompt replys! Oh yes, I've tried putting in a brand new battery - still nothing. The meter is not under warranty anymore. Yeah, it's figuring how it is assembled that's the trouble. I can use more force but I surely don't wanna break this one. I doubt whether I'll be able to get another one (even at half price...). Being a poor student really doesn't help you pay for your photography hobby (but cutting short your other hobbies does). Cheers, Jin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike_elek Posted November 20, 2004 Share Posted November 20, 2004 If you have a small pocket knife, you might be able to insert it between the two halves. The snap points usually are where the resistance is strongest. However, it could also be that you have to remove a face plate, or possibly the two haves are bonded together. Too tough to tell, really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike_elek Posted November 21, 2004 Share Posted November 21, 2004 I meant "the two halves" ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ray_reed Posted January 9, 2006 Share Posted January 9, 2006 Behind the lable on the back of the meter is the other screw. It is hidden by a blue oblong bit of the lable, Just prize the piece out it has a sticky back so will stick back in place when you put it back together.Don't take the top off as this can be tricky to get back together. Hope this helps Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m.a.khokhar Posted December 15, 2022 Share Posted December 15, 2022 Hello everyone.if anyone is wondering how to open the sekonic l328 lightmeter,it has 3 screws which hold the back cover,and has snap enclosure near the meter dome and both sides of the meter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodeo_joe1 Posted December 16, 2022 Share Posted December 16, 2022 Well. Sekonic meters have just gone down further in my estimation; after seeing the gobby mess of cheap ceramic capacitor and diagonal resistor botches on that PCB. 😱 And I hope the OP hasn't been waiting 16 years to get the case apart on theirs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c_watson1 Posted December 17, 2022 Share Posted December 17, 2022 12 hours ago, rodeo_joe1 said: Well. Sekonic meters have just gone down further in my estimation; after seeing the gobby mess of cheap ceramic capacitor and diagonal resistor botches on that PCB. 😱 And I hope the OP hasn't been waiting 16 years to get the case apart on theirs. Seriously? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m.a.khokhar Posted December 17, 2022 Share Posted December 17, 2022 Well i dont know much about electronics.am sure the other person trying to figure out how open the meter has probably trashed it in the bin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodeo_joe1 Posted December 17, 2022 Share Posted December 17, 2022 14 hours ago, c_watson1 said: Seriously? Yes, seriously. Those several obvious mods to the original PCB look pretty amateurish. Taken together with the poor calibration of three samples of L398 'Studio' I've experienced, I now don't hold that brand in much estime at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJG Posted December 17, 2022 Share Posted December 17, 2022 7 hours ago, rodeo_joe1 said: Yes, seriously. Those several obvious mods to the original PCB look pretty amateurish. Taken together with the poor calibration of three samples of L398 'Studio' I've experienced, I now don't hold that brand in much estime at all. My experience with Sekonic meters is quite different--my L-518 and L-718 are still going strong after 35 years and 25 years respectively. I have replaced batteries and re-zeroed a couple of times after dropping them but that's about it. I've shot lots of color transparency film based on these meters and they have always been accurate, as have digital exposures since my commercial work went digital. My L398 went on to another photographer after I started shooting with studio strobes, but had been accurate over 15 years before that. I know nothing about their inner construction, but my Sekonic meters have worked well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodeo_joe1 Posted December 18, 2022 Share Posted December 18, 2022 (edited) 12 hours ago, AJG said: My experience with Sekonic meters is quite different--my L-518 and L-718 are still going strong after 35 years and 25 years respectively. I have replaced batteries and re-zeroed a couple of times after dropping them but that's about it. I've shot lots of color transparency film based on these meters and they have always been accurate, as have digital exposures since my commercial work went digital. My L398 went on to another photographer after I started shooting with studio strobes, but had been accurate over 15 years before that. I know nothing about their inner construction, but my Sekonic meters have worked well. I think there's an element of chance in the longevity and accuracy of any mass-produced item. It's how that chance element is reduced that sets good brands apart. If you look at the top-left of that Sekonic PCB, you'll see two (2S)C2458 transistors wired as diodes. The leftmost one is unbelievably close to being shorted out by the uninsulated leg of the ceramic capacitor beneath it, which in turn looks as if it's been added as an afterthought. That's just bad construction technique that shouldn't really have passed any QC inspection. With luck, the owner might get years of trouble-free use, but it will be down to luck and not designed-in reliability. Added to which, the owner of that meter must have found a need to take it apart, and that doesn't usually happen if gear is working properly. Edited December 18, 2022 by rodeo_joe1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m.a.khokhar Posted December 20, 2022 Share Posted December 20, 2022 Interesting reading your article,am not a electronics guy,i dont have a clue what these parts are,the meter wasn't working so i was curious just to see whats inside it.so i took it apart.i think the capacitors leaked inside under the pcb board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m.a.khokhar Posted December 20, 2022 Share Posted December 20, 2022 Also there is quite a bit of corrossion on the 2 screws holding the pcb board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodeo_joe1 Posted December 20, 2022 Share Posted December 20, 2022 10 minutes ago, m.a.khokhar said: Also there is quite a bit of corrossion on the 2 screws holding the pcb board. They do look a bit furry. I thought the white coating might have been some adhesive foam, or something, stuck to the screws, since it's not evident elsewhere. And they're only screws after all. But, yeah, leaky electrolytics and batteries are a surefire killer of delicate electronics. Maybe one or more of the control switches got contaminated? Those conductive-rubber switches are a bit temperamental at their best. They do revive if well cleaned though, as long as the contact pads aren't too far gone. Good luck with any repair! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Seaman Posted December 20, 2022 Share Posted December 20, 2022 I've got one of these meters which does work. Problem is I don't have the reflected light attachment, just the incident light dome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJG Posted December 20, 2022 Share Posted December 20, 2022 (edited) 17 minutes ago, John Seaman said: I've got one of these meters which does work. Problem is I don't have the reflected light attachment, just the incident light dome. With the L 718, which is similar to the 328 discussed here, I have found that without the reflected attachment the readings are inflated by about two stops compared with using it with the reflected attachment. I'm sure the the acceptance angle is also greater but I haven't tested that since I was primarily interested in getting a reading for a plexiglass table for product photography. The community college where I teach has several L 718's and those small attachments have a way of disappearing, which is why I tested this. This is one major design flaw with these meters, and the only reason why I have held on to the cases that they come with since they provide a place to store these attachments. Edited December 20, 2022 by AJG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Seaman Posted December 20, 2022 Share Posted December 20, 2022 2 hours ago, AJG said: I have found that without the reflected attachment the readings are inflated by about two stops compared with using it with the reflected attachment That's helpful, thank you. To be honest I did try to make one with a short piece of plastic tubing but it's still a work in progress at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c_watson1 Posted December 20, 2022 Share Posted December 20, 2022 10 hours ago, rodeo_joe1 said: They do look a bit furry. I thought the white coating might have been some adhesive foam, or something, stuck to the screws, since it's not evident elsewhere. And they're only screws after all. But, yeah, leaky electrolytics and batteries are a surefire killer of delicate electronics. Maybe one or more of the control switches got contaminated? Those conductive-rubber switches are a bit temperamental at their best. They do revive if well cleaned though, as long as the contact pads aren't too far gone. Good luck with any repair! Gimme a break. This is an old meter and likely a survivor of previous repairs and/or abuse. Never an issue for me with Sekonic products--ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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