affordable flash meters

[rafe_phillips]

Have just bought some studio lighting which I want to use with my Mamiya C330 systema and am looking for an affordable flash meter. Any suggestions out there? Or is anybody selling a flash meter?

 

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I'm also looking for a 55mm lens for my C330, does anyone want to sell me one? I live and work in Germany so any contact with German Mamiya C220/330 users would be fun as these cameras seem under represented over here.

[ken_eng]

Rafe,

 

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Look in the Shutterbug magazine for some used meters. I got my Gossen Luna Pro F continuous/flash meter for $150. at Brooklyn Camera Exchange in ex+ condition. Can't beat it! This meter currently sells for about $275. brand new. Mine works like a charm, looks hardly used, but didn't come with the case... so what! Last I looked there were some going for $160 to $200 with the case in ex and better condition. The only thing I don't like about it is it doesn't have a sync socket to fire your strobes. I just use a spare camera to fire them.

 

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Ken

[kip_babington]

My main flash meter is a Gossen Multi Pro (which I don't see in the current B&H catalog, so it may be out of production) but my backup for many years has been a Vivitar Flash Meter 2. This also is not listed in the B&H catalog, but the Shepherd FM990 (which is listed) looks suspiciously similar except that it also does ambient light. It costs right at $100 new. My Vivitar gives me the same readings as the Gossen and runs on a 9v battery. You might consider one of these if you don't want to get a used meter.

[m._czekalla]

I own also a Gosssen Luna Pro F (in germany Lunasix F). It is a fine intrument for continious and flash light. It has only one limitation. there is only a sync speed of 1/90 sec and no other. I buyed it used for 140 $.

Best regards

Markus

[ken_eng]

Markus/Rafe,

 

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The LunaPro F does not have a sync speed, in fact, I don't think any flash meter has one. Sync speeds only apply to cameras, of which, have different sync speeds depending on model/make. You've probably confused the red lighting bolt, which is on the shutter speed scale, for a sync speed. The lightning bolt is actually used to indicate which aperture you should set your camera to. To meter flash exposure, click the small button on the left side of the meter so that it's out. To get a flash incident reading, slide the white dome so that it covers the meter's sensor, depress the large button on the left side and release it, place the meter close to the subject, point the meter's sensor at the flash, and fire the flash. To take an incident flash reading, slide the dome over so that the sensor is exposed, depress the large button on the left side and release it, point the sensor to the area on the subject to be metered, and fire the flash. To read the exposure, turn the wheel so that the needle reads "0" on the scale, then look for the lightning bolt on the wheel. The aperture that appears under the lightning bolt is the aperture you should set your camera to. I use this meter in my studio lighting class where we use strobes almost exclusively. I've always gotten great results!

 

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I like the LunaPro F alot. It is easy to use and lends itself readily to the zone system. I find it very dependable. The only thing I don't like is that it's bulky. I've heard the digital versions are more accurate and easier to use, but I've never used one so I can't comment.

 

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Ken

[ken_eng]

Forgive me for I have erred!

What I meant to say was

To take a REFLECTED flash reading, slide the dome over so that the sensor is exposed, depress the large button on the left side and release it, point the sensor to the area on the subject to be metered, and fire the flash.

[mel_brown1]

Ken Eng said, in part:

 

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The LunaPro F does not have a sync speed, in fact, I don't think any flash meter has one.

 

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That's technically true because flash meters don't have shutters. At least one meter, however, does have a "time window." My old Novatron flash meter has a switch for 1/60 or 1/125. This lets it measure light from the flash plus any ambient light during the selected time period.

 

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Do any of the newer flash meters have that feature?

 

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Mel

[mark_hubbard]

I just got the Polaris flash meter from Camera World of Oregon for $198 plus $10 delivery in 3 days (B&H charges $220 plus shipping; it lists at $300). Advantages: it lets you set the sync speed between 1 second and 1/500, which happens to correspond exactly to the C330 lenses, which sync at all speeds. It measures incident and reflected light as well as flash. It runs on one AA battery.

[derick_miller1]

A few points about the discussion on this thread:

 

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I think we are discussing two issues about sync speed of flash meters: how long you have to fire the flash for the

meter to read it, and if the meter reads as though you have e the shutter open for a given period of time, taking into

account the contributions of the ambient and strobe light.

 

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The Luna Star F2 gives 45 seconds to read a flash. I believe the Luna Pro F and Minolta give one minute in cordless

mode. I presume a meter could be designed to wait until the battery ran out to read a flash. Perhaps the Wein meter

does wait as long as you want.

 

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Most of the digital flash meters have shutter speed settings, which take ambient light into account. This is especially

valuable if you have a leaf shutter (which can sync at any speed) and want to use ambient light as a significant

contribution to the lighting. If you look at the B & H page on meters:

 

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http://www.bhphotovideo.com/photo/meters/navigation.html

 

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you will see from the specifications which speeds are supported for ambient reading and which speeds are supported

for flash metering. The more expensive meters usually offer a range of options.

 

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About inexpensive options:

 

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To go much below $65, you would probably want to buy used. There seem to be a lot of discontinued models of

simple flash meters. If you want to go this route, I suggest KEH, since many on the net have found them to be

honest, or a local dealer you trust.

 

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The Wein meter will give a basic reading for flash and costs about $65. I have handled but not used this meter. It

looks very different. It will not read ambient light, just flash at 1/250th.

 

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If you want the basics, don't mind a lesser brand and reading in half-stop increments from an LED, the Shepherd

FM990 does seem to provide a reasonable mix of features for about $100. This meter is limited, but I think it will

cover basic work. I have not handled or used this meter.

 

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If you want ambient capability, shutter speed options, greater accuracy and sync chord firing capability (I consider

these the essential features), you probably have to spend about $200 for a major brand. I think the Gossen Luna Pro

Digital F meter might be a good choice at about $200, but I haven't been able to find the technical specifications on

it.

 

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Derick