fredus Posted April 28, 2003 Share Posted April 28, 2003 Hi there ! I'd like to buy a nice vintage light meter for a friend who is using a lot of vintage stuff. I'm not too much into vintage and I don't quite know what's my best bet. Can you give me some nice recommandation ? Thanks ! Fred Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce_feist Posted April 28, 2003 Share Posted April 28, 2003 Fast answer: A Weston I-IV, if you can find one functioning and in good shape. They're classic meters. However... it would be better if we knew more about what kind of stuff your friend likes. Can you give an example of a favorite camera? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al_kaplan1 Posted April 28, 2003 Share Posted April 28, 2003 A Weston IV, V or VI would be best. The older ones aren't as sensitive. Quality LightMetric in Hollywood, CA can repair them or even put in a new cell. Try to get the Invercone with it. That's their incident light diffuser. An old Weston V is what I use 95% of the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fredus Posted April 29, 2003 Author Share Posted April 29, 2003 he's using old rangefinder and old medium format TLR ... I'm going to check out the weston ... Thanks ! Fred Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex_lofquist Posted April 29, 2003 Share Posted April 29, 2003 I liked the old Weston Master in various incarnations, but the meter which I liked the best from the '50s era was the GE PR-1. It was easy to hand-hold with a locking PB to hold the reading. It could usually be found with an incident light attachment that worked well. I bounced both of mine too many times. Both of my Westons also gave out. There is another GE meter called the DW-58 that had a strong following even if it was not as convenient to use. If you wish more sophistication, look for a used Luna Pro. (Many versions available) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary_watson Posted April 29, 2003 Share Posted April 29, 2003 "Vintage" meters are like vintage dialysis machines: would you really want to use one? Look into a Sekonic L398M Studio Deluxe II. It's affordable, still in production, and is based on the venerable Norwood Director incident meter. A retro jewel that's deadly accurate and that actually works. Have a look at www.sekonic.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce_feist Posted April 29, 2003 Share Posted April 29, 2003 I should have mentioned: I have a page of light meters (not for sale, just for reference) at http://www.flock.org/photos/Digital/Camera%20Collection/groupindex.php?groupname=Light%20Meters&groupid=24 . It includes a Weston IV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charles_stobbs2 Posted April 29, 2003 Share Posted April 29, 2003 An unusual and probably not too useful would be some type of extinction meter if you could find one off camera. Many of them were built ins. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erv Posted April 29, 2003 Share Posted April 29, 2003 Hi Fred, How old is vintage? I have an old ligh meter but I don't know if it falls into the vintage category. Anyway, it is a Gossen LunaSix 3 with the tele attachment. I am satisfied with its performance and it has been measuring light for my dad first and now for me since he bought it new in the 60's. Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lee_brand Posted April 30, 2003 Share Posted April 30, 2003 Two things - the old Weston meters use Selenium cells which loose their sensitivity over time and they are not that sensitive to begin with - compared to the new Sekonic or Minolta meters. Some of the old Gossen meters HAVE TO HAVE an old 1.35 Volt mercury battery - if you use 1.5 Volt without getting the meter re-calibrated it is significantly out - Gossen Lunasix. I would go with a new digital meter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce_feist Posted April 30, 2003 Share Posted April 30, 2003 The original poster, Fred, specifically wanted a *vintage* meter. The person who he's buying it for may well already *have* a new digital meter... the idea was to get something to match up to old cameras for someone who appreciates such things. Bruce Feist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary_watson Posted April 30, 2003 Share Posted April 30, 2003 Right, Bruce, that's why I suggested a Sekonic L398M--it's a "new" old school selenium meter that screams Eisenhower era(even the owner's manual looks vintage!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billangel Posted April 30, 2003 Share Posted April 30, 2003 You might do a search for the following at EBay: "Gossen Luna Pro" I owned one many years ago, and was quite satisfied with its performance. It's a more sensitive meter than the Weston, better for low light conditions. There is a current listing for one at Ebay, and you can see from the photo of it that it has the "retro" look associated with an earlier era of photographic equipment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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