How come they don't make selenium meters anymore?

Mainecoonmaniac · Nov 20, 2014

I have a Zeiss Super Ikonta IV with the selenium meter and it's spot on. I also have a Weston thats a selenium meter. Both are decades old and works great. Why they're not made anymore? No batteries required which is a plus.

summicron1 · Nov 20, 2014

Thee's still a sekonic that uses a non=battery meter cell, I forget which number right off the bat but I have one. Great meters. Also have an old Weston Master IV, also very good.

But, as the man says, not a lot of demand for light meters of any sort these days, especially low-end. That market has gone over to automatic cameras. Those that do want selenium meters have a wide array of older equipment that still works fine, too. Like my Weston.

Ken Nadvornick · Nov 20, 2014

Sekonic L-398A selenium meter. Still the best...

Ken

Roger Cole · Nov 20, 2014

Well for one thing, the response in low light leaves a lot to be desired. The cells eventually age, reduce response, and die.

It's a good design, and fine to have for a backup, but easier and better to have a meter with a modern cell and just carry a spare battery, IMHO.

Xmas · Nov 20, 2014

yes I've still got three Weston II that work nearly as old as me.

chriscrawfordphoto · Nov 20, 2014

They don't work in low light, the cells eventually die (I've never heard of a Silicon PhotoDiode dying from age), the process of making the Selenium cells is unfriendly to the environment, they cannot measure flash, reflected light meters using Selenium cells have very wide angles of view to compensate for the cell's poor sensitivity. The Sekonic L398 series was, for a long time, the last man standing in the world of Selenium meters. The current model, the L398A Studio Deluxe III, no longer uses a Selenium cell because of the environmental concerns. It uses an Amorphous Silicon solar cell, which is not the same thing as a Silicon PhotoDiode. The Amorphous Silicon cell has most of Selenium's weaknesses (except the environmental concerns).

Modern digital meters with Silicon PhotoDiodes are just plain better in every way. They work in very low light, are able to read flash, are available as 1 degree spotmeters, are accurate to 1/10 stop, are more durable because they have no moving parts. I have a working Weston Master IV I bought from Ian Partridge, who rebuilds them with new Selenium cells. Neat old meter, but my Minolta Flashmeter IV is my everyday meter for color work (film or digital) and my Zone VI Modified Pentax is my choice for black and white film. Both are really better meters than the Weston.

TheToadMen · Nov 20, 2014

Ken Nadvornick said:
Sekonic L-398A selenium meter. Still the best...

Ken

Now I want one, preferably with an APUG logo on it

Bert from Holland
http://thetoadmen.blogspot.nl

Ricardo Miranda · Nov 20, 2014

Selenium meters can be repaired and most don't actually die: http://elekm.net/zeiss-ikon/repair/meter-repair/

http://www.thermojetstove.com/Autoeye/meter.htm

More often it is the contacts that corrode.
Myself have a Leningrad 8 that works great.
I've seen many Weston Master working great.

pdeeh · Nov 20, 2014

Selenium meters?
Don't they give you Brain Cancer? :crazy:

snapguy · Nov 20, 2014

called

It's called progress.

E. von Hoegh · Nov 20, 2014

Mainecoonmaniac said:
I have a Zeiss Super Ikonta IV with the selenium meter and it's spot on. I also have a Weston thats a selenium meter. Both are decades old and works great. Why they're not made anymore? No batteries required which is a plus.

I have a 1969 Kiev 4 with a working and accurate - very accurate - meter. I routinely use a Master III, which is accurate. I have another III as-new in the box and the Invercone setup.
None of the selenium meters are very good in low light, but most of them work well enough in say the average living room light.
Were I to be constrained to one meter only, it would be a LunaPro.

StoneNYC · Nov 20, 2014

snapguy said:
It's called progress.

Haha many would argue digital is also progress compared to the dangerous chemicals and added time/hassle/waste of film... Just not anyone here... Haha

PentaxBronica · Nov 20, 2014

pdeeh said:
Selenium meters?
Don't they give you Brain Cancer? :crazy:

If you break them open and ingest the selenium, they probably would. Much like lead solder. Can't see them posing much threat as an enclosed unit.

I have a couple of them which I very seldom use, both still seem to be reasonably accurate but only give me the same readings as I get from "Sunny 16"!

pdeeh · Nov 20, 2014

The suggestion was not to be taken literally :rolleyes:

Xmas · Nov 20, 2014

If I forget to pack one in gbag I can sometimes get another off a barrow boy same day.

So no demand for new ones...

snapguy · Nov 20, 2014

progress redoux

I did not say I was in favor of progress. I merely said that is what it is called.

Gerald C Koch · Nov 20, 2014

From an old photomag article, there are three downsides of selenium meters

o Low sensitivity, so not good in low light situations.
o They have a memory. They must rest after being exposed to bright light before they can be used in low light.
o When not in use they must be protected from light. Failure to do so will shorten the cells life.

The only plus seems to be that their spectral sensitivity more closely resembles the human eye that other type meters.

Mainecoonmaniac · Nov 20, 2014

Now I understand

Gerald C Koch said:
From an old photomag article, there are three downsides of selenium meters

o Low sensitivity, so not good in low light situations.
o They have a memory. They must rest after being exposed to bright light before they can be used in low light.
o When not in use they must be protected from light. Failure to do so will shorten the cells life.

The only plus seems to be that their spectral sensitivity more closely resembles the human eye that other type meters.

Thanks for the post. That's why my Zeiss Super Ikonta IV has a cover on the selenium cell. All by other selenium cells are covered too. Now I wonder of photovoltiac cells are a good substitute?

mrred · Nov 20, 2014

I resort to sunny 16 with my cell for unsure spot checks. I never seem to have my light meter around.....

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

Steve Smith · Nov 20, 2014

Xmas said:
yes I've still got three Weston II that work nearly as old as me.

I have two which are probably older than me (just!) and they work fine too.

EDIT: About 18 years older than me apparently.

Steve.

AgX · Nov 20, 2014

Mainecoonmaniac said:
That's why my Zeiss Super Ikonta IV has a cover on the selenium cell. All by other selenium cells are covered too.

A lot of selenium meters have uncovered cells. Only early models had covers.

RalphLambrecht · Nov 20, 2014

Xmas said:
yes I've still got three Weston II that work nearly as old as me.

me too but the meter is in better shape than I am.

RalphLambrecht · Nov 20, 2014

E. von Hoegh said:
I have a 1969 Kiev 4 with a working and accurate - very accurate - meter. I routinely use a Master III, which is accurate. I have another III as-new in the box and the Invercone setup.
None of the selenium meters are very good in low light, but most of them work well enough in say the average living room light.
Were I to be constrained to one meter only, it would be a LunaPro.

meter accuracy is a matter of calibration and linearityof response.

TheToadMen · Nov 20, 2014

Steve Smith said:
I have two which are probably older than me (just!) and they work fine too.

EDIT: About 18 years older than me apparently.
Steve.

Using analogue photography makes you feel much older, doesn't it?

Bert from Holland
http://thetoadmen.blogspot.nl

E. von Hoegh · Nov 20, 2014

RalphLambrecht said:
meter accuracy is a matter of calibration and linearityof response.

Yes I've been aware of that for the past few decades, I'm an experienced electronics technician (among other things) and have worked calibrating electronic instruments of all types from analog VOMs to oscilloscopes to air traffic control radar apparatus. The gear needs to be designed properly, constructed well, and in proper working order in the first place.

How come they don't make selenium meters anymore?

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