In praise of old light meters

[BrianShaw]

For all the money and time spend on bad selenium lightmeters I could have bought at least two or three Sekonic L-398A.
Time to cut the losses, stop playing around and support a current player.

I understand your sentiment, but I wouldn't be too harsh about half a stop. That's almost insignificant with both B&W and color negative film.

When I was in the same frame-of-mind as you, I looked for L-398A also. I like the concept of, both, the selenium cell and the optional direct reading grids. Had a hard time finding a bargain. So opted for a Gossen LunaPro SBC. Sure, it has a battery but at least it's a very common battery that is available everywhere.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I understand your sentiment, but I wouldn't be too harsh about half a stop. That's almost insignificant with both B&W and color negative film.

When I was in the same frame-of-mind as you, I looked for L-398A also. I like the concept of, both, the selenium cell and the optional direct reading grids. Had a hard time finding a bargain. So opted for a Gossen LunaPro SBC. Sure, it has a battery but at least it's a very common battery that is available everywhere.

I used the Gossen LunaPro SBC with the 5°/10° spot attachment, since I wanted a 1° spot meter with the Zone System Sticker I sold it to by the Pentax Digital Spot Meter. I never had a problem or bad reading with the Gossen LunaPro SBC, just carry an extra 9 volt battery.

 

[gone]

I have a collection of old light meters. I never paid more than a few dollars each for them.

That's happening to me as well, but not by design. Had a few that were not at all usable, like the little Sekoninc L 188 that is the perfect size but gives readings that are wildly crazy. I tried opening it up and fiddling w/ things, but there's not much there, it either works right or it don't.

So I bought a Leningrad selenium meter that was as accurate as anything w/ a battery, even in really low light. The thing looked like new, so maybe it had not seen the sun much. I seldom it because it's a darned big meter, and I finally went to a Gossen Pilot.

Then I sold the only meter-less camera, and the Gossen keeps the Sekonic company in a drawer w/ some lens caps. Free, free at last! At least until the next Retina Ia or TLR shows up.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

I’m holding it according to the manual. A tad downwards.
But my test measurement was done in daylight pointed to a white wall.
With the measurement read/stop done at exactly the same moment.
So that should take spectral sensitivity differences and changing light out of the equation.
I also checked it against my best Ikophot of approximately the same vintage.
It actually seemed to agree a bit more with that one. Though it’s hard to be sure since the Ikophot does not have as precise markings on the dial.

Is that for BW negative film or for chromes?

 

[Sirius Glass]

Is that for BW negative film or for chromes?

Both. I have posted many times to aim the light meter so that the Sun is not in the field of view and that is the same as aiming it down.

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

That's happening to me as well, but not by design. Had a few that were not at all usable, like the little Sekoninc L 188 that is the perfect size but gives readings that are wildly crazy. I tried opening it up and fiddling w/ things, but there's not much there, it either works right or it don't.

So I bought a Leningrad selenium meter that was as accurate as anything w/ a battery, even in really low light. The thing looked like new, so maybe it had not seen the sun much. I seldom it because it's a darned big meter, and I finally went to a Gossen Pilot.

Then I sold the only meter-less camera, and the Gossen keeps the Sekonic company in a drawer w/ some lens caps. Free, free at last! At least until the next Retina Ia or TLR shows up.

Old hand held meters are emblematic of a time when a photographer had to measure the light to expose a piece of film. Meters are rarely used in the age of chimping images once they're taken.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Old hand held meters are emblematic of a time when a photographer had to measure the light to expose a piece of film. Meters are rarely used in the age of chimping images once they're taken.

Even though the congress of chimpanzees have over taken the zoo, I have always used a light meter and still use a light meter while the chimps spray their cameras everywhere in hope of one day getting a good photograph.

 

[BrianShaw]

Old hand held meters are emblematic of a time when a photographer had to measure the light to expose a piece of film. Meters are rarely used in the age of chimping images once they're taken.

Yes, but they became specialty items long before chimping. Once in-camera light meters became common a vast majority of users no longer had the need.

 

[Philippe-Georges]

How a good and WORKING lightmeter can become some kind of an obsession, I couldn't live whitout...

They all went to the hairdresser before having their picture taken!

 

[RalphLambrecht]

The Pilots are little jewels. Mine has a bit of history, it got loaned to a friend, and not returned, I then bought 3 or 4 that failed. Some time later the friend died, his estate donated it along with the rest of his gear it to a non-profit gallery we were both members of, and I bought it back during one of their fund-raising sales. It's still working, but no more loaning it out.

Whenever I loan something out, which I rarely do, I leave a little white card with the name of the person I loaned it to and the date wherever the item was that helps to remember who has it and since when.

 

[benjiboy]

Old hand held meters are emblematic of a time when a photographer had to measure the light to expose a piece of film. Meters are rarely used in the age of chimping images once they're taken.

I only use film, you can't "chimp" that.

 

[Sirius Glass]

How a good and WORKING lightmeter can become some kind of an obsession, I couldn't live whitout...

View attachment 298049

They all went to the hairdresser before having their picture taken!

Do you rotate your use of the meters or does each on have its own job?

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

How a good and WORKING lightmeter can become some kind of an obsession, I couldn't live whitout...

View attachment 298049

They all went to the hairdresser before having their picture taken!

I have the same bad addiction. I have close to 10 light meters of various accuracy and usefulness. I even have a light meter phone app which is pretty accurate. I used to buy them on ebay for about $5-10 each. Mine are all used and some have writing on the case. All of them have dings and scratches. I love that because each meter has a story to tell.

 

[BrianShaw]

I have the same bad addiction. I have close to 10 light meters of various accuracy and usefulness. I even have a light meter phone app which is pretty accurate. I used to buy them on ebay for about $5-10 each. Mine are all used and some have writing on the case. All of them have dings and scratches. I love that because each meter has a story to tell.

I'm going to have to catch up with you folks... I only have 6 (that I know about).

 

[Philippe-Georges]

Do you rotate your use of the meters or does each on have its own job?

They all serve a particular purpose.
I used to bring the two Gossen on a shooting on location, one as a spare, I once dropped my lightmeter and had to fly home to get an other one, and lost the cliënt, never again!
The spot meter is for B&W landscapes and architecture.
The Sekonic for (B&W) panoramic photography as I find spot metering isn't that useful then.
The Spectra is a leftover from long ago when I used to do 16 mm motion filming (Eclair ACL).
The Weston is for the fun of it...
With the exception of the Weston, these all deviate with hardly 1/3 stop!

But no, it's not an addiction, just a way to feel peace...

 

[BobD]

I recently got this Metrastar meter made by Metrawatt, the maker of Leica meters. It takes one PX625 battery and has a built-in 10° viewfinder for reflected readings. Using a zinc-air battery its incident readings match exactly with my Sekonic L308s digital meter. Reflected readings vary from zero to one stop difference probably due to the 10° read angle. I don't know what the Sekonic's read angle is because it's not noted in the manual but I'm sure it's larger. Using an alkaline battery seems to shift readings by only about half a stop.

 

[redbandit]

the TYPE of metering is more important.. I have just come to realize that my favoirite FTb n QL may have a bad meter system DESPITE getting it verified a few years back.

ran my new to me 2001 or later made vivater v3800n against me new sekonic, it does match to it.. and i used it in the house and for the first time i actually got what seem to be usable negatives from inside the house.

 

[Philippe-Georges]

Bought this one for € 10.-
Swiftly compared to my SEKONIC L-358 and it looks good.

 

[Kino]

 

[faberryman]

I have an old Weston light meter. Sunny 16 is more accurate, which isn't saying much. I never use it. Of course, you can wear it on a lanyard around your neck and look cool.

 

[Kino]

Bought this one for € 10.-
Swiftly compared to my SEKONIC L-358 and it looks good.

I have a Spectra Combi with a spotmeter attachment. Looks like a bazooka.

Greate cinema meter; direct foot candle readout is great for determining lighting ratios between key and fill lights.

 

[Helge]

I have an old Weston light meter. Sunny 16 is more accurate, which isn't saying much. I never use it. Of course, you can wear it on a lanyard around your neck and look cool.

Westons seem to all be gone now. Never saw a working one.

 

[BrianShaw]

Weston meters seem plentiful on eBay whenever I look. Working ones... that might be a different story.

Working vs accurate are two different things to me. I have 2 Weston IIIs that were working but not accurate. Cleaning the internal electrical contact between the cell and the meter made them accurate enough to roughly approximate the readings of all of my other meters. I feel confident using them. In an effort to "update" I bought a decent looking Weston V, which had the meter needle lock I desired but it is consistently one stop high. If I ever can figure out how to adjust that it might be a very useful meter.

Most often, though, I prefer to use a Gossen Luna-Pro or Luna-Pro SBC. If only they were more compact.

 

[Rolleiflexible]

Do you rotate your use of the meters or does each on have its own job?

A pile of meters is torture. I am happy with one. The problem comes with the second because two never read the same. So which to trust?

You see my dilemma.

I am surprised that the thread has almost no discussion of the the Sekonic (née Norwood) Director line of incident light meters. I have found them reliable and a pleasure to use. I stick with the older models and have found no degradations with age. Once I learned how to use an incident meter, I never went back to reflective meters.

 

[Rolleiflexible]

it is consistently one stop high. If I ever can figure out how to adjust that it might be a very useful meter.

Can’t you just adjust your film speed setting by a stop to compensate?