Light meter for landscape photography

Susstudium · Jan 21, 2018

Hi everyone, I'm looking for a recommendation on a good, reasonably affordable light meter. I've been getting into film over the last year, and have a Yashica MAT 124G I use primarily for landscape photography. It's great, except that it's got an inoperative light meter. Up til now I've just used my digital camera to get light readings, but that can be cumbersome and inelegant, switching back and forth between two systems. I presume what I need is a reflected spot meter, but beyond that, I'm at a loss. Can someone point me towards a good meter for landscape/travel photography?

macfred · Jan 21, 2018

keep it simple ...

Tages - und Kunstlicht Belichtungstabelle by Andreas, on Flickr

Renato Tonelli · Jan 21, 2018

A Gossen LunaPro or a Sekonic L-398 are both good, versatile meters. The Sekonic is still available new id does. Ot require a battery - an advantage, in my opinion) There is also the tiny Gossen DigiSix.

Renato Tonelli · Jan 21, 2018

macfred said:
keep it simple ...

Tages - und Kunstlicht Belichtungstabelle by Andreas, on Flickr

Never saw that one.

ic-racer · Jan 21, 2018

I just got finished doing a light meter search. It seems there are only two compact, inexpensive reflected light meters you can get new. The Sekonic L-208 TwinMate and the Gossen Digisix 2. Either one should work well for you. Each is less than $200 USD.
Unless you like projects or have other meters to compare, I'd avoid getting an older used meter from e-bay.

Craig75 · Jan 21, 2018

Sunny 16 and a decent lightmeter app on your phone for when you are unsure.

Mick Fagan · Jan 21, 2018

I've been running a Gossen Profi-Six for the last 35 years, it's wonderful. It is called the Luna Pro in your country. They run a standard 9V battery, which lasts about a year; there is an on board battery test function. Squillions of accessories are available; meaning you could over time pick up different bits and pieces to enhance the metering prowess of these meters.

That said, if for some reason my Profi-Six died, I would almost certainly think about the Gossen Digisix. Small, unobtrusive and slips into almost any kind of tiny pocket, as accurate as anything else out there. Batteries; requires a new battery between six months to a year. It takes a CR 2032 battery, which are pretty much everywhere.

I have a friend who bought one of these meters about 6-7 years ago, very nice unit.

Mick.

Sirius Glass · Jan 21, 2018

There are a number of good options in your price range. You should have a meter that can do reflectance and incidence readings. One does not need a spot meter nor a Zone meter nor a flash meter, even though they can be useful to some. I recommend the Gossen Luna Pro SBC because of its price and ability to do additional measurement compensation should you need it: filter, EVs and Zone System. The Sekonic L308s is a great small light meter that also does flash and EVs if you can get a used on at a good price.

wiltw · Jan 21, 2018

Hate to say it, but smartphones have a number of lightmeter apps for them. I have one loaded on my own phone, for those times when I don't carry my handheld Incident meter!

Bill Burk · Jan 21, 2018

I went out last weekend and left my light meters home thinking I would use an app if needed.

When I could have used a meter I forgot all about the phone which was powered off. I agree phone apps are awkward.

Weston Master III with Zone System sticker in a leather case is my go-to meter. I have a collection of many better and worse... but if there’s enough light, the Weston works best for me.

Jim Jones · Jan 21, 2018

Westons, usually a Master II or III, have been my most often used meters for 60 years. GE and Norwood also made good meters.

chriscrawfordphoto · Jan 21, 2018

I would not use ANY vintage meter. Most Westons are no longer accurate. I've handled over a hundred of them and only one worked reasonably well. I have a Master V that was overhauled with a new meter cell and it works great, but it cost me a lot of money. I have never seen a Norwood meter that was not in terrible condition with a severely yellowed incident dome. GE Meters were primitive designs that were not that great when new 60 yrs ago, and are worse today.

If you're doing black and white film, a spotmeter is best if you know the Zone System. I recommend a Minolta Spotmeter F, as they're very accurate, compact, reliable, and relatively inexpensive. The Pentax Spotmeter V is good too, but is large and heavy and delicate. A good one only costs about $100 used though! The Pentax digital spotmeter is good, too but is horribly overpriced because Ansel Adams used them and everyone thinks its 'the best.' It isn't, but it is very good.

If you're shooting slide film, a good incident meter is better. Minolta Autometer IVF can be bought for $120, and is one of the best. Minolta's Flash Meter IV is great, too, but most were used professionally and many of them are beat up badly and overpriced.

Bill Burk · Jan 21, 2018

chriscrawfordphoto said:
I would not use ANY vintage meter. Most Westons are no longer accurate. I've handled over a hundred of them and only one worked reasonably well

Just curious, maybe it’s because I tinker with things that they work for me. Did you take any apart? I usually find loose screws. And sometimes bits of metal on the magnet keep the needle from swinging.

chriscrawfordphoto · Jan 22, 2018

Bill Burk said:
Just curious, maybe it’s because I tinker with things that they work for me. Did you take any apart? I usually find loose screws. And sometimes bits of metal on the magnet keep the needle from swinging.

The needles swung just fine; the cells were weak. The hard fact is that 60 year old meters are unreliable. Who would have guessed it?

There's a guy in the UK who rebuilds Weston Master IV, Master V, Euro-Master, and Euromaster II meters. I have one of his Master V meters and it works GREAT, but it cost me almost $200 (they're less now due to changes in exchange rate). For that price you can buy a damn nice modern digital meter that is more accurate, works in much lower light, and doesn't have a delicate moving needle.

I bought it because old meters interest me and I could afford to waste money. The OP says he wants something affordable, and wasting money on old meters is not the right advice for him. Even buying one that has been rebuilt is foolish if money is a concern; you can get better for less.

macfred · Jan 22, 2018

Renato Tonelli said:
Never saw that one.

This one came with my Super Ikonta III - it's surprisingly exact.
---

Apart from that I'm happy with my Gossen Sixtomat flash (aka Wallimex Pro Sixtomat flash) - it uses 1 AA battery (lasts for ever) and does all the tricks like incident,reflective and flash metering (no spot metering).
The meter is available (used) for about 100,-- EUROS. https://gossen-photo.de/wp-content/uploads/DL/FOTO/AG/ba_sixtoflash_d.pdf
Before I had a Gossen Variosix F2 meter that was great also (spot metering with attachment and even more pricey) - unfortunately I lost it.

Laurent · Jan 22, 2018

I use two meters, depending on my commitment to photography: one L208 for "casual" metering, that is when conditions are average, and I don't want to get too much equipment, and an L408 when I want to be ready for everything
Most of the time I'll use incident metering, but the "spot" of the L408 will help me getting a precise metering of a distant area, or confirm the "zone" of a given area compared to my incident reading.

The L208 has the advantage you can bind it to your Yashica and it will be always handy.

R.Gould · Jan 22, 2018

My main meters for many years have been weston's, I have 4, a 4,5,Euromaster and A East Kilbride Euromaster, made after Weston stopped making meters and made by a firm started by a Weston Techinan who set up East Kilbride Instruments to continue making the Euromaster's

munz6869 · Jan 22, 2018

I agree with Mick about the Gossen Luna-Pro - what a great meter and as simple or complicated as you care to read it. For simple travels, I can't beat the Gossen Digisix for accuracy & extreme light weight (I took this to New Zealand over the New Year with a 5x4" Travelwide camera with great results), and for the epic large format 5x4" with a proper field camera, I rely on my trusty Sekonic L-758DR for the spot metering and the ability to analyse and average a scene, picking out the highlights and shadows I want to preserve in the final print.

I think the main thing is to find an accurate meter you can get comfortable with, and then work backwards from meter to personal film speed to print, taking into account all your own idiosyncratic ways of doing things. If you have a couple of meters to choose from (and they all fairly much agree with each other!!), all the better.

Marc!

baachitraka · Jan 22, 2018

Digisix/Digiflash

tezzasmall · Jan 22, 2018

I would recommend a Sekonic L308s. It does outdoors as well as flash readings. I've had one for about 25 + years and it's never let me down. It's light in the bag, uses a AA battery and can be had for a good price if you look around, but for some reason seems to have almost doubled in price in the last year or so, since I last looked.

If on a budget you could always look at ebay or craigs list etc to see if there are any spare ones going cheaper than new. Maybe even a member on here in the US might be able to help?

Terry S

jim10219 · Jan 22, 2018

Knowing how to use the meter you have is more important than buying the best meter.

My favorite meter for landscape photography is a spot meter. I find that landscapes can often have complex lighting that can push the limits of your film. Sometimes the light range will go beyond what your film can handle normally, so you'll have to compensate in development. For those times, it can be really important to nail the metering. Spot meters can be expensive, but a used Soligor digital spot meter is a pretty accurate and cheap way to get into spot metering.

Now I will say that I shoot a lot of medium and large format with landscapes. Those formats take a lot more time to set up than your typical 135 camera, so I don't mind the fact that spot metering takes a lot longer. So if pulling your phone out to meter the light takes too much time, a spot meter probably isn't what you're looking for. If time savings are what you're after, I'd look for a hot shoe mounted reflective light meter. Maybe something like a Sekonic L208 or Voigtlander VC Speed Meter II. They won't be as accurate as a spot meter, but they're a lot more convenient. You may also consider an incident meter. I've used them for landscapes, and assuming you know how to use one on a landscape, they can work pretty well too.

In any case, the best thing to do is once you get your light meter, take it out with a digital camera and practice metering scenes with your meter and compare them against the digital camera. This is especially important for a used meter, as it can tell you if your meter is off and by how much. I have several very old selenium meters that measure pretty accurately, other than the fact they're a stop slow. So long as you're aware of that, they work great and they were cheap! It will also allow you to figure out any other shortcomings of the meter. For instance, some of my reflective meters can get fooled by a bright sky. But I can still get an accurate reading by metering the light off the palm of my hand (and backing off a stop) with them, or just metering the ground. You're using the digital camera as a quick reference tool to check yours and the meters capabilities. Like I said, knowing how to use the meter you have is more important then buying the best meter.

JWMster · Jan 22, 2018

Been down many of these roads. Have loved handheld exposure meters for a zillion years. Have 2 Sekonics (celenium cell oldie and a big honker), 2 Gossens (Luna Pro and Digisix) and a Pentax Digital Spot.
Would prefer the Gossen Luna Pro over the Digisix... just as a bit easier, more capable and simpler... and barely bigger. Even when I take the spot meter out, I often carry the Luna Pro as a back-up.
Seriously, every meter can do a great job. There are differences in style of use that may make a difference. Finally, you can usually find some of these USED at B&H or Adorama or KEH... which may give you more confidence than buying off eBay.

E. von Hoegh · Jan 22, 2018

chriscrawfordphoto said:
I would not use ANY vintage meter. Most Westons are no longer accurate. I've handled over a hundred of them and only one worked reasonably well. I have a Master V that was overhauled with a new meter cell and it works great, but it cost me a lot of money. I have never seen a Norwood meter that was not in terrible condition with a severely yellowed incident dome. GE Meters were primitive designs that were not that great when new 60 yrs ago, and are worse today.

If you're doing black and white film, a spotmeter is best if you know the Zone System. I recommend a Minolta Spotmeter F, as they're very accurate, compact, reliable, and relatively inexpensive. The Pentax Spotmeter V is good too, but is large and heavy and delicate. A good one only costs about $100 used though! The Pentax digital spotmeter is good, too but is horribly overpriced because Ansel Adams used them and everyone thinks its 'the best.' It isn't, but it is very good.

If you're shooting slide film, a good incident meter is better. Minolta Autometer IVF can be bought for $120, and is one of the best. Minolta's Flash Meter IV is great, too, but most were used professionally and many of them are beat up badly and overpriced.

Interesting. I have two Master III, one user and one NIB with the Invercone. Both are accurate and 100% reliable, the user gets used regularly in fact it's my main meter unless I expect low light situations - and the Westons are better in low light than most people think.

mgb74 · Jan 22, 2018

Susstudium said:
Hi everyone, I'm looking for a recommendation on a good, reasonably affordable light meter. ... Can someone point me towards a good meter for landscape/travel photography?

First, welcome to Photrio. You asked for reasonably priced and landscape/travel.

In a nutshell, you'll want to use an incident meter IF the light falling on you (with the meter) is the same as the light falling on the subject. Otherwise reflected. In either case, you have to make exposure decisions based on the aspects of the scene. Most meters today offer both reflected and incident capabilities.

I have many of the more reasonably priced options mentioned. My favorite overall is the Minolta IVF, but not something I'd use for travel. For a small, pocketable meter, I use a Sekonic 208 and a Gossen Digisix. I don't particularly like the controls of the Digisix. I also use a Sekonic L-328, but almost exclusively in incident mode. I think it's been largely replaced the the L-308.

I'd pick the Sekonic Twinmate if you want tiny or the Sekonic 308 if a bit larger is OK. I'd avoid older selenium meters as an "only" meter. Make sure whatever lightmeter you choose uses easily available and inexpensive batteries.

narsuitus · Jan 22, 2018

I use two battery-independent selenium light meters: Gossen Scout 2 and Sekonic Auto-Lumi model L-158.

My battery-operated Gossen Super Pilot incident/reflected light meter is the meter I use most often because it is more accurate and more sensitive to light than my two selenium light meters.

When I need a spot meter, I use a Gossen Luna-Pro with spot meter attachment (meter and attachment not shown in this image).

Light Meters by Narsuitus, on Flickr

Light meter for landscape photography

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