Light meter suggestions (I found one I like)

Alan Edward Klein · Oct 22, 2023

Chan Tran said:
Both the Minolta IIIf and IVf are 40 degrees reflective. The spot attachment is an option on both. On the used market the spot attachment tend to cost more than the meter. I do think the Minolta Autometer and Flashmeter line are very good and price is reasonable.

I've never used my IIIF for reflective without the 10-degree spot attachment. How do you use the meter for 40 degree reflective?

Alan Edward Klein · Oct 22, 2023

wiltw said:
Not talked about much simply because Minolta exited the light meter business, selling their line to be sold under Kenko brand name, and so the name has not been visible to most for almost 20 years...

Minolta Autometer and Flashmeter line...the two latest models of each line

Autometer IVf and Vf

Flashmeter V and VI

Very accurate, amibient and flash incident metering
with reflected light capability with optional disk
with 5 degree spotmeter capability with optional spotmeter attachment

At one point it was the dominant brand, and Sekonic eventually had to revamp its lineup to somewhat mimic the Minolta.

I believe you reversed the models. The f stands for flash readings so the IVf and Vf are the Autometers that read flash as well as ambient. Without the f, they're just Autometers that read ambient light only.

Also, the spotmeter attachment for the IV is 10 degrees and for the V is 5 degrees. No you can't swap them.

Alan Edward Klein · Oct 22, 2023

Alan Edward Klein said:
I have a Luna Pro F if you want to purchase. It works but I don't use it. Make me an offer off line if you're interested.

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I never tested it with flash though. The ambient readings are accurate against my other meters. I have the reflective attachment but it doesn't seem to work. Not sure if that's the attachment or the meter.

Hassasin · Oct 22, 2023

Alan Edward Klein said:
I've never used my IIIF for reflective without the 10-degree spot attachment. How do you use the meter for 40 degree reflective?

There is a 40 degree attachment, screws in instead of dome, to do reflected readings.

Melvin J Bramley · Oct 22, 2023

I'm looking to buy a back up for my Luna Six with an identical one for $5.
Looks mint.

Chan Tran · Oct 22, 2023

Alan Edward Klein said:
I've never used my IIIF for reflective without the 10-degree spot attachment. How do you use the meter for 40 degree reflective?

It looks like this. You put it in instead of the diffuser dome. You just aim the meter at the subject, there is no viewfinder like the 10 or 5 degree spot attachment. I am not sure it came standard with the IIIf but it's standard with the flashmeter III

Chan Tran · Oct 22, 2023

Alan Edward Klein said:
I believe you reversed the models. The f stands for flash readings so the IVf and Vf are the Autometers that read flash as well as ambient. Without the f, they're just Autometers that read ambient light only.

Also, the spotmeter attachment for the IV is 10 degrees and for the V is 5 degrees. No you can't swap them.

The flashmeter always can read flash and they are better at flash reading than the autometer with the f.
For example the flashmeter III can read both ambient and flash at all shutter speed. The autometer IIIf can only read flash at a few shutter speeds not all speeds.

wiltw · Oct 22, 2023

Alan Edward Klein said:
I believe you reversed the models. The f stands for flash readings so the IVf and Vf are the Autometers that read flash as well as ambient. Without the f, they're just Autometers that read ambient light only.

Also, the spotmeter attachment for the IV is 10 degrees and for the V is 5 degrees. No you can't swap them.

No, I know with certainty the names, as I owned the Autometer IVf with the 5-degree spot attachment, and I still own the Autometer Vf and use the same 5-degree spot attachment...only the reflected light disk is not directly used for both meters due to the elimination of the troublesome trigger pin for the Autometer Vf..
And consulting a March 2003 B&H ad, it lists both the fhe available 'Autometer Vf' and the 'Flashmeter V' at the time.

The Autometer IVf could be used with either the 5-degree spot attachment or the 10-degree spot attachment per the user manual.
the Autometer Vf manual only mentions the 5-degree spot attachment. I do not know if it would function properly if the 10-degree were mounted on the Autometer Vf.

Bill Burk · Oct 22, 2023

There is one Weston II on eBay with a $100 price (Nikon _Sam) which was calibrated and had its cell replaced by George Milton at Quality Light Metric, Hollywood.

That particular meter is a good bargain.

Bill Burk · Oct 22, 2023

@wiltw that sounds cruel. So the “f” doesn’t signify flash ?

Hassasin · Oct 22, 2023

There are differences between F and non F, but can't be 100% of the top of my head. I think F had an intricate way of mixing ambient and flash light. Probably worth checking just in case someone would need what one offers over the other, especially since either can be had at same price points.

Hassasin · Oct 22, 2023

It would help for Minolta meters to state full names:

Auto Meter IV F // Flashmeter IV

Auto Meter V F // Flashmeter V

All read flash and ambient, but are not precisely same overall, but mostly any off them will do what majority will ever need to use them for.

Hassasin · Oct 22, 2023

DP Review on Minolta Meters

wiltw · Oct 22, 2023

Bill Burk said:
@wiltw that sounds cruel. So the “f” doesn’t signify flash ?

I don't get what sounded cruel, and I certainly meant none in my reply. I knew with certainty that I had not mixed up the naming convention, and verified it via independent mention in a 2003 magazine, and apropos user manuals. Simply stated factoids.
I did not mention that Minolta offered no ambient-only meters, as of the Autometer IVf...the Autometer IVf could do ambient and flash metering.

wiltw · Oct 22, 2023

Hassasin said:
It would help for Minolta meters to state full names:

Auto Meter IV F // Flashmeter IV

Auto Meter V F // Flashmeter V

All read flash and ambient, but are not precisely same overall, but mostly any off them will do what majority will ever need to use them for.

The way Minolta designated their two main lightmeters, the series numbers usually did not match up. The 'contemporary' pairings of 'the newest' on the market at the same time were usually...

Autometer IVf // Flashmeter V

Autometer Vf // Flashmeter VI

...such as when I first purchased the Autometer IVf in early 1990s, the less affordable pro meter was the Flashmeter V. And as indicated by the May 2003 B&H ad, there were brief periods of time that the older model Flashmeter was offered at the same time as the newer model Autometer, ergo

Autometer Vf // Flashmeter V

Bill Burk · Oct 23, 2023

wiltw said:
I don't get what sounded cruel, and I certainly meant none in my reply. I knew with certainty that I had not mixed up the naming convention, and verified it via independent mention in a 2003 magazine, and apropos user manuals. Simply stated factoids.
I did not mention that Minolta offered no ambient-only meters, as of the Autometer IVf...the Autometer IVf could do ambient and flash metering.

Not personally cruel… cruel for a manufacturer to have a line of exposure meters containing the letter “F” in their model name but which are not in fact flash meters.

It’s cruel like Pentax creating a line of cameras with “Spot” in their name but which in fact do not feature spotmeters.

Philippe-Georges · Oct 23, 2023

Bill Burk said:
Not personally cruel… cruel for a manufacturer to have a line of exposure meters containing the letter “F” in their model name but which are not in fact flash meters.

It’s cruel like Pentax creating a line of cameras with “Spot” in their name but which in fact do not feature spotmeters.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I think that the letter 'F' refers to the 6th model in line.

And "Spot" to be the camera that's spotted among the others...

This shows how flexible language and the interpretation of it can be.

Hassasin · Oct 23, 2023

The F IS a flash meter, it does mean flash capability. Used with Auto Meter line vs. Flash Meter line that did not need an "F" to state it does flash too.

Hassasin · Oct 23, 2023

wiltw said:
The way Minolta designated their two main lightmeters, the series numbers usually did not match up. The 'contemporary' pairings of 'the newest' on the market at the same time were usually...

Autometer IVf // Flashmeter V

Autometer Vf // Flashmeter VI

...such as when I first purchased the Autometer IVf in early 1990s, the less affordable pro meter was the Flashmeter V. And as indicated by the May 2003 B&H ad, there were brief periods of time that the older model Flashmeter was offered at the same time as the newer model Autometer, ergo

Autometer Vf // Flashmeter V

I only put them as I did to highlight the potential confusion how F somehow was maybe not indicating flash capability ( misinterpretation I think stemming from your earlier post, not that you said it didn't), yet it did do just that.

All 4 of these meters are capable enough though to do needed measurements. Features of Flash Meter line were critical for pros at the time. Nowadays everybody is a pro

Philippe-Georges · Oct 23, 2023

Hassasin said:
The F IS a flash meter, it does mean flash capability. Used with Auto Meter line vs. Flash Meter line that did not need an "F" to state it does flash too.

OK, I stand corrected...

Chan Tran · Oct 23, 2023

Bill Burk said:
Not personally cruel… cruel for a manufacturer to have a line of exposure meters containing the letter “F” in their model name but which are not in fact flash meters.

It’s cruel like Pentax creating a line of cameras with “Spot” in their name but which in fact do not feature spotmeters.

Minolta originally made the Autometer, Autometer II and Autometer III. All these 3 are ambient light only no flash.
They also started out with the original Flashmeter, Flashmeter II and Flashmeter III. I don't know much about the orignal flashmeter but the flashmeter II (which I had ) could read ambient too but not very well. The flashmeter III can read flash and ambient equally well.
Then Minolta introduced the Autometer IIIf which added the flash capability but isn't as good as the Flashmeter III because it can only read flash at a couple of shutter speeds not the full range of shutter speeds like the Flashemeter III.
From then on they made the Autometer IVf , Flashmeter IV, Autometer Vf, Flashmeter V. The Flashmeter is always somewhat better for flash than the Autometer.
When they introduced the Flashmeter VI there isn't the Autometer counter part. The Flashmeter VI is the only Minolta meter capable of 1 degree spot and incident and for both flash and ambient.
Minolta did make the Spotmeter F which can measure flash but only in spot mode it can't do incident.

Alan Edward Klein · Oct 23, 2023

Chan Tran said:
The flashmeter always can read flash and they are better at flash reading than the autometer with the f.
For example the flashmeter III can read both ambient and flash at all shutter speed. The autometer IIIf can only read flash at a few shutter speeds not all speeds.

wiltw said:
No, I know with certainty the names, as I owned the Autometer IVf with the 5-degree spot attachment, and I still own the Autometer Vf and use the same 5-degree spot attachment...only the reflected light disk is not directly used for both meters due to the elimination of the troublesome trigger pin for the Autometer Vf..
And consulting a March 2003 B&H ad, it lists both the fhe available 'Autometer Vf' and the 'Flashmeter V' at the time.

The Autometer IVf could be used with either the 5-degree spot attachment or the 10-degree spot attachment per the user manual.
the Autometer Vf manual only mentions the 5-degree spot attachment. I do not know if it would function properly if the 10-degree were mounted on the Autometer Vf.

Thanks for correcting me. I didn't know that.

Alan Edward Klein · Oct 23, 2023

I just checked my manual for the Minolta Autometer IIIf. It checks in flash mode at 1/60th or 1/250th.

Hassasin · Oct 23, 2023

In majority of cases having meter read flash at "only" 1/60 and 1/250, both spanning sinc speeds between older focal plane shutters and "modern" vertical travel ones, is no limitation to the use of meter, certainly not to whom Autometers were catered.

Hassasin · Oct 23, 2023

While we're on Minolta meters, does anybody know, if flat diffuser from Autometer V F will fit Flashmeter VI ?

Light meter suggestions (I found one I like)

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