Light Meter

digital&film · Oct 6, 2014

I'm new to Medium Format, and I acquired a Mamiya RZ Pro II with prism finder (no meter) and a 180mm lens.

That leads me to my question:

What would be a quality light meter... I'm ok with used, just want to not spend too much so I can save for the 110mm 2.8 lens.

I downloaded an android app just to test the camera, but would prefer a more precise and reliable meter.

I'm not a studio shooter, primarily street and some outdoors nature shooting. What would you recommend?

Thanks

Bill Burk · Oct 6, 2014

I've got a few light meters, and while there are many out there, the Sekonic TwinMate is one that I throw in my bag or around my neck most often.

aRolleiBrujo · Oct 6, 2014

This sounds like a great question, since for me, I've been using my Samsung Galaxy Note 3, and Google app Light Meter, the paid version!! I also wanted to buy a Nikon F4 to make up my liquidated D800, and as a way to post on NikonCafe and other Nikon forums! xD

piu58 · Oct 7, 2014

I have some light meters. Most used ist my small Gossen Digisix 2.

Alan Gales · Oct 7, 2014

I like my Pentax digital spot meter but I favor spot meters. Others favor incident meters. You can get great results with either and of course each has it's virtues.

I would decide on meter type first and then look at options.

ac12 · Oct 7, 2014

You have to think this out yourself; incident vs reflected. This one can be a heated argument on either side.
If reflected you have to decide standard vs. spot meter.

IMHO, the choice is a very personal one, and either way you are not wrong. You just have to understand and work within the limits of the meter.

I personally have been an incident meter person for MANY years, and just recently got a spot meter.

Ken Nadvornick · Oct 7, 2014

Obviously most will recommend what they use and are familiar with...

In my case it's the incident-only Sekonic L-398. It's 30+ years old and I'm the original owner. It still works fine. I mainly use this meter with my medium format TLRs, a Mamiya C330S and a Yashica MAT 124G. The Yashica has a working internal reflected light meter, but generally I prefer handheld incident measurements with these cameras. Here is the current version:

Sekonic L-398A Studio Deluxe III

Alan's advice is sound. If you don't have enough experience to have already formed a preference for wide-reflected, narrow-reflected (spot), or incident meter types, you may want to consider renting each over consecutive weekends for trial runs. That should help increase peace of mind and confidence in your final purchasing decision.

Ken

chriscrawfordphoto · Oct 7, 2014

If you want a good, inexpensive, reliable meter I'd go for a used Minolta Autometer IVF. They're about $100 used. Minolta meters were the professional standard for decades; I have several. My go-to meter is a Minolta Flash Meter IV, which is a bigger, more expensive meter that has a lot of features you'll never use if you do not do studio work. The Autometer IVF was the next step down. It reads both ambient and flash, but is small and pocketable. Its mainly an incident meter, though you can get a 5 degree spot attachment that works well if you want to do reflected light measuring.

The reason I recommend the Minolta over the Sekonic Twinmate or Sekonic L398 is that neither of the Sekonics work well in dim light, especially the L398. Sekonic makes some great modern digital incident meters, some with built in spotmeters as well, that work in light as low as the Minolta can, but they're expensive.

Jeff Kubach · Oct 7, 2014

Gossen luna pro f.

Jeff

Kyle M. · Oct 7, 2014

I've been using a Gossen Luna Pro F for about a year now, and you should be able to pick one up for $50-$75. It's not the most compact meter but it is light and will do incident, reflective, and flash measurements. It will also meter in very low light.

baachitraka · Oct 7, 2014

Gossen digisix and there may be an equivalent in Sekonic.

nsurit · Oct 7, 2014

Sounds to me like you would like something on the inexpensive side. I have a couple of high end spot meters, however often use a Gossen Pilot or Pilot 2. Find one that is working for well under $20. Bill Barber

removed account4 · Oct 7, 2014

if you get a meter that runs on batteries
before you get it, google the name, some
like my minolta work like a gem, but eat batteries for lunch

depending on your shooting situation you might look into
the black cat exposure meter or learning how to master reading light
with eyes and experience. while i have 3 meters ( minolta flashmeter, luna pro ( sbc ) , and seconic )
i never used them anymore and sunny-ii / use my internal meter http://www.fredparker.com/ultexp1.htm
i haven't picked up a meter since around 2006? shoot slides, c41, b/w as well as paper negatives, hand coated glass, metal paper &c
outside and inside ( with and without flash ) .. as well as films that cost like 5-6$ a sheet

good luck and have fun with your new camera ( and lens ! )
john

Xmas · Oct 7, 2014

Yes I use sunny side /16 too, but I 'always' pack a Weston II or III and invercone in case I might want to zone meter, or confirm that it is darker then I think, no batteries, no low light performance, 20 GBP of street traders, if I forget to bring one.

M.A.Longmore · Oct 7, 2014

.
The Gossen Luna Pro SBC seems to be an extremely versatile meter.
There are accessories available for spot, flash, macro metering. And works
in low light situations perfectly. For natural light portrait work, The Sekonic 398 M/A
with the incident dome is the perfect meter. I recently bought a new Minolta Flash Meter IV,
so I need to start using that as my main meter, and give The Luna Pro a wee bit of rest for a few months.

Although I am considering moving closer to JNanian, he has all the meters that I'm familiar with.
And I can use his internal metering capabilities !

~ Ron
.

baachitraka · Oct 7, 2014

I believe an year ago Gossen stopped servicing old light meters.

http://www.gossen-photo.de/foto_s_reparatur.php

RalphLambrecht · Oct 7, 2014

piu58 said:
I have some light meters. Most used ist my small Gossen Digisix 2.

That's a great little meter from a well established manufacturerbut, even though the OP said not to be a studio shooter,I still recommend to get a meter with flash metering ability;a used Gossen Lunapro F2 would be my choice.they sell around$100 and take a regular 9V block battery.Thry do ambient, reflected and flash,reading EVs as well as standard f/stop/time combinations.They are great,accurate,precise and robust;larger than the Digisixbut fit well in one hand. I dropped mine a million times and they are still going strong;best of all;all Gossens I've ever compared, lots and lots, were within 1/3 stop from each other.Gossen know their businessand repaiir equipment for decades after purchase.(highly recommended)try to borrow one from a friendand try before you buy

baachitraka · Oct 7, 2014

I have made the mistake of not considering an option to meter flash light and went with Gossen Digisix and now in a situation to sell the digisix and get an another one with flash metering capabilities.

ParkerSmithPhoto · Oct 7, 2014

For all of my work I use Sekonic meters that provide incident, reflected or flash readings. The Sekonic FlashMate is about the size of a deck of cards and gives you most of the functionality of a larger meter without the bulk.

Incident readings are the way to go for the work you are shooting. On the street you can start up a conversation, take a reading while you are talking, get the camera set and then shoot. Dragging out a gray card is a pain, and trying to take a reflected reading off someone's face or clothes is just a bit too close for comfort.

Do yourself a favor and spend the few extra $$ to make sure you can take a flash reading. Once you start learning artificial lighting your photography will improve dramatically, even when using available light.

piu58 · Oct 7, 2014

> considering an option to meter flash light and went with Gossen Digisix

The quite similar digiflash has the flash option.

Paul Howell · Oct 7, 2014

I have a number of meters that I have collected over the years, when I am in Zone frame of mind I use a Soilgiar spot, other wide a Weston Ranger 9 or a Mirdanda for reflective, for incident a Weston Master V with the cone.

naeroscatu · Oct 7, 2014

Since you said you need the meter primary for street shooting, I would go for an incident meter that uses available AA batteries; I have the Sekonik Flashmate L-308s; very good and affordable. Also there are very good tutorials on the Sekonik website that will give you the basic understanding of measuring light in different situations. Welcome to APUG.

John Koehrer · Oct 7, 2014

Consider both size and weight.
Sekonic L308s ^^^^^^ is compact & light around $100 typical S76 battery(?)
Gossen Luna Pro SBC, uses common 9V battery same ballpark price and has silicon metering cell/ No memory, & I believe a bit more sensitive than CDS cells..Measures ambient and flash.
Minola Autometer, Gossen Luna pro, Luna Pro F use CDS as do most older meters.
All CDS cells can be slow to respond in lower light.

I used the Gossen Digiflash and found the menu & buttons too fiddly. That's an opinion, I don't have large hands either.

Myself I use a large, clunky Spectra incident meter. Sorta like the Sekonic L398 but bigger.

GRHazelton · Oct 7, 2014

When you shop for a used meter make certain that it takes cells or batteries that are readily available. I'd suspect that some of the older Gossen Luna meters might use mercury cells which can't be bought today. I remember owning a Sekonic Microlite, I think that was the model, back in the late '60s or early '70s which used mercury cells. It quit working before the ban on mercury cells.

Kyle M. · Oct 7, 2014

I'm not sure about the gossen luna pro, sbc, or other models but according to the manual the luna pro f uses a silicon blue cell not cds. It also uses commonly available 9v batteries, not the older mercury cells. I don't know when the luna pro f's were made but I have seen B&H ads from the later half of the 1980's with them in them.

Light Meter

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