Looking for a meter...Sekonic L478?

film_man · Jan 31, 2019

So....I stupidly sold my Sekonic L358 a few monhts ago. I thought since all my cameras have meters I won't need one. Well...here I am again with a couple of meterless cameras.

Refusing to buy another used L358 for more than I what I sold mine for I opted to go for a new L-308S. What a pile of rubbish! I'll skip the flimsiness of it but the fact that it lacks aperture priority just drives me crazy. So I could sell the 308 and get another 358 (how much money am I losing on this again...) or I could fork out for a 758 which has spot meter too or...I could look at one of the touch screen ones Sekonic makes, ie L478. Does anyone have experience with those? My initial reaction is that I have enough touchscreens in my life but a used 758 is £400+ which can get me a new 478.

Any thoughts?

wiltw · Feb 1, 2019

Someone needs to convince me that a color LCD/LED primary control screen is readily viewable under all conditions such as in bright sunlight! ... I know how useless my smartphone screen is in bright sunlight.

ic-racer · Feb 1, 2019

These are not that old and have many of the functions of the newer models. I got an L558 recently.

film_man · Feb 2, 2019

Hmmm...so Sekonic has a couple of videos up showing how the touchscreen works. While the configuration options seem endless I'm not sure it is going to be as fast as a couple of buttons and a dial. Was wondering if someone has experience using the touch ones with gloves. Anyway, the more I read the less appealing they seem for outdoor use. I'll probably look for another 358 or maybe the 758 (which seems to be the 558 in the US?).

ic-racer · Feb 2, 2019

Here is the list of older meters. 558 was made up to 2006 and replaced by 758 which was made up until 2017. My thought is many of the meters made after 2000 are still in good working calibration; if you don't want to spend a lot of money on a new Sekonic.

https://www.sekonic.com/united-states/support/batteryselectorchart.aspx

CropDusterMan · Feb 2, 2019

I love the Minolta Flash Meter IV and Auto Meter 4F. Workhorses.

J

chriscrawfordphoto · Feb 2, 2019

I have a Sekonic L-758, and I love it. If you want a meter that has a one-degree spotmeter in addition to the incident meter, then the 758 is the one to get. The L-478 has a 5 degree spot attachment available, but its not the same as a one degree spot; much less useful in my opinion.

Both the 758 and the 478 can be used to profile your camera if you shoot digital, and this feature was useful to me. I use an Olympus Pen-F, and found that its ISO speeds are about half a stop too high. When using a handheld meter that is accurate for every other digital camera I own, the Olympus's shots were underexposed. Profiling the camera with the L-758 fixed that. I will say though, that profiling my Canon 5DmkII and Nikon D90 was unnecessary as the meter gave perfect exposures with them without profiling.

About touch screens: Be aware that Sekonic's touchscreens are NOT the glass touchscreens we are used to using on smartphones and tablets. The Sekonic touchscreen is a soft plastic film that you have to press fairly hard to get it to register the touch. I have the Sekonic C-700 color meter, which has that touch screen. I don't like it. Fortunately, you rarely need to use the touch screen on a color meter, but on an exposure meter, you would frequently need to change the aperture or shutter speed you want to use, and the touch screen would be MUCH slower than using the old thumb-wheel the L-758 has. The L-478 has the touch screen.

wiltw · Feb 3, 2019

chriscrawfordphoto said:
About touch screens: Be aware that Sekonic's touchscreens are NOT the glass touchscreens we are used to using on smartphones and tablets. The Sekonic touchscreen is a soft plastic film that you have to press fairly hard to get it to register the touch. I have the Sekonic C-700 color meter, which has that touch screen. I don't like it. Fortunately, you rarely need to use the touch screen on a color meter, but on an exposure meter, you would frequently need to change the aperture or shutter speed you want to use, and the touch screen would be MUCH slower than using the old thumb-wheel the L-758 has. The L-478 has the touch screen.

how about readability in direct sunlight...better, same, worse than smartphones?

film_man · Feb 3, 2019

chriscrawfordphoto said:
I have a Sekonic L-758, and I love it. If you want a meter that has a one-degree spotmeter in addition to the incident meter, then the 758 is the one to get. The L-478 has a 5 degree spot attachment available, but its not the same as a one degree spot; much less useful in my opinion.

Both the 758 and the 478 can be used to profile your camera if you shoot digital, and this feature was useful to me. I use an Olympus Pen-F, and found that its ISO speeds are about half a stop too high. When using a handheld meter that is accurate for every other digital camera I own, the Olympus's shots were underexposed. Profiling the camera with the L-758 fixed that. I will say though, that profiling my Canon 5DmkII and Nikon D90 was unnecessary as the meter gave perfect exposures with them without profiling.

About touch screens: Be aware that Sekonic's touchscreens are NOT the glass touchscreens we are used to using on smartphones and tablets. The Sekonic touchscreen is a soft plastic film that you have to press fairly hard to get it to register the touch. I have the Sekonic C-700 color meter, which has that touch screen. I don't like it. Fortunately, you rarely need to use the touch screen on a color meter, but on an exposure meter, you would frequently need to change the aperture or shutter speed you want to use, and the touch screen would be MUCH slower than using the old thumb-wheel the L-758 has. The L-478 has the touch screen.

That's brilliant, thanks very much. I'll look for a 758.

chriscrawfordphoto · Feb 4, 2019

wiltw said:
how about readability in direct sunlight...better, same, worse than smartphones?

I've never had a smartphone, but I do have a couple of tablets. They're hard to read in bright sunlight, and so is the Sekonic meter with the touchscreen. The regular LCD panel on the non-touchscreen meters is easy to read in the sun.

RalphLambrecht · Feb 4, 2019

film_man said:
So....I stupidly sold my Sekonic L358 a few monhts ago. I thought since all my cameras have meters I won't need one. Well...here I am again with a couple of meterless cameras.

Refusing to buy another used L358 for more than I what I sold mine for I opted to go for a new L-308S. What a pile of rubbish! I'll skip the flimsiness of it but the fact that it lacks aperture priority just drives me crazy. So I could sell the 308 and get another 358 (how much money am I losing on this again...) or I could fork out for a 758 which has spot meter too or...I could look at one of the touch screen ones Sekonic makes, ie L478. Does anyone have experience with those? My initial reaction is that I have enough touchscreens in my life but a used 758 is £400+ which can get me a new 478.

Any thoughts?

I'm partial to the Gossen Luna Pro;does all I'll ever need.

summicron1 · Feb 4, 2019

L398A -- no batteries, wonderfully accurate.

WilmarcoImaging · Feb 15, 2019

Agree with chriscrawfordphoto. I have an L-758DR and it is a great device. The wireless module to trigger PocketWizards is also good.

Rick A · Feb 15, 2019

summicron1 said:
L398A -- no batteries, wonderfully accurate.

Yup.

trendland · Feb 16, 2019

summicron 1 let me say in short : you are such oldfashioned - how is it possible that you come along with this technic?
Do you indeed use this seconic - because I can not belive it "MONSTER OLDFASHIONED"

I have the same one.

with regards

PS : Just till this day I can't find out what most guys need a digital meter?
I got mine 25years ago. I can't say if it is soo 100% correct (perhaps I should more often adjust it) but at last it seams I am correct and thats ok!

Seriously I don't need the Studio deluxe in many cases any more but from time to time I spend a look at his metering and decide against!

Because I make the job - not he.
I will be payed - not the seconic.
And even when there is comming a great mistake once a day I will fail because I don't like a sentence like : Sorry but my meter has had a malfunction.....a sentence I remember just from lousers!
But because my seconic is scatched heavily and I missed some scews I perhaps will buy a New one next because it is a great Meter!

craigclu · Feb 16, 2019

I am very pleased with my L-718 Sekonic. I'm most comfortable with incident readings but these also allow for spot duties, too (5°). It's kind of an unknown it seems. They even made a ground glass accessory for LF duties. It has stayed accurate over the years and is easy operate.

Poisson Du Jour · Feb 16, 2019

wiltw said:
Someone needs to convince me that a color LCD/LED primary control screen is readily viewable under all conditions such as in bright sunlight! ... I know how useless my smartphone screen is in bright sunlight.

Here in Australia there have been reports of these LCDs becoming sluggish or entirely black when used in cold or very hot (outback) conditions.
Personally, I view the LCD displays as a method of interaction to be inferior to pushing buttons. Consider how you will manage wearing gloves (another irritation with that particular meter).

Poisson Du Jour · Feb 17, 2019

film_man said:
That's brilliant, thanks very much. I'll look for a 758.

The L758-D is the only meter you will ever need to take with you to master just about every situation, whether it is easy or complex, particularly split tones, high/low contrast and shift/weighting of mid-tones. The 1 degree spot is superior to 5 degree, where overlap and influence can pass unnoticed. It also has dioptric correction in the eyepiece if your eyes are wonky (as mine are, but I can see fine with that feature).

film_man · Feb 17, 2019

Poisson Du Jour said:
The L758-D is the only meter you will ever need to take with you to master just about every situation, whether it is easy or complex, particularly split tones, high/low contrast and shift/weighting of mid-tones. The 1 degree spot is superior to 5 degree, where overlap and influence can pass unnoticed. It also has dioptric correction in the eyepiece if your eyes are wonky (as mine are, but I can see fine with that feature).

Indeed, I now have a 758D and it's just amazing!

Looking for a meter...Sekonic L478?

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