Looking for flash meter recommendations

77seriesiii · Aug 21, 2011

so I've gone through the postings and did see exactly what I was looking for. We picked up some inexpensive studio flashes and are going to learn how to use them for product and portraits.

Hitting my favorite store I noticed there are at least 15 different flash meters from inexpensive to just under $1K, w/ the more expensive ones incorporate a spot meter and flash triggering.

I keep coming back to the Kenko 1100 or 2100 but just dont know enough about the features on these guys. I use spot and incident meters but just have never used a flash meter.

Thanks

erick

David A. Goldfarb · Aug 21, 2011

I've been using a Minolta Flashmeter III for ages. Anything more complicated probably has lots of features that aren't really necessary, like memory settings and such, and if you need those features you'll know it. Some current meters offer attractions like built-in Pocket Wizard triggers, so if you use a remote trigger system, you might look for a meter that's compatible.

John Koehrer · Aug 21, 2011

I'm guessing that incident is more commonly used with flash meters than reflected.
If you're measuring lighting ratios it just may be easier. Opinions may differ a bit.
I've used Sekonic and Gossen, The Gossen was match needle and Sekonic digital display. Both worked but I sorta liked the Gossen better.(liked playing with the dial)

markbarendt · Aug 21, 2011

Sekonic L358.

I'm to the point where I use it for nearly every shot, flash or normal.

tkamiya · Aug 21, 2011

I have a Sekonic 758DR. In flash mode, I measure using incident mode. Just walk up to the model (I do portrait a lot) and go BOOF! This thing can do A LOT but the most basic functions are handily and easily available with just a few button push.

CGW · Aug 21, 2011

markbarendt said:
Sekonic L358.

I'm to the point where I use it for nearly every shot, flash or normal.

If you've already got a spot meter, the Sekonic L-358 is tough to beat for features/value. The Kenko 1100 is a rebadged Minolta. I'm partial to Sekonic.

kreeger · Aug 22, 2011

Get yourself a Minolta Flashmeter III or IV. Plentiful on eBay, rock solid units. Standard of the industry before Minolta went under.

I paid $175 for the FlashMeter IV I have now. I think they were $500 new. Yes, incident reading is the way to go with flash metering.

stillsilver · Aug 22, 2011

+1 for the Minolta III

Mike

Diapositivo · Aug 22, 2011

kreeger said:
Get yourself a Minolta Flashmeter III or IV. Plentiful on eBay, rock solid units. Standard of the industry before Minolta went under.

Minolta did not get under as far as I know. They just sold their photographic division to Sony.

http://www.konicaminolta.com/

CGW · Aug 22, 2011

kreeger said:
Get yourself a Minolta Flashmeter III or IV. Plentiful on eBay, rock solid units. Standard of the industry before Minolta went under.

I paid $175 for the FlashMeter IV I have now. I think they were $500 new. Yes, incident reading is the way to go with flash metering.

Kenko meters are the same as the last Minolta models. Flashmeter III and IVs are getting elderly and newer, better Minolta and Sekonic meters are all over the place now.

removed account4 · Aug 22, 2011

i have an old minolta i got for 10-25$ like new ..
it works great like david and the others have said
BUT
it eats batteries for breakfast, lunch and dinner !
if you get one, make sure to remove your battery
because it won't last very long if you don't -

john

David A. Goldfarb · Aug 22, 2011

I usually change the batteries in my Minolta III about once a year.

77seriesiii · Aug 22, 2011

One of the gripes on the sekonic 758DR was the voracious appetite in regards to batteries. Very cool i'll take a look at the minoltas and do some more research on the Kenko rebadged versions. Thanks for the help!

./e

CGW · Aug 22, 2011

77seriesiii said:
One of the gripes on the sekonic 758DR was the voracious appetite in regards to batteries. Very cool i'll take a look at the minoltas and do some more research on the Kenko rebadged versions. Thanks for the help!

./e

Never heard that one before about Sekonics eating batteries--another urban legend? Batteries in my old 358 and current 558 lasted about 2 years--and that was with a good deal of low light work that powers up the backlighting on the LCD.

David A. Goldfarb · Aug 22, 2011

Meters tend to use power when they are actually taking a reading, so they are prone to battery drainage if they are left with the power on and the button used to take a reading is compressed in the case. A flash meter would use more power, I suspect, if you normally use it in the non-corded mode, when it is on and waits for the flash to give the reading. If you plug the meter into the strobe sync, and activate it with the button on the meter, it should use less power.

CGW · Aug 22, 2011

David A. Goldfarb said:
Meters tend to use power when they are actually taking a reading, so they are prone to battery drainage if they are left with the power on and the button used to take a reading is compressed in the case. A flash meter would use more power, I suspect, if you normally use it in the non-corded mode, when it is on and waits for the flash to give the reading. If you plug the meter into the strobe sync, and activate it with the button on the meter, it should use less power.

The recent Sekonics(e.g., 358/558/608/758)have an "auto-off" feature along with an "on/off" button you'd practically have to sit on to activate accidentally.

markbarendt · Aug 22, 2011

CGW said:
Never heard that one before about Sekonics eating batteries--another urban legend? Batteries in my old 358 and current 558 lasted about 2 years--and that was with a good deal of low light work that powers up the backlighting on the LCD.

Yeah my 358 is really easy on batteries too.

One other point I'd like to make with regard to buying a meter is it's relative importance; my handheld meter, more than any other piece of equipment, is what allows me to shoot consistently well.

CGW · Aug 22, 2011

markbarendt said:
Yeah my 358 is really easy on batteries too.

One other point I'd like to make with regard to buying a meter is it's relative importance; my handheld meter, more than any other piece of equipment, is what allows me to shoot consistently well.

Amen. These days, they can consistently save you money by lowering the quotient of blown shots(exposure-wise, at least!). My teensy Sekonic 308 has long been my "go anywhere" meter--love it.

erikg · Aug 22, 2011

I use a couple of Sekonics, one of them daily in the studio and the other waits (and waits) in my bag for those rare days I can get out and shoot some stuff for myself. I have never had an issue with battery use in either meter. One thing I do like about them is that they use normal AA batteries, so if you are paranoid about being caught short by your gear (who isn't if you are shooting jobs on location?) that is one less thing to worry about. AAs can be found anywhere so I can check that off my OCD list.

holmburgers · Aug 22, 2011

I have a Shepherd and it's a lovely, no frills flash meter. They're well made, simple, affordable and yet no one has mentioned them.

benjiboy · Aug 22, 2011

The Kenko (Minolta) meters run of a single AA battery have auto switches itself off if they are not used for ten minutes, a battery lasts for thirty hours continuous use, I'm still using the original battery that was supplied in the box of my Kenko KFM 2100 ( Minolta Auto meter V1) when I bought it new three years ago.
The Gossen Digipro is also an excellent meter for flash use that has auto switch off and also runs on a single AA battery.

Martin Aislabie · Aug 25, 2011

77seriesiii said:
so I've gone through the postings and did see exactly what I was looking for. We picked up some inexpensive studio flashes and are going to learn how to use them for product and portraits.

Hitting my favorite store I noticed there are at least 15 different flash meters from inexpensive to just under $1K, w/ the more expensive ones incorporate a spot meter and flash triggering.

I keep coming back to the Kenko 1100 or 2100 but just dont know enough about the features on these guys. I use spot and incident meters but just have never used a flash meter.

Thanks

erick

Most people just use incident metering in the studio with flash

You need to check for brightness ratio (bright side to low side) - but thats about it.

You can spot meter in the studio in the same way you spot meter outside - just make sure you take the spot readings from the camera position and watch out for flare from the flash heads.

If you use spot readings a lot outside then you perhaps might want the feature for flash.

Personally, I use a lot of spot meter readings outside for landscapes but have almost never felt the need to spot meter in the studio

The Kenko units are good, as are the Sekonic and Gossen units.

Martin

olleorama · Aug 29, 2011

I have just switched from seconic 308 to a minolta flashmeter IV. So far I'm impressed.

Billy Walker · Aug 29, 2011

I use a Sekonic 758DR but if you want to avoid the outlay get a Sekonic L358. Excellent meter and you can purchase the remote trigger capapbility as well.

Looking for flash meter recommendations

77seriesiii

David A. Goldfarb

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John Koehrer

markbarendt

tkamiya

CGW

kreeger

stillsilver

Diapositivo

CGW

removed account4

David A. Goldfarb

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77seriesiii

CGW

David A. Goldfarb

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CGW

markbarendt

CGW

erikg

holmburgers

benjiboy

Martin Aislabie

olleorama

Billy Walker

Looking for flash meter recommendations

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