Rolls-Royce of light meters

[BrianShaw]

Which is "right"?

Both. K is a manufacturer-selected constant that is chosen to maximize photographic success, in their individual experience. Same with C. The difference is negligible in practical terms.

 

[Chan Tran]

Which is "right"?

There is no right or wrong. They are just difference. As long as the meter is conformed to its specs that is all I want. As Brian said Sekonic uses C340 for the dome and C250 for the retracted dome. Minolta uses C330 for the dome and C250 for the flat diffuser. Now with C250 and K14 it's the 18% gray. That is if you use a reflected meter with K14 to measure an 18% gray card the reading should be the same as an incident reading with a flat diffuser with a C250.
So for the Sekonic RR meter you would have to use a 16% gray card to have the same reading with the spot meter and the incident meter with the dome retracted.

 

[choiliefan]

This one may be the Trabant of meters:

TTArtisan Light Meter II review : "If budget matters most, this is a serviceable light meter for film cameras"

The TTArtisan Light Meter II might not be perfect, but it’s still one of the cheapest and easiest-to-use reflected-light-measuring devices on the market

www.digitalcameraworld.com

 

[Chan Tran]

This one may be the Trabant of meters:

TTArtisan Light Meter II review : "If budget matters most, this is a serviceable light meter for film cameras"

The TTArtisan Light Meter II might not be perfect, but it’s still one of the cheapest and easiest-to-use reflected-light-measuring devices on the market

www.digitalcameraworld.com

Looks quite good though. The article has it mounted on the Nikon FM which I am quite sure has a superior built in meter (I had several FM's and FM2 and all of them have accurate meter).

 

[RalphLambrecht]

I couldn't find the information on the Gossen. Also Gossen on some of their meters have direct readout of the luminance cd/m^2 and doesn't show how to convert between EV @ ISO 100 to Cd/m^2. For a K14 meter EV0@ISO100 is 0.14 Cd/m^2 and for K12.5 then it's 0.125 Cd/m^2. I know Minolta and Pentax use K14 and Sekonic uses K12.5.

Thanks for looking. FWIW, MY GOSSENS (4) ALL READ THE SAME AND agree with the SeonicL858D within 0.1 f/stops. I, therefore, assume Gossen lightmeters are also calibrated to a K value of 12.5 and that Gossen goes by the assumption that an average scene reflects about 18% of the light falling on it (known as middle gray).

 

[Chan Tran]

Thanks for looking. FWIW, MY GOSSENS (4) ALL READ THE SAME AND agree with the SeonicL858D within 0.1 f/stops. I, therefore, assume Gossen lightmeters are also calibrated to a K value of 12.5 and that Gossen goes by the assumption that an average scene reflects about 18% of the light falling on it (known as middle gray).

Well it could well be K14 (the 18% gray is more related to the K14. K12.5 is related to 16% gray) as you know the difference between K14 and K12.5 is 0.16 stop.

 

[Tom Taylor]

Before I sold the Pentax spotmeter I tested it against the new Sekonic 758DR by comparing reading from different objects in the room. Now and then I may have noticed a very slight difference which I attributed to not having one pointed from the exact same location as the other. But any difference was insignificant and otherwise each agreed with the other. Previously I compared the reading from the Pentax digital spotmeter with the Pentax 67II meter by comparing spot readings and average readings - taking several spot readings of a scene and averaging them. Both gave the same results.

Besides the batteries, the new 858 is able to read lower light thresholds which is useful in night photography.

 

[Bill Burk]

I would suggest the Rolls Royce of light meters is the Western Master II

If I ever get one to calibrate I will let you know.

Buying guide:

Black ones with screws on back cover seem to have movements of solid gold. If so, the value exceeds the price you would pay for one. But most have bad cells.

Gray ones with sticker on the back cover almost always have the “good” selenium cell (with the “W” logo you can almost make out in some pictures, but definitely when you get it home). These are the ones that are close to being able to be calibrated.

 

[Taylor K Nankervis]

Before I sold the Pentax spotmeter I tested it against the new Sekonic 758DR by comparing reading from different objects in the room. Now and then I may have noticed a very slight difference which I attributed to not having one pointed from the exact same location as the other. But any difference was insignificant and otherwise each agreed with the other. Previously I compared the reading from the Pentax digital spotmeter with the Pentax 67II meter by comparing spot readings and average readings - taking several spot readings of a scene and averaging them. Both gave the same results.

Besides the batteries, the new 858 is able to read lower light thresholds which is useful in night photography.

According to a Sekonic product engineer who communicated with me in 2012 (and also mentioned in closing that both models were "pending [sic] in discontinuation"), neither the 758D or DR use identical or same metering systems for spot/reflected or incident. Further to this, the reading from the spot meter is "below 18% gray" and like [sic] incident is also below the 18% gray reference". What he was saying is that the systems are not reading strictly to the gospel 18% grey, nor using one system but from later clarification, 13.5% spot, 15% incident.

This is why there is the ability to make very fine [+] or [–] baseline adjustments for either/both spot or incident. Additionally, this allows the meter's upper- and lower-end Ev to be adjusted to read in bright or low light, similar to the 858 you mentioned.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Typically it is, but I'm not sure if there is a uniform standard applied to these measurements. Still what the L858D costs, it's hard not to see it as feature pile on to get the price high enough to improve net profit. I personally never liked the overall shape of these meters and what I got in the Kenko 2200 for half the price is beyond imaginative needs. Then again, if I ran a pro studio my take on this might be somewhat different.

On another note there were some reports of touch screen misbehaving at some point of their life. Hopefully this is not common.

my touch screen works fine, and it is a delight to use; much simpler and faster than menus and gives you a better overview.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

... they also make impressive spectrometers like the Sekonic C-800-U. Just saying ;-)

got to win the lorrery again first.

 

[George Mann]

Modern cars look so much better than the old clunkers from the 1970s.

'70's Mercedes looked like clunkers?

 

[RalphLambrecht]

'70's Mercedes looked like clunkers?

Mercedes is in a different league

 

[Lee L]

The Reveni Labs Lumo will also read T 0.5 and T 0.1 flash duration, as well as light flicker for other sources. Flash duration reading limits are on the web page. Small business based in Canada. Reads color temp, etc. I've had one for a few weeks and impressed. Has a replaceable battery and charges over USBC. Not for everyone, but I like it a lot. Also very reasonably priced.

Lumo Meter — Reveni Labs

www.reveni-labs.com

 

[RalphLambrecht]

The Reveni Labs Lumo will also read T 0.5 and T 0.1 flash duration, as well as light flicker for other sources. Flash duration reading limits are on the web page. Small business based in Canada. Reads color temp, etc. I've had one for a few weeks and impressed. Has a replaceable battery and charges over USBC. Not for everyone, but I like it a lot. Also very reasonably priced.

Lumo Meter — Reveni Labs

www.reveni-labs.com

can't wait to get my hands on one of these. this promisis to replace all light and flash meters Iown

 

[RalphLambrecht]

I ordered one yesterday;can't wait to test it.

 

[wiltw]

I nominate Ralph as Lighting Nerd of 2025 and 2026

 

[RalphLambrecht]

I nominate Ralph as Lighting Nerd of 2025 and 2026

I accept with pride

 

[RalphLambrecht]

I am surprised that Gossen doesn't make the high end meters any more like the Starlite. Kenko also stops making meters based on the Minolta meters. So there isn't much choice for meters today.

Fortunately, there is a new kid on the block now.Revini Labs from Canada recently released the 'Lumo'; an incident and flash meter also capable of performing FDA. I got myself one and it is great!

 

[Bill Burk]

My two ton board is revealing quit a bit. One tone is near 12% and the other is near 18%. In the morning, open shade, the 18% patch read by reflected light better matches incident and in the afternoon direct sunlight, the 12% patch better matches incident. On my gray Gossen Luna Pro.

I may never be able to calibrate a meter in these conditions.

 

[MattKing]

My two ton board

@Bill Burk ,
Are you, by chance, in possession of an extra "e" that isn't where you thought you put it? If so, I think you meant to place it at the end of the "ton" above

 

[Bill Burk]

@Bill Burk ,
Are you, by chance, in possession of an extra "e" that isn't where you thought you put it? If so, I think you meant to place it at the end of the "ton" above

Is that for the British spelling? Right, there are two tones on my board, it's described by Minor White in his Zone System booklet.

 

[MattKing]

British spelling would be tonne - or at least it is since they went metric

 

[Craig]

Fortunately, there is a new kid on the block now.Revini Labs from Canada recently released the 'Lumo'; an incident and flash meter also capable of performing FDA. I got myself one and it is great!

It's worth the money? At the moment I have an older Lunasix with the a proper mercury battery an it seems to give good results, but I know someday the battery will die and it won't work as well.

The Lumo is a worthy replacement?

 

[mazgier]

It's worth the money? At the moment I have an older Lunasix with the a proper mercury battery an it seems to give good results, but I know someday the battery will die and it won't work as well.

The Lumo is a worthy replacement?

Just get the voltage reducing adapter for modern, 1,5V batteries. Either Gossen made or third party and your Lunasix will stay alive. Have two, both working great.