sekonic L-398

pollux · Nov 4, 2010

I am considering the meter for film. I read reports that it's not very accurate in dull light. Is this really a problem? It does look a super device, having seen one at calumet. It's either this or the L-758D, as I want to buy a sekonic. Is the L-398 easy to use, once you become used to it?

Ulrich Drolshagen · Nov 4, 2010

I have one. It works fine for me. I never use it indoors though. You'll have to get used to meter incident light. You can use it for metering reflected light but it's not exactly a spot meter if you know what I mean.

Ulrich

2F/2F · Nov 4, 2010

It's my favorite all-around light meter. It doesn't lose effectiveness in "dull" light, but in low light levels. EV 4 is the lowest it can read as an incident meter. Not too shabby for such a great all-around meter that is so inexpensive, so well built, and does not ever need batteries. You can also take off the dome for an "emergency" reflected reading in low light. This is explained in the manual for my 1950's version. I think you take the reading and compensate it five stops from the slide-less reading. For instance, if without the dome you get '500 at f/2.8, you would actually use '60 at f/1.4.

If you get it, do invest the additional direct-reading hi-slide kit if your shooting conditions and films used are varied. It is one of the things that makes this meter so great to use, IMHO. You just use the hi slide that is printed with your film speed and your base shutter speed, and you get a direct aperture reading via the needle, rather than needing to consult the exposure dial. If your shutter is changed from the base shutter speed, you can either change slides, or just compensate in your head. For instance, if you have the slide for 400 film at '500 in, and your needle points to f/5.6 when you meter, but you want to use '125 instead, you just stop down two more stops than the needle indicates.

Jerevan · Nov 4, 2010

I have one (I got it for free) and it works great, especially when I've used it with slide film for some reason. In daylight conditions outside I don't see any problems with the lowest reading of EV 4. Easy to use, no fuss. Recommended if you're not one of the "available-darkness" photographers.

The 758DR seems to be more of the "makes morning coffee and drives the kids to school" kind of meter.

benjiboy · Nov 4, 2010

Have a Look at the Sekonic L-358 it's a a much more modern Silicon cell meter with a digital readout that's much more sensitive at low light levels and has become something of an industry standard http://www.sekonic.com/products/Sekonic L-358 FLASH MASTER.asp

Rick A · Nov 4, 2010

I've used an L-398 for years and recommend you get one.

Poisson Du Jour · Nov 4, 2010

The 758D is an intellectual heavyweight among digital meters and exceptionally fast, accurate and clear to use. The meter has a very wide professional following here in Australia. It's little brother, the L558 is also worth considering. Both models feature multimodal measure/memory, spot, incident, reflected and EV measurements any or all of which will be employed as your skills in metering mixed light subjects strengthen through experience. Sekonic's L398 is a basic no frills light meter. Statements about meter inaccuracy at low EV (<EV6) are usually spurious and technically without proper foundation; other factors come into play at low light levels irrespective of what a meter observes (e.g. reciprocity).

CGW · Nov 4, 2010

pollux said:
I am considering the meter for film. I read reports that it's not very accurate in dull light. Is this really a problem? It does look a super device, having seen one at calumet. It's either this or the L-758D, as I want to buy a sekonic. Is the L-398 easy to use, once you become used to it?

Bought a 398m new 10+ years ago when I had occasional access to a Pentax 67. Lost access so the meter went largely unused to the present. It's accurate enough but a bit fussy to use; it's also amazingly heavy for its size and not especially useful in low light. Unless you're enamoured of its retro styling, Sekonic makes more flexible meters. A far better meter all round is the 308: deck-of-cards size, incident+reflected reading, cord+cordless flash metering, 1 AA-powered--my go-everywhere meter. Almost as good as the current 758 is the 558, usually available used in nice condition for around $275-300. Cheaper is the older 508 that's more plentiful used, though it lacks 758-558 features like spot readings in the viewfinder. For the money, whether new or used, I think the 358 is relatively poor value compared to the 508/558 whose built-in spotmeters make them something of a bargain.

CGW · Nov 4, 2010

"Sekonic's L398 is a basic no frills light meter. Statements about meter inaccuracy at low EV (<EV6) are usually spurious and technically without proper foundation; other factors come into play at low light levels irrespective of what a meter observes (e.g. reciprocity)."

If you've ever used one, you'll recall the 398m just doesn't register an accurate reading in low light that newer Sekonics handle effortlessly. It's a widely acknowledged, baked-in/design-based limitation--nothing spurious, conjectural or baseless about that fact. It's a great meter within its very real limits.

tim k · Nov 4, 2010

Jerevan said:
The 758DR seems to be more of the "makes morning coffee and drives the kids to school" kind of meter.

That is an inspired description.

benjiboy · Nov 4, 2010

You mean, if could make toast you could marry it .

CGW · Nov 4, 2010

benjiboy said:
You mean, if could make toast you could marry it .

You'd happily be making toast for it. That's how smart it is.

Athiril · Nov 4, 2010

If you want a low-light meter I can recommend the Gossen Luna Pro SBC

mwdake · Nov 4, 2010

If you want a low-light meter I can recommend the Gossen Luna Pro SBC

Ditto on that, I have a Luna Pro SBC that I bought just for its low light capabilities and it is amazing at very low light levels.

phaedrus · Nov 6, 2010

I like the L-398 for it's battery independence. It's only useful as an incident meter, but the needle makes it easy to "get into a dialogue with light". Once you've used it a while, you'll find yourself able to judge exposure on your own more and more.

Jerevan · Nov 6, 2010

The Sekonic L-398 works well within its limitation, as I said. Which means daylight, outside. And no, it does not make any toast. It just says "f8 and be there".

2F/2F · Nov 6, 2010

Jerevan said:
The Sekonic L-398 works well within its limitation, as I said. Which means daylight, outside. And no, it does not make any toast. It just says "f8 and be there".

Of course it works well within its limitations, but these are not as you stated. It works well as an incident meter down to EV 4, not just outdoors in daylight. One can readily achieve EV 4 or higher indoors (at night or in the day) with simple 500 W hot lamps.

benjiboy · Nov 6, 2010

I have a Gossen Luna pro SBC and a Western Euro-master I've had them both for more than twenty years and although I have always been something of a traditionalist as far as equipment is concerned and was happy with them, I have since retired both of them because it was a real eye opener when I bought a modern digital meter because they are in the stone age in comparison, the current ones are exposure computers with both digital and analogue displays that light up at low light levels, they are much more sophisticated and accurate than many TTL camera light meters they can read ambient light and flash and a mixture of both and tell what proportion of each is present , take up to nine exposure readings in the memory, average them at the press of a button, and have a 1 degree spot metering capability as well.

M.A.Longmore · Nov 6, 2010

benjiboy said:
You mean, if could make toast you could marry it .

.
Benji,

If you could make toast, I would marry you !

I'm Just Saying ...

Ron
.

benjiboy · Nov 7, 2010

Ron LarFor4X5 said:
.
Benji,

If you could make toast, I would marry you !

I'm Just Saying ...

Ron
.

I'm sorry Ron, although I can make toast I'm spoken for, I've been married for forty six years, and can now see why the groom wears black and the bride white

sekonic L-398

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