Sekonic Light Meter Advice??

[jamusu]

Hi.

I have never used a light meter before, but I have been advised by two photographers whose work I highly admire on this website to purchase a Sekonic Light Meter that meters in both SPOT and AMBIENT modes.

I do not know which one to purchase. Does anyone who has in the past or is currently using a Sekonic Light Meter that meters in both SPOT and AMBIENT modes have any suggestions on which version I should purchase? Also what are you experiences while using it?

Thank you,
Jamusu.

 

[Thanasis]

I have the Sekonic L-758D and it does both ambient and spot. I can highly recommend it. I guess it depends on how much you want your meter to do for you. The Sekonic has many features for both 'normal' and flash photgraphy including the capability of setting up film profiles for clipping points that indicate over-exposure and under-exposure. This meter can be overkill if all you want to do is meter a scene. In my opinion it is pretty straightforward to use but have a look through the manual which you can download from the Sekonic website.

 

[John Koehrer]

I find the terms "spot and ambient" confusing.
Does your friend mean "spot and averaging" or "reflected and incident"?

 

[jamusu]

John.

I do not know. I am confused as well. I would like to ask them, but I have contacted them so much with other issues that I want to give them a break before I wear out my welcome.

Jamusu.

 

[Bob F.]

I suspect that he means spot and incident. I think all the recent Sekonic spot meters do incident mode as well as reflective spot. My L-558 does and so did the 508 before it and the latest L758. They also do flash in both spot and incident modes.

As for which one: the latest are the 558 and 758 (I think) and the earlier 508 does most of what the latest ones do (unless you do cine too in which case there are cine versions available). My 558 is the best meter I've owned (which is, admittedly, not saying a great deal as it is by far the most expensive one I've owned too ).

Last time I looked you could download the manuals from the Sekonic site.

Good luck, Bob.

 

[Kevin Caulfield]

I use the 508, usually just in incident mode with the invercone, but I sometimes use the spot metering. As Bob mentioned, the 508 and 558 pretty much have the same features as the newer models, so it probably makes sense to try to buy one of those.

 

[jamusu]

Okay.

I will check the two of them out!

Jamusu.

 

[sarahfoto]

I bought a Sekonic Flashmate model L-308B second hand. It measures the reflected light(the light reflected off the subject) and incident light (the light coming from the lightsource).
I googled for instructions and experimented a lot until I figured out how to use it. Now I couldn't do without it!

 

[colrehogan]

I have used the Sekonic L-608 ever since I started with LF back in 2001 and it does both spot and incident metering.

What is your budget for acquiring a light meter?

 

[HerrBremerhaven]

The L-358 will allow that. You can purchase one of three add-on spot meter attachments for this. The sensitivity and accuracy are very good. I have been using one of these for years. Ultra reliable and highly recommended.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat Photography

 

[arigram]

Too bad you didn't find me when I posted my L-558 for sale in the classifieds.
At the time I had bought a new L-758 and wanted to sell the older one. But I ended up returning the new one and keeping the L-558 because I didn't find a buyer.

 

[vet173]

None of the meters mentioned do both at the same time, it's either or. I don't know why, I just had a vibe to say it.

 

[nick mulder]

I have the L-758Cine, learned a heap about photography trying to work out all the compensation stuff - takes a while...

Nothing like a spot meter (reflected) to start to really understand lighting and the relationships between exposure/dev and printing - I hardly use the incident unless I'm on the run with some cine job or doing a recce of a location

 

[jeroldharter]

Gossen

Whatever happened to Gossen spot meters? Are they defunct? Does Pentax still make the spot meter or is Sekonic the only game in town? Thanks.

Check out this video which might explain the meter better:

http://www.sekonic.com/products/Sekonic%20L-758DR%20DIGITALMASTER_video.asp

I use an older model Sekonic, the 7xx, I can't remember, but it is the one with the big lens. For b&w zone system type work, a spot meter is the way to go, especially one that reads EV values.

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

I find the terms "spot and ambient" confusing.
Does your friend mean "spot and averaging" or "reflected and incident"?

Spot = taking one or several readings along Zone System scale (it is essential to understand the foundation principles of the Zone System when using a spot meter). You must know what to meter from. This is very important.
Ambient = Incident or Reflected reading of subject i.e. outdoors, natural illumination, indoors etc.

I can sympathise with photographers who niggle of the usefulness of a hand-held lightmeter, but there is no argument really: it should be a part of every photographer's gadget bag.

A 1° spotmeter, such as the Sekonic L758D that I have, and is mentioned in another post, is a terrific accessory in marginal lighting, especially when using tranny film. In any mode (incident, reflected, or spot), multiple readings of the scene can be taken, stored in memory, and then AVERAGED. Incident is what I favour best in contrasty scenes with specular highlights. I use multi-spot in diffuse light with shadows and to assess luminance of the scene overall.

The L758D, while being pricey, is a tour de force but will take time to understand and apply. A book on the Zone System (there are hundreds!) is invaluable, remembering always that all cameras a calibrated to Zone V (middle grey/18%) and learning to identify this zone with a spot meter is essential.

 

[chriscrawfordphoto]

Minolta and Pentax have both quit making meters. Gossen makes a spot/incident combo meter similar to the Sekonics, but I think they quit making the Ultra-Spot II. I have an Ultra Spot II and I love it, but I also have a Sekonic L-508 and I use it more because it is smaller and lighter.

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Too bad you didn't find me when I posted my L-558 for sale in the classifieds.
At the time I had bought a new L-758 and wanted to sell the older one. But I ended up returning the new one and keeping the L-558 because I didn't find a buyer.

Ari, you've sprinkled something odd on your cereal, haven't you?!
Knuckle down to the L758.

 

[nemo999]

Spot = taking one or several readings along Zone System scale (it is essential to understand the foundation principles of the Zone System when using a spot meter). You must know what to meter from. This is very important.
Ambient = Incident or Reflected reading of subject i.e. outdoors, natural illumination, indoors etc.

Spot, averaging, reflected-light and incident-light metering can ALL be carried out with ambient light (i.e. the continuous lighting falling on a scene, whether already present or arranged by the photographer). Given an appropriate type of meter, all these types of metering can also be carried out with flash. Your use of terminology is a bit confusing!

 

[Kent10D]

Minolta and Pentax have both quit making meters.

Not true. Pentax still make their spot meter. At least it's still available here in Japan (it's listed on the Pentax website, and you can pick one up at just about any major camera store).

Minolta, on the other hand, doesn't even exist as a company any more. The Konica-Minolta merger was taken over by Sony.

But I have to add my vote for the Sekonic L-758D. Excellent ... if a tad on the pricey side.

 

[arigram]

Ari, you've sprinkled something odd on your cereal, haven't you?!
Knuckle down to the L758.

Huh?

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Huh?

Meaning the L758 is the one you should have kept.
Plenty sell on eBay so it must be a geographical thing that you couldn't sell it.
I will be using my L758 on a shoot this weekend. Full moon time!

 

[Martin Aislabie]

Whatever happened to Gossen spot meters? Are they defunct? Does Pentax still make the spot meter or is Sekonic the only game in town? Thanks.

Jerold - Badger still sell the Pentax Spot Meter (http://www.badgergraphic.com/store/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=871)
I love mine - light and easy to use
Martin

 

[benjiboy]

Whatever happened to Gossen spot meters? Are they defunct? Does Pentax still make the spot meter or is Sekonic the only game in town? Thanks.

Jerold - Badger still sell the Pentax Spot Meter (http://www.badgergraphic.com/store/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=871)
I love mine - light and easy to use
Martin

http://www.gossen-photo.de/english/
Gossen do indeed still make a spot meter, I was looking at one of these in my local pro dealers .

 

[Andy K]

I have the Sekonic L308. It does everything I, as an amateur, need. It has reflected, incident and (although I am unlikely to use it, flash metering. I use it in incident mode all the time.

 

[John W]

I have the Sekonic L308. It does everything I, as an amateur, need.

As an amateur currently without a meter, the L-308 is very tempting for its small size. But I admit that I feel a strong pull from the L-758 so that I can easily do zone-based metering, esp. for scenes with distant highlight/shadow subject matter (landscapes or otherwise). This is further reinforced by an urge to venture into large format sometime in the moderate future.

Question for those with an L-758: how well does it fit into a coat pocket, both size- and weight- wise? Strangely enough, I've had a hard time finding photos of it that give a proper sense of scale and the photo shops I frequent in the Seattle area don't seem to carry it.