Some cheaper light meter options...

Profdaydreamer · Apr 21, 2020

Hi.

Just purchased my first Mamiya RB67 online and I’m looking to get a light meter to go along with it. I’ve spent time in the past using various apps on my iPhone to meter the light, but I figured with a more professional camera, I should probably upgrade... I am a high schooler and I shoot medium format in places like parties or events that are moving. I can’t casually carry around a big remote controller looking thing, I really gotta have something that can attach to a shoe. I’ve looked at the Voigtlander meters, but the cheapest one I’ve seen was about $210... does anybody have any reccomendations for attachable light meters that are some cheaper alternatives?

wy2l · Apr 21, 2020

Look at the Sekonic L-208 Twin Mate light meter. About $126 new. I believe it has the hardware to be mounted on the flash shoe of most cameras.

BradS · Apr 21, 2020

The two requirements, "cheap" and "small enough to be mounted on an accessory shoe" seem to conflict.
There is also the implied requirement, "better than an iPhone light meter app".
...where better in this case relates to what exactly? looks more professional? is more accurate?

I guess your choices are fairly few and none are particularly cheap.
In addition to the two already mentioned, the Gossen Digisix 2 is also worth consideration (it would be my choice) but, at around $180 its not cheap.

MattKing · Apr 21, 2020

Enjoy your RB67 - it is a wonderful camera!
I'm not sure though I would recommend using a light meter mounted in the cold shoe.
I just sold mine, but for the years I had and used one, I was happy with a light meter in my pocket.
I'm fond of my Gossen Digiflash, but there are a whole bunch of other alternatives that work well.
If you have access to a store that sells used meters with a warranty, there are a lot of great used meters out there.

Randy Stewart · Apr 21, 2020

Let me disagree re the recommendations of the Gossen Digisix/Digiflash. I bought one years ago, a few years after they first came out. Why? They are based on a single microprocessor which has half a dozen "features" (like temperature) built in. The problem is that a photographer is going to use one or two features at most, but you have to cycle through all of them to change Modes. It operates with a change button within a mode, so you have to cycle through all options to, for example, change a film ISO. In short, it's a clumbsy pain in the ass to use. Also, Gossen sells the foot to mount the meter in a hot shoe as an accessory, but the trick is that you can never find one to buy. Finally, it uses an EV number as its readout, which you then manually transfer to a calculator scale to get your exposure choices, unless you are shooting a 1958 Hasselblad or Kodak Retina.

MattKing · Apr 21, 2020

Randy Stewart said:
Finally, it uses an EV number as its readout, which you then manually transfer to a calculator scale to get your exposure choices.

Which works in a manner similar to many Gossen meters - in other words really, really well.
As for having to cycle through to change ISO, you get used to that. With an RB67 you only have to do that when you load a new roll of film or change backs.

runswithsizzers · Apr 22, 2020

I hesitate to mention it because I don't want to violate any forum rules, but I have a Sekonic L-208 Twinmate which I just listed in the Classifieds. If mentioning items for sale is prohibited in posts, someone please let me know, and I will edit/delete this post.

ozphoto · Apr 22, 2020

I started my film shooting 35 years ago and have used all of these methods with great results:

The "Sunny-16" method - FREE
A Gossen Bisix II - $95
A Sekonic L308B - $295
A downloadable "exposure meter" - FREE
A more substantial Agfa version of the above - got mine for FREE, but they sell online for $15-75, depending on how desperate the seller is for cash.

I used #4 on a recent visit to my state capital as I wanted to travel light and the negs are great. All of these options work well, although you do need to think about the conditions you're under when using #1, 4 & 5.

If you want to go the paid route:
#3 - purchased waaaay back in the 80s works just fine today but is utterly useless if the battery goes dead.
#2 - not so many bells and whistles, but it does exactly what it is supposed to do - no battery means it's always ready to go.

If you want to go the free route, the Sunny-16 method is thus:

Set your shutter speed to match your film speed (100ASA=1/100, 200ASA=1/200 etc.)
Weather Condition Aperture
Snowy/Sandy f/22
Clear & Sunny f/16
Slightly overcast f/11
Overcast f/8
Heavy overcast f/5.6
Open shade/Sunset f/4

Kodak used to produce a little book with photo tips - it included a version of the "Sunny-16" exposure method, similar to the Agfa calculator described above.

See also:
http://designbeep.com/2011/12/13/22-extremely-useful-and-handy-photography-cheat-sheets/540/

Whichever route you take, be consistent in your technique and learn how to use your tools. I remember a customer complaining that their exposure meter wasn't working correctly, because all his snow shots were grey or underexposed and not white; he had forgotten to note that the meter reads 18% grey and to get white he actually needed to open up 2.5-3 stops, for white to actually render white.

MattKing · Apr 22, 2020

Not only is it okay to mention it, you can even provide a link!
Here, I'll help
https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/sekonic-light-meter-l-208-twinmate.174698/

runswithsizzers · Apr 22, 2020

MattKing said:
Not only is it okay to mention it, you can even provide a link!
Here, I'll help
https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/sekonic-light-meter-l-208-twinmate.174698/

Thanks!

jimjm · Apr 22, 2020

The Sekonic L-208 is a great little meter for not much money. It's simple and accurate enough for most situations and has an accessory shoe mount. Can take incident and reflected light readings. Because of the small size, I just throw it in my pocket anytime I'm going out to shoot with unmetered 35mm or medium-format cameras. I don't think I've had to replace the battery in mine in over 5 years.

Dan Daniel · Apr 22, 2020

Another approach, worth reading in itself just for the overview of metering-
http://www.fredparker.com/ultexp1.htm

I have a Sekonic L-308. Use it as an incident meter most of the time. The problem I found with hot shoe meters is that you are tied to the camera. So often I meter ambient light, or walk to get out of a shadow or into a shadow to take a reading, etc. But of course this all depends on how you work.

grain elevator · Apr 22, 2020

When shooting outside with negative film, you often don't need to meter for every shot because the light is quite stable. Just metering when/where the lighting changes is often enough. Think about if that's the case for your photography, and if that doesn't make having the meter on the camera unnecessary.

Paul Howell · Apr 22, 2020

Look for Weston Master IV, with luck with an inversacone, you find them on the auctions sites, just make sure you get that the seller has tested, will run around $20.00 or so. The Weston is a wild feild reflective meter, no battery, the inverscone is added to cover the meter cell and it becomes an incident meter. Another all time fav of mine is the old GE with the removable hood for low light. Both my Weston and GE are still accurate, match to Gossen Luna - Lux sbc which I use when shooting in low light.

Ariston · Apr 22, 2020

I don't know if it has been said, but you are going to have a hard time finding a light meter that works better than your phone. Phones have advanced metering software that is really only rivaled by matrix/evaluative metering in SLRs and DSLRs.

The only thing you are missing is spot metering, but you don't need that for the vast majority of photographs - especially if you are shooting negative film.

When I shot Velvia for the first time, I bracketed like crazy out of fear of missing the exposure. In the end, the best exposure came from letting my camera's matrix meter (N90s) choose.

Handheld meters are fun, though.

EDIT: If you really want a cheap light meter, buy the cheapest one you can find and rig it up with something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Neewer-Durab...5234&sprefix=Camera+shoe+mount,aps,182&sr=8-4

guangong · Apr 22, 2020

I use a twin Mate, Digisix and small Voigtlander meter. Both my Digisix and TwinMate came with hardware for mounting on accessory shoe, but I never used them. The little Voigtlander is small enough to sit on Leica type LTM cameras and that’s were I sometimes use it. However, I see no reason to go small when lugging around a MF camera other than a small folder. For MF I use my Gossen F.
For indoors at parties and such, very good results possible with any of the exposure calculators already mentioned.

nsurit · Apr 22, 2020

I have a number of light meters. Some cheap, but functional, others not so cheap and also functional. I have Light Meter on my cell phone which works great. Don't know anyone who goes anywhere without there phone. Why not use Light Meter and celebrate the marraige of analog and digital?

MattKing · Apr 22, 2020

There are a number of advantages to purpose made light meters, but I wouldn't discount the usability of the cel phone apps.
My main concern with them is that the apps are generic, whereas the cel phones can vary widely.
So it may be the case that an app used on one phone may give different readings in certain circumstances than the same app used on another phone - particularly if the phones are from different manufacturers.

BrianShaw · Apr 22, 2020

MattKing said:
There are a number of advantages to purpose made light meters, but I wouldn't discount the usability of the cel phone apps.
My main concern with them is that the apps are generic, whereas the cel phones can vary widely.
So it may be the case that an app used on one phone may give different readings in certain circumstances than the same app used on another phone - particularly if the phones are from different manufacturers.

That would be a very interesting study!

My limited experience with a light meter app on two different versions is iPhone indicate that they were similar enough to themselves and to a trusted light meter. I gave up on it, though, and reverted to my “old reliables”...

runswithsizzers · Apr 22, 2020

Are cell phone apps able to provide anything like a reliable INCIDENT light reading, either with or without additional hardware? I believe all real light meters use some kind diffusing translucent plastic over the photo cell in incident mode (don't they?) - so I assume a cell phone app would need something similar? I rarely use my hand held meter to take reflective readings - on rare occasions I want a reading from a Zone 3 shadow, but I am far more likely to want an incident reading.

AndyH · Apr 22, 2020

MattKing said:
There are a number of advantages to purpose made light meters, but I wouldn't discount the usability of the cel phone apps.
My main concern with them is that the apps are generic, whereas the cel phones can vary widely.
So it may be the case that an app used on one phone may give different readings in certain circumstances than the same app used on another phone - particularly if the phones are from different manufacturers.

That's a great question, Matt. I have a number of high end meters and constantly check them against each other. I've found that my iPhone app is spot on, testing on a grey card. The problem I have is that the measured area varies from phone model to phone model. The shape and size of the "cone" changes every time they upgrade a phone, I think?

Andy

MattKing · Apr 22, 2020

At least the iPhones have a common designer. Our phones use Android operating systems, and there is an even greater potential for variation.

thuggins · Apr 22, 2020

1. If you're shooting slide film, you need an accurate meter. If you're shooting color print film you do not need a meter. For B&W, maybe.
2. Don't bother with any phone meter. I've tried many and they are all crap. The worst part is that they are not linear so you never know how far off you are.
3. In my experience selenium meters are much more reliable than CdS. I have several dozen meters. Nearly all of the selenium ones work, some may be a bit off. I think one CdS meter works and it's a Leica meter.
4, Shoe mounted meters really limit your selection. I have several and after initial enthusiasm never use them.
5. The answer is --> Ikophot. Got four of them, all dead nuts on. You should be able to get one for around 20 buck. Very easy to use.

AndyH · Apr 22, 2020

thuggins said:
1. If you're shooting slide film, you need an accurate meter. If you're shooting color print film you do not need a meter. For B&W, maybe.
2. Don't bother with any phone meter. I've tried many and they are all crap. The worst part is that they are not linear so you never know how far off you are.
3. In my experience selenium meters are much more reliable than CdS. I have several dozen meters. Nearly all of the selenium ones work, some may be a bit off. I think one CdS meter works and it's a Leica meter.
4, Shoe mounted meters really limit your selection. I have several and after initial enthusiasm never use them.
5. The answer is --> Ikophot. Got four of them, all dead nuts on. You should be able to get one for around 20 buck. Very easy to use.

This has not been my experience. Selenium cells lose responsiveness in a non-linear manner. CdS cells do not lose function at all - it's only the batteries that get unreliable and non-linear when you switch from mercury to silver oxide or alkaline replacements. I cross calibrate all of mine to "dead on balls accurate" (It's an industry term). I cross check with my DSLR meters as well, and test my iPhone meter with a grey card. The phone program has a linear response so if it's off 1/3 stop at low values it will also be 1/3 stop off at higher ones.

The hard thing with selenium meters is remembering the curve of responses as they age. I have a beautiful, mint condition Weston Master V that is 1/3 stop off with the high value screen locked back, but gradually rises from about 1/2 stop to nearly 2 stops at the higher ranges. In my experience the selenium meters are almost always low in their readings.

I do agree you that shoe mount meters are less accurate and more fiddly. The tiny Voigtlander shoe mount will be my next purchase, to use with my Barnack Leicas and unmetered Retinas.

I've bought a couple of Ikophots, from the fifties and sixties, but I don't think they're any more reliable than any other selenium meter - their accuracy depends mostly on the use they've had and on whether previous owners kept them covered when not in use. They seem beautifully made, but most on eBay are now in the 40 dollar range.

This just reflects my experience, of course, YMMV considerably....

Andy

Sirius Glass · Apr 22, 2020

For night photography I have been using the Jiffy Night Photography Calculator for great success especially with slides which need the exposure exactly correct. The price is FREE.

https://www.scribd.com/document/2604955/jiffy

Some cheaper light meter options...

Profdaydreamer

wy2l

BradS

MattKing

Moderator

Randy Stewart

MattKing

Moderator

runswithsizzers

ozphoto

MattKing

Moderator

runswithsizzers

jimjm

Dan Daniel

grain elevator

Paul Howell

Ariston

guangong

nsurit

MattKing

Moderator

BrianShaw

runswithsizzers

AndyH

MattKing

Moderator

thuggins

AndyH

Sirius Glass

Some cheaper light meter options...

Moderator

Moderator

Moderator

Moderator

Moderator

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency