suggest a reliable hand-held meter that uses modern batteries.

[darinwc]

I am looking for a good reliable hand-held meter that uses modern batteries.
Does not need to be fancy or have extra features.
Just very reliable and accurate of course.

i would prefer something that is small, but does not need to be tiny.

 

[Roger Thoms]

I'm sure there are many, but I'll start it off with the Gossen LunaPro SBC, takes a 9 volt smoke alarm battery.

Roger

 

[AgX]

My advise too. But it is anything but small.

 

[Slixtiesix]

Gossen Digisix

Edit: Look for the first version now that version 2 is released. It is more than good enough and might be found cheaper now.

 

[henry finley]

I use a Gossen Luna Pro (the original), which of course takes PX 625's. And I installed a little voltage regulator in it set to regulate for 2.7 volts from 2 357 batteries. GREAT meter. GREAT. I have 2 Luna-Pro SBC's, but I don't like null meters. Especially ones that eat 9 volt batteries like candy.

 

[Alan Gales]

The Gossen Digisix 2 combination incident and reflective meter available new at Adorama for $159.99. The meter takes a modern button cell 3V lithium CR 2032 battery.

If you want a spotmeter I would look at a use digital Pentax which takes a 4LR44 6V battery.

 

[Oren Grad]

Sekonic L-308. It's now on at least its fourth incarnation, as the L-308S. I have an original one which I've been stuffing into my pocket for more than ten years. Runs on a single AA battery, measures incident, reflected and flash. Just put mine on my postage scale - weighs all of 4 oz, with battery and strap.

 

[jp498]

L208 Sekonic. Mine's had the same CR2032 since I got it a couple years ago.

 

[darinwc]

Those look good. I will keep start looking.

One thing I like about the sekonic studio delux is the lumisphere faces towards me instead of away from me. Is there an updated version of this meter that takes modern batteries?

 

[summicron1]

why the fascination with batteries? I recently bought a sekonic studio deluxe III model L398A--- no batteries, supreme accuracy, incident or reflected, the dome swivels 180 degrees, is the size of a pack of cards and not much thicker.

and no batteries to replace. I bought this one because my old one, which was 40 years old, finally had so many broken pieces of the exterior from being dropped that i was worried dirt would hurt its accuracy, which never faltered.

 

[chriscrawfordphoto]

Those look good. I will keep start looking.

One thing I like about the sekonic studio delux is the lumisphere faces towards me instead of away from me. Is there an updated version of this meter that takes modern batteries?

The Studio Deluxe (L398) does not need batteries of any kind. Its solar powered. The great thing is the batteries never go bad when you're out working; the bad is that it has poor low-light sensitivity. I regularly work in light too dim for it, which is why I use a Minolta Flash Meter VI. Uses AA battery, has both incident metering and one-degree spot, and works in pretty low light. Its not small though, none of the good professional quality meters are. Sekonic did make a few AA powered shirt-pocket size digital incident meters like the Digilite F but they're not made anymore.

 

[AgX]

One thing I like about the sekonic studio delux is the lumisphere faces towards me instead of away from me.

Seems not a good idea to me: the photographer might shadow his own meter.

 

[tony lockerbie]

The Digisix is great, slips onto a hot shoe if you are in to that...also tells the temperature! I have a Starlite, that's not cheap, and the Sekonic Studio deluxe, which is not small. I believe that the old Lunasixes can be converted to S76 batteries, they are super reliable.

 

[Oren Grad]

Its not small though, none of the good professional quality meters are. Sekonic did make a few AA powered shirt-pocket size digital incident meters like the Digilite F but they're not made anymore.

http://www.sekonic.com/Products/L-308S/Overview.aspx

 

[Jeff Kubach]

While not small the Gossen Luna-Pro F is a good choice.

Jeff

 

[Roger Thoms]

While not small the Gossen Luna-Pro F is a good choice.

Jeff

Do you know what batteries the Luna-Pro F takes?

Roger

Ok, got off my lazy butt and spent the 50 or 60 sec. to do a search and figure it out myself. Takes a 9 volt battery.

 

[Jeff L]

I have a Sekonic 308 that is small and light. I like it.

 

[semi-ambivalent]

Do you know what batteries the Luna-Pro F takes?

Roger

I have a (broken) Luna Pro SBC, looks similar, takes a 9v radio battery. My vote's with Jeff for the 308. Plastic, feels a little cheap, probably not insanely robust, but mine has worked well.

s-a

 

[Roger Thoms]

I have a (broken) Luna Pro SBC, looks similar, takes a 9v radio battery. My vote's with Jeff for the 308. Plastic, feels a little cheap, probably not insanely robust, but mine has worked well.

s-a

I'll have to check out the 308, as I could use a nice small meter.

Roger

 

[Bill Burk]

L208 Sekonic. Mine's had the same CR2032 since I got it a couple years ago.

Great thing about the L208, even if you later acquire a bigger, better meter... This one will always have a place.

It is small, light and accurate.

I'm just tearing out my hair trying to figure out a Zone System dial for it.

Think I will design an acetate glue-on for the green match-needle.

 

[EASmithV]

Any Sekonic. I have an L-508 and its the best.

 

[ac12]

why the fascination with batteries?

There are meters out there (I have one) that use mercury batteries which are no longer available. The Wein zinc-air battery is a replacement, but according to the guys at the photo store, it only lasts about 3 months. And the alkaline replacements may or may not work well, because they are lower voltage than the mercury batteries. So I decided to upgrade the meter rather than buy batteries 4x a year.

So I switched to meters that uses easy to find batteries, and also had a flash meter capability.

Gossen Luna-Pro F - 9v rectangular battery (aka transistor radio battery for us old folks)
I also like the dial/needle combination, as it is easier to use than a digital meter. I can instantly see all the different f-stop+shutter speed combinations.

Minolta Autometer IV - AA battery

 

[Marc B.]

To the OP:
It would help to know if you need flash sync (a digital flash meter), and/or spot metering...your budget, too?

Marc

 

[250swb]

I would vote for the Gossen DigiPro F, it takes a single AA battery and unlike the Sekonic 308 can be set to aperture or shutter priority. The Sekonic can only be used as a shutter priority meter, so you can find yourself scrolling through the reading until you get to the aperture you want to use. As a reflectance meter you can also rotate the head of the Gossen to face the subject, on the Sekonic you have to turn the display away from you each time you take a reading. Small things, but they help if you need to work quickly.

Steve

 

[Alex Muir]

I just bought a Gossen Digipro F and would second the recomendation. It's quite a neat size, easy to use and takes one AA battery. It does everything except spot readings.