Weston Master II

Well I took a chance and bought a Master II off eBay today.It looks very nice in the photos.Said the needle reacts to light so we'll see if it was a good idea next week when it gets here.Only $16.76 shipped so eh?I'm actually looking forward to using it.

erikg said:

The Invercone converts the meter for use as an incident light meter, this will be true for the Master II as it is for all following Masters. My guess is that early manual was not written with the Invercone in mind, perhaps it had yet to be added as an option.
Quality Light Metric in Hollywood still works on these meters, and the price and turn around are very reasonable, exceptional even.

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Here's another vote for Quality Light Metrics. They do outstanding work, and the price and turnaround really are pretty reasonable. The meter comes back with a little yellow sticker attesting to the accuracy, exactly as one expects from a professional calibration lab. Of course, if you're not in the US it's probably a little pricey for shipping.

As for the invercone on a Master II, if you look at a Master II and a Master III you'll note that neither of them "indicate" the exposure. The needle measures light, and the readings on the two should match - invercone or no invercone. Mechanically there's no difference between the invercone for a II and III. They are the same part number. It's the same invercone. (Not so for the Master V. Different mechanics.)

What differs on the II and III is the calculator wheel. As someone pointed out earlier in the thread, to get good readings from a Master II just click the ASA rating down one notch on the calculator wheel. That's all that's required.

If you're shooting 100, set the calculator wheel at 80. If you're shooting 400, set the calculator wheel at 320. If you're shooting X, set the calculator wheel one notch slower and read it directly. The point to remember is that the calculator wheel is completely disconnected from the light meter portion. Adjusting the film speed setting wheel has absolutely no effect on the needle readings like it does on the meter on many SLRs. On the Westons the meter needle doesn't read out in exposure times. The calculator dial gives you the exposure times based on the light intensity read form the meter needle.

What I love about the old things is that I can look at a glance and see a range of corresponding aperture/time values in 1/3 stop increments for the light condition.

No, it won't do spot measurements. Use it for what it's good at.

I measure the shadows I want to preserve cleanly, rather than trying to measure the aggregate scene, and I set the exposure calculator wheel Zone 3 pointer to the needle reading based on that shadow measurement. Then, voila, I'm presented with a range of aperture/speed settings that will properly expose those shadows. Use modern film and I don't blow out the highlights.

Works for me. YMMV.

Well it's here.Appears to work well but I cannot test the accuracy because it's kinda cloudy today.We'll see tomorrow I think.Man this thing looks brand new.Now I need to read the booklet and learn how to use it.

EDIT:Well it may just be very accurate.It matches the meter in my AE-1.I'm happy.

Edit #2:I should add with the meter dial set to 80 and camera set at 100.

Ahhhhh............nevermind it's way off in the higher end of things.Off to Quality Light Metric with it.

I just bought a Weston Master II and all I can say is WOW!

Ditto for Quality Light Metrics. Regarding the Weston meters: An old lab rat told me that the instructions for use of the dial of the Weston meter was the best introduction to exposure ever written.

BTW, I have two Master Vs, one Euro-Master I, and one Ranger 9. FWIW, years ago a friend did a shot of me sitting on the rocks of THE beach in Carmel, holding my Ranger 9 up to the camera. His title is "John, Portrait with Weston, Carmel, 1996."

Yes after reading the instructions while waiting for my meter's return I have a bit better grasp of what I'm trying to do.I bought the Master II because it reads in candlefoot and it's like new.The dial really does put the zone system into perspective for me.Now if it only helps my results.

Everyone should note that the foot-candle meter on the Weston II and III are identical. The difference in the exposure calculations are all within the circular slide rule dial.

I have two Master III's, both calibrated to factory spec by QLM, and the meter on a Master II that I wound up with in a box of stuff from the Bay matches both of them perfectly.

As for results, I found that using a Weston gave me far better understanding, ergo I made better decisions about exposure. From that perspective it certainly helped results.

As I said earlier, what I do is meter the parts of the scene I want to fall in zone III, then set the calculator dial zone III at that reading. I generally do not meter for zone V.

I have a question about my Weston II...

I've noticed a big discrepancy between the reading with the gate closed (brighter light) and the gate open (low light). For instance, yesterday I was at a baseball game and with the gate closed it gave me 200 on the meter, ISO 100 (Weston 80). That indicated 1/100 @ f/12ish. Good enough for sunny 16. However, with the gate open, exposing the fly's eye looking glass, it gave me less than 50 on the meter.

I understand that their angles of view are different (I would be curious to know by exactly how much) but is there something else wrong? Can the top range of the needle be disproportionately affected?

I've used it successfully, but I'd like to nail down it's idiosyncrasies.

"I've noticed a big discrepancy between the reading with the gate closed (brighter light) and the gate open (low light). For instance, yesterday I was at a baseball game and with the gate closed it gave me 200 on the meter, ISO 100 (Weston 80). That indicated 1/100 @ f/12ish. Good enough for sunny 16. However, with the gate open, exposing the fly's eye looking glass, it gave me less than 50 on the meter."

If you have a reading of 200 in the normal mode, the needle should go off the scale above 50 in the low-light mode.

The Megatron Directors decided to retire from the business - sad news indeed. I have used them for 20 years plus and they are going to be missed, not just for Westons. They were a great bunch of knowledgeable people not to mention the wonderful Edyta Love.

I have been talking to Paul Bateson who owns OTC. He took over all the Megatron operations except the Weston Master stuff. Apparently he has had quite a few phone calls asking if he will be looking after Westons but he is not going to. However he did mention there was a chap down in Poole who did work on Westons and was going to get back to me.

Well I heard back from Paul earlier this week - not good news:

"Hi Andy

No joy I’m afraid. He wasn’t on the south coast after all – but in Colchester. I got the impression he might have some cells but it transpired he had bought a couple in the past to repair his own meter.

So only current options are George in California or John D Esq.

I have started trawling the internet and there are instruments out there still using selenium photocells – but no idea where they are getting them from – though I suspect there may be a company out in India making them. If I succeed in tracking anyone down then they will no doubt need an old cell to copy!"

Megatron made the cells themselves. Stems from when they took over production of the Weston back in 1984-1985. They made three types of the cells.

So looks like we are down to two sources who know and understand these meters properly. I will probably go with George in the US as he has been repairing/servicing for many years and looks after a lot of the studio's gear and the Weston is popular with Cinematographers still.

jmcd said:

"I've noticed a big discrepancy between the reading with the gate closed (brighter light) and the gate open (low light). For instance, yesterday I was at a baseball game and with the gate closed it gave me 200 on the meter, ISO 100 (Weston 80). That indicated 1/100 @ f/12ish. Good enough for sunny 16. However, with the gate open, exposing the fly's eye looking glass, it gave me less than 50 on the meter."

If you have a reading of 200 in the normal mode, the needle should go off the scale above 50 in the low-light mode.

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You're right, but the needle is below the 50, hence my concern.

I just stepped out and tested it some more. It's not terribly discrepant, but it seems that when there is overlap, they're never spot on identical

Recently bought a weston master v, checked it against my sekonic and it is spot on, it is near mint and a joy to use, I use it all the time now, my sekonic sits at home to be used witm my studio flash,Richard

I've done a good bit of research about selenium cells meters lately.When they go bad from age it begins as a non linear response to light.It has a lot to do with how they work.holmburgers I'd just send it off to be repaired while George still has parts.Well worth the money and time.

There is a test procedure.Go outdoors between 10AM-2PM on a sunny day,no haze/clouds.Point the meter to the northern sky.Should read about 230,halfway up the scale on high.

And I'm going to buy a couple more Master II/III and have them repaired.From what I've read when cared for properly they're good for 25 years or so.I'm 51 so that'll probably do me OK.Most likely have to make our own film in the next 10 years or so.

One of the guys ay Megatron advised me that to prolong their life make sure you keep them in their case - if you have it - or in a light proof pouch when not in use. It is OK to have them in your pocket whilst out shooting for a day but constant exposure to light will shorten the life of the cell slowly but surely.

Selenium cells do not age that way. Constant exposure to light does nothing permanent to them.
They only go bad when air and mositure (or whatever other nastiness you can think of) is allowed to corrode them.
So what to do is make sure that the sealed 'pod' (usually glass) they are put in isn't damaged.

What happens very often is that the leads running in and out of that sealed pod corrode and break the seal.
And then the cell doesn't survive for very long.
But other than that: indestructable.

I bought a weston master ii from a lady at the local swap meet. She gave it to me for a buck because she didn't know what it is . I have used mine for everything and it never fails me. I just set the film speed one notch lower for whatever film speed I am using and it works great. I have a nicely scanned instruction manual file if anyone wants it.

For many years, I used nothing else. I have had, and expect I can find them all if I look hard enough, a I, II, III, IV, and a V. I started with the IV in 1964, got it brand new. At one time, I started worrying about what to do, since I expected that the cells wouldn't last forever, and bought a Gossen Luna Pro F, since I was doing lots of work with flash at the time, too. I like the null reading feature a lot. I despise digital meters, digital clocks, and cameras that have liquid crystal displays with numbers on them. Gimme a dial.

Yes, the Weston meter dial is a fantastic tool. In AA's early basic photo books (the five volume set) he explores it thoroughly. At least one school I worked at had a really large version of it made of stiff cardboard for demonstration purposes.

Actually, I believe I have also a very early pre-master Weston which still has a calibration ticket. I bought it in the late '70's at a camera store in Port Townshend Washington. It appears not to have been used as the calibration ticket is attached with a string. It is a rectangular brick shaped thing (smaller than a brick, though, and a lot lighter) made of bakelite or something similar. It is laid out horizontally with the meter face on one side, and a dial on the other. As I recall, the dial isn't the same as the Master dial.

Guess I'd best have one or more of these things serviced while I still can.