Which light meter to get?

1kgcoffee · May 19, 2017

I'm looking for something a little less awkward than my phone.

Something durable.

Capable of spot metering.

Not super expensive. I like soviet cameras, wouldn't mind getting a commie one.

What do you folks suggest?

RalphLambrecht · May 19, 2017

1kgcoffee said:
I'm looking for something a little less awkward than my phone.

Something durable.

Capable of spot metering.

Not super expensive. I like soviet cameras, wouldn't mind getting a commie one.

What do you folks suggest?

Depending on your type of work an ambient/flash combination may be more important than spot metering,which really calls for a dedicated spotmeter.

Leigh B · May 19, 2017

I strongly recommend the Sekonic L-558 meter.

It does everything, including incident, ambient, flash, and spot.
It reads exposures for multiple sources, and evaluates balance.

They bumped the model number to 758 and added $200 to the price, but added no significant features. Don't waste your money on the 758. Get the 558. Great meter.

- Leigh

tedr1 · May 19, 2017

Check out the Pentax Spotmeter V, these are beautifully made and simple to use, they change hands on ebay.com for about US$100. There is a custom scale that can be added to the exposure calculating dial that converts the stops into zones.

AgX · May 19, 2017

Seen your preferences you might like the Sverdlovsk 4.

Sirius Glass · May 20, 2017

The Sekonic Flashmate L-308S is small light, does incident and reflective light readings as well as the flash readings. It is capable of giving EV readings should you have a camera that uses them.

anfenglin · May 20, 2017

If you want to go completely commie, get a Weimarlux cds.
I am very happy with my Goosen Digisix, it is tiny and has all I need.

Sewin · Jun 22, 2017

AgX said:
Seen your preferences you might like the Sverdlovsk 4.

Wish I'd never sold mine, quite difficult to get hold of. I now use a little hot shoe mounted Walz meter on a back to basics Zenit B.

etn · Jun 22, 2017

If you want something really light and you are willing to give up spot metering, the Voigtlander VC meter II is awesome and small, "spot on but no spot". Particularly good on rangefinders.

For spot meters, my suggestion would be to look at one of the 3 modern ones, (in no particular order of preference):

Gossen Starlite - probably the most streamlined user interface for basic functions. No indication in spot viewfinder.
Sekonic 758 (or earlier model) - the most complete in terms of functions, user interface possibly a bit complex
Kenko 2100 or 2200 (carried over from Minolta) - perhaps in the middle in terms of user interface complexity

They are all convenient, precise, and run for ages out of a single battery. I have the Kenko 2100, bought used for ~$230, and have been pleased with it. They run for about $600 new. (look on the used market)

Sekonic just introduced a new model, the 858, which seems to be a monster of a meter (in a positive sense). Unfortunately, from reading the user manual, it seems to lack a simple EV display of the measurement. This is a real bummer for us analog shooters, in particular with cameras heavily relying on EV settings (Hasselblad, etc.) I will try to see it in a store to confirm this fact, but I haven't seen it in stores around here yet.

Hope this helps!
Etienne

RalphLambrecht · Jun 22, 2017

1kgcoffee said:
I'm looking for something a little less awkward than my phone.

Something durable.

Capable of spot metering.

Not super expensive. I like soviet cameras, wouldn't mind getting a commie one.

What do you folks suggest?

You cannot beat a Gosen Lunastar F

John Wiegerink · Jun 26, 2017

RalphLambrecht said:
You cannot beat a Gosen Lunastar F

Ralph,
I'll second that. I've used all kinds of first class meters, but my meter now is the Gossen Luna-Star F and I don't need more. All the other meters seemed harder to handle and some were much bigger. I got mine while I was still shooting weddings and such and found it's flash metering and My Hasselblad were made for each other. I got it when the first came out and it has been working great ever since. I also obtain the optional 5 degree spot attachment for it. Everything in one handy package smaller than a pack of smokes. I'd buy another if this one ever pukes or I lose it.

carylee2002 · Jul 10, 2017

I have a Pentax Digital Spotmeter that is setup for the zone system. I also own a modified pentax V with zone setup also. Both are excellent. You definitely need to have it calibrated by a qualified tech to make sure it all works. I used Quality Light and Camera here in Hollywood.

M Carter · Jul 11, 2017

If you need a spot meter with an optical viewer, that gets you into a different size; there aren't many that have incident and an optical-spot system, so unless you're doing serious zone system stuff, think about it carefully as those are pricey meters. You can get a used pistol-style spot meter fairly affordably these days (for spot metering with flash, the price leaps back up).

If you want a pro-caliber incident meter with flash and ambient, another vote here for the Sekonic 308 - I've had mine for 2 decades now, they're still made, they're about the size of a deck of cards, very simple but most everything you need. They even do flash metering without a cable so they're really convenient. Under $200.

I'd be wary of anything really antique or "vintage" unless you have a good meter to test against.

Gerald C Koch · Jul 11, 2017

Selenium meters are harmed by long exposure to light. When not in use they should be returned to their cases or kept in a dimly lit situation

Selenium cells have a memory. When used in bright light they need a bit of time to adopt to dim light and give correct readings.

Selenium cells react to the visible spectrum in a similar way as the human eye. Other cells may have a higher sensitivity to blue light.

Chan Tran · Jul 11, 2017

For meter get a good one or nothing. Bad meters are worse than no meter.

Which light meter to get?

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