What model light meter shout I buy?

[lahnet]

I need to buy a light meter to use together with my Yashica Mat EM camera (I am still waiting for it to arrive).

It shout be:
Easy to use.
Lightweight.
Precise and reliable.
I prefer it to be from late 60 - early 70 to match the camera.
Easy to buy/find
Cheap(?)

Thank you
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Henrik
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[Orio]

I don't know what model to suggest, but I have always been very happy of the precision of my Gossen meters.
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[Jesito]

I join Orio in his opinion. I got a SIXON GOSSEN that has been stored for many years and I recovered it a year ago or so, and it's precise and easy to use.
In any case, forget about the Selenium ones (that ones without a battery). The Selenium cell degrades with age and nowadays most of them are useless. I bought one for my daughter and we can barely measure the light by setting the ISO to 4 times less than the marked (i.e. set to 50 for 400 measuring).

Jes.
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Jesito's backsack:
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[bob955i]

Either the Weston Master V or Gossen Lunasix 3 would do if you need/want a period look.

The Weston uses a selenium cell and needs no batteries although you need to make sure it's still accurate. For a selenium meter, the Weston appears to be quite long lived unlike others.

http://www.johndesq.com/pinhole/westonmasterV.htm

The Lunasix 3 (or Luna Pro for the US) uses two mercury cells but you can buy an adapter that allows the use of silver oxide cells instead. There are two types of Lunasix 3 - the early grey coloured type, and the later black versions; the grey would look a bit more authentic than the black but Gossen no longer have spares for the grey models.

They're also quite large instruments....

Grey model with spot attachment - the black versions are essentially similar:

http://www.vitalspirit.be/afbeeldingen/gos-luna6-1_img.jpg

I have the black Lunasix and a Master V - if you want additional pix let me know.
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"The badger winks twice before the cheese explodes!"


DSLR: Canon EOS 5D
SLR: Ihagee Exa (V4), Exakta VX, Exakta Varex VX, Exakta Varex IIa, Exakta Varex IIb, Exakta VX 1000, Pentacon F, Pentacon FM, Pentacon FBM, Praktica BC-1, Voigtländer Bessaflex TM black
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[A G Photography]

I also need one sooner or later because the selenium "el cheapo" one that i use (a Hanimex) seems reliable but I'm always fearful of its mesurations while I don't want to take out the HUGE Minolta Flash Meter IV I use for studio shots.
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Alessandro

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CZJ m42: Flektogon 35/2.8, Tessar 40/4.5, Tessar 50/2.8, Pancolar 50/1.8, Biotar 58/2, Sonnar 135/3.5, Triotar 135/4
CZJ P6: Flektogon 50/4, Biometar 80/2.8, Biometar 120/2.8, Sonnar 180/2.8
Meyer-Pentacon: Pentacon 29/2.8, Lydith 30/3.5, Primagon 35/4.5, Helioplan 40/4.5, Domiplan 50/2.8, Primotar 50/3.5, Oreston 50/1.8, Primoplan 58/1.9, Orestor 100/2.8, Trioplan 100/2.8, Helioplan 135/4.5, Orestor 135/2.8, Pentacon 135/2.8, Primotar 135/3.5, Primotar 180/3.5, Telemegor 180/5.5, Orestegor 200/4, Pentacon 200/4, Telemegor 300/4.5, Telemegor 400/5.5
Schneider-Kreuznach: Curtagon 28/4, Curtagon 35/2.8, Xenon 50/1.9, Xenar 50/2.8, Tele Xenar 135/3.5
Russians: Mir-I 37/2.8, Volna-9 50/2.8, Industar-50 50/3.5, Helios 44-2 58/2, Helios 44-M-4 58/2, Volna-3 80/2.8, Jupiter 11 135/4
Others: Chinon-Tomioka 55/1.4, Helios 28/2.8, Isco Iscotar 50/2.8, Konica Hexanon 40/1.8, Ludwig Meritar 50/2.9, Schact Travegon 35/3.5, Sekor 55/1.8, Sigma MF 28/2.8, S-Takumar, 28/3.5, S-Takumar 55/2, Vivitar 135/2.8, Yashica Yashinon DX 50/1.4, Zuiko MC Auto-W 28/2.8

[bob955i]

Plenty of choice for you then Alessandro as you probably don't need a historically accurate kit.

Don't know about you but I prefer meters where you set the dials and thus see all of the available f-stop/shutter speed settings at a glance.
_________________
"The badger winks twice before the cheese explodes!"


DSLR: Canon EOS 5D
SLR: Ihagee Exa (V4), Exakta VX, Exakta Varex VX, Exakta Varex IIa, Exakta Varex IIb, Exakta VX 1000, Pentacon F, Pentacon FM, Pentacon FBM, Praktica BC-1, Voigtländer Bessaflex TM black
Medium Format: Mamiya RB67 Pro-S, Pentacon Six TL, Yashica 635
Rangefinder: Rank-Mamiya 4B
Bridge: Minolta DiMage 7i
P&S: Olympus XA-3
Lenses by the following makers:
Carl Zeiss Jena, Carl Zeiss Oberkochen, Hanimex, Mamiya, Meyer Optik Görlitz, Pentacon, Prakticar, Schneider-Kreuznach, Sigma, Super Paragon

Gear junkies look here

[lulalake]

I agree with Orio, older Gossens are great. I use a Gossen Pilot (60's ish) it's as accurate as my 40D. This shot was taken with it's readings, 1/250th, F8, asa200.

Here's mine (A selenium meter)



They go for 9-20USD on eBay

Jules
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Heisenberg may have slept here.

[Orio]

[bob955i]

If you want a traditional looking meter Orio then it's the Lunasix 3 - Gossen made an adapter that allows you to use two 1.5v SR44 silver oxide cells in place of the original two PX625 mercury cells. The most recent version of this meter, the Lunasix 3S has recently been discontinued AFAIK but Gossen can still service it and the previous black Lunasix 3 model if necessary, unlike the older grey coloured versions of the Lunasix 3. There was also a spot attachment made for it with two selectable angles of 7 and 15 degrees.

Or if you don't mind a combination of digital readout but analogue dials, there's the Digisix which is still current and takes a CR2032 3v lithium cell. Doesn't do spot though if that's a consideration, but you can attach it to a hotshoe if need be via a optional accessory clip:
http://www.gossen-photo.de/pdf/flyer_digisix_gb.pdf

There's also the Digiflash which takes the same battery as the Digisix:
http://www.gossen-photo.de/pdf/flyer_digiflash_gb.pdf
_________________
"The badger winks twice before the cheese explodes!"


DSLR: Canon EOS 5D
SLR: Ihagee Exa (V4), Exakta VX, Exakta Varex VX, Exakta Varex IIa, Exakta Varex IIb, Exakta VX 1000, Pentacon F, Pentacon FM, Pentacon FBM, Praktica BC-1, Voigtländer Bessaflex TM black
Medium Format: Mamiya RB67 Pro-S, Pentacon Six TL, Yashica 635
Rangefinder: Rank-Mamiya 4B
Bridge: Minolta DiMage 7i
P&S: Olympus XA-3
Lenses by the following makers:
Carl Zeiss Jena, Carl Zeiss Oberkochen, Hanimex, Mamiya, Meyer Optik Görlitz, Pentacon, Prakticar, Schneider-Kreuznach, Sigma, Super Paragon

Gear junkies look here

[lahnet]

Wow thank you very much. Very useful advises from all of you.

What is the German word for light meter, I only get US items searching on eBay
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Henrik
Lahnet-Foto
My FLICKR
Lens list

[A G Photography]

[Richard_D]

I use a Leningrad 4 - selenium but seems reliable
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Richard

The interesting bit:

Nikkors: 20mm f2.8 AIS, 24mm f2.8 AIS, 28mm f2.8 AIS, 35mm f2.8 AIS, 50mm f1.4 AI, 50mm f1.48AI, 50m f2 AI,
55mm f3.5 AI'd, 105mm f4 AI, 135mm f2.8 AI'd, 135mm f3.5 AI'd, 200mm f4 AI'd, 300mm f4.5 AIS .
Nikon E Series: 100mm f2.8 .
Soviet Nikon Mount: Jupiter 9 (85mm f2), Mir-24N (35mm f2),
Tair-11a (135mm f2.8 ) .
Other: Meyer-Gorlitz Trioplan 100mm f2.8 (M42), Asahi Super Takumar 55 mm f2 (M42) ,Tokina 17mm f3.5 (AIS), Tamron 300mm f5.6 SP, Tamron 500mm f8 SP, Tamron 70-210 3.5(constant) .

DSLR: Nikon D200. 35mm SLRsNikon FE, Nikon EL2, Pentax S1a.

Sub-Minature: Pentax Auto 110, 18mm f2.8, 24mm f2.8, 50mm f2.8.

More to come...