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Explore the world of vintage lenses through repair notes, real test shots, and detailed archive threads packed with images.

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What's your favourite light meter
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Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 6:14 am
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Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 6:14 am
Post subject: What's your favourite light meter
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I've got a modern Sekonic, but there are some bargain vintage meters out there.

What do you use and what do you like about it?


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Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 6:18 am
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Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 6:18 am
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Ancient Weston Master III. Reliable and accurate, and if it dies, they are still repairable.

It helps that I got it for six quid complete with everything Very Happy


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Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 7:45 am
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Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 7:45 am
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Even with the invercone?


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Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 7:55 am
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Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 7:55 am
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Meter, invercone, ND filter (not used on later models), and two cases (one for the meter alone, one for the meter plus cone and filter).

The only downside is that it's calibrated in Weston values, which is easy to convert (0.8 x ASA)


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Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 8:33 am
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Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 8:33 am
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I use all these for different purposes.

1. Color meter, Gossen Sixticolor and Minolta Color Meter II, for checking correct color temperature and correct color correction filters required. This is particular useful for color reversal film shot;

2. Spot meter, Minolta spotmeter, for visualizing contrast of the scene. This is particular useful if you use Adams Andsel's Zone System;

3. General purpose exposure meter, Minolta flash meter IV and Sekonic L608, these meters can take incident reading as well as reflective reading. The incident reading is taken to the subject and making use of dome to reduce exposure by 2 stops, this is particular useful for reversal film and digital photography;

4. Various clamp on meters, Leica MR-4 and Pentax Meter, for integration with camera that has no built-in meters;

5. Miniature meters, like Sekonic Twinmate L-208 and Voigtlander VC-2, are non-bulky and handy for taking casual reflective measurement;

6. Spot metering and average metering for Large Format metering can be taken at the film plane by Sinar Booster 1 (to use with Minolta Flashmeter IV) and Horseman Exposure Meter 45 respectively. This is particular useful for macro-work where bellow factor can be forgotten.



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Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 8:43 am
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Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 8:43 am
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amoebahydra wrote:
I use all these for different purposes.

1. Color meter, Gossen Sixticolor and Minolta Color Meter II, for checking correct color temperature and correct color correction filters required. This is particular useful for color reversal film shot;

2. Spot meter, Minolta spotmeter, for visualizing contrast of the scene. This is particular useful if you use Adams Andsel's Zone System;

3. General purpose exposure meter, Minolta flash meter IV and Sekonic L608, these meters can take incident reading as well as reflective reading. The incident reading is taken to the subject and making use of dome to reduce exposure by 2 stops, this is particular useful for reversal film and digital photography;

4. Various clamp on meters, Leica MR-4 and Pentax Meter, for integration with camera that has no built-in meters;

5. Miniature meters, like Sekonic Twinmate L-208 and Voigtlander VC-2, are non-bulky and handy for taking casual reflective measurement;

6. Spot metering and average metering for Large Format metering can be taken at the film plane by Sinar Booster 1 (to use with Minolta Flashmeter IV) and Horseman Exposure Meter 45 respectively. This is particular useful for macro-work where bellow factor can be forgotten.


Yep, I think you have it pretty well covered Shocked


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Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 8:58 am
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Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 8:58 am
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I found for me best light meter an another camera with built in light meter Confused currently I dedicated as light meter a Konica FS-1 body with 50mm lens.


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Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 9:03 am
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Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 9:03 am
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I go with available light, not too complicated to do with f/16 rule as long as there's no flash involved. I have the Voigtländer VC Meter II, http://www.robertwhite.co.uk/product.asp?P_ID=971&PT_ID=292 which is very handy on the meterless rangefinders (Zeiss Super Ikonta, Ikonta and Leica M4-2)


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Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 9:28 am
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Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 9:28 am
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amoebahydra> That's an impressive collection.


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Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 11:29 am
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Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 11:29 am
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GrahamNR17 wrote:
Meter, invercone, ND filter (not used on later models), and two cases (one for the meter alone, one for the meter plus cone and filter).

The only downside is that it's calibrated in Weston values, which is easy to convert (0.8 x ASA)


I thought the Weston III film speeds were actually ASA values, even if it still said Weston on the meter. Not that it makes much difference - !


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Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 11:44 am
Post subject: Re: What's your favourite light meter
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Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 11:44 am
Post subject: Re: What's your favourite light meter
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martinsmith99 wrote:
I've got a modern Sekonic, but there are some bargain vintage meters out there.

What do you use and what do you like about it?


I still use a Weston V and a Weston EuroMaster - both read exactly the same and work fine with slide film. Westons seem to give a 'lean' reading which is exactly what you need with reversal material. And digital.

And I have a 1960 vintage Zeiss Ikophot which gives a 'generous' reading which is good for colour neg films. It has a really lovely leather case - I wonder who made those cases?

I also have a cds Metrastar which has a built-in viewfinder and reads on about the same angle of coverage as a 135mm lens on 35mm fullframe (ca. 18 degrees). It's very good, but uses the old mercury PX 625 battery.


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Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 12:06 pm
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Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 12:06 pm
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I have never been let down once by the readings of my Gossen meters.

However I am also using a Sekonic Twinmate L-208 for it's small size and portability. I don't trust it as my Gossens, but for negative B&W and colour, coupled with my experience, is surely enough.


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Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 12:14 pm
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Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 12:14 pm
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Orio wrote:
However I am also using a Sekonic Twinmate L-208 for it's small size and portability. I don't trust it as my Gossens, but for negative B&W and colour, coupled with my experience, is surely enough.

I hear that reflective metering is inaccurate with the Twinmate. Is this your finding too?


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Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 1:11 pm
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Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 1:11 pm
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I like my two Gossens - the wee Pilot in its grey case, and a Luna Lux SBC with the big 9v battery. It has a simplistic over/on/under set of lights but works well. The Pilot is cute but mainly is good for daylight.

Typically I take a couple of baseline readings and then use dead reckoning for the rest of the time. A habit I got into with the Pen FT.


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Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 2:47 pm
Post subject: Re: What's your favourite light meter
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Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 2:47 pm
Post subject: Re: What's your favourite light meter
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martinsmith99 wrote:
I've got a modern Sekonic, but there are some bargain vintage meters out there.

What do you use and what do you like about it?

The main meter is a Luna SBC Pro - dead reliable and no oddball unobtainable batteries, a standard 9v PP3, as was fitted to millions of tranny radios.
Otherwise - a pair of old batteryless selenium meters; a Hanimex Sekonic and a Horvex 2. Both of which are within half a stop of the Luna - not bad for 50 year old cells.


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Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 3:50 pm
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Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 3:50 pm
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martinsmith99 wrote:
Orio wrote:
However I am also using a Sekonic Twinmate L-208 for it's small size and portability. I don't trust it as my Gossens, but for negative B&W and colour, coupled with my experience, is surely enough.

I hear that reflective metering is inaccurate with the Twinmate. Is this your finding too?


Mine is working perfectly, however, you must be aware of where the meter point to. The meter has indication showing the metering direction and you have to point a little bit downward in order to prevent direct sunlight falling to the sensor.


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Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 4:05 pm
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Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 4:05 pm
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martinsmith99 wrote:
Orio wrote:
However I am also using a Sekonic Twinmate L-208 for it's small size and portability. I don't trust it as my Gossens, but for negative B&W and colour, coupled with my experience, is surely enough.

I hear that reflective metering is inaccurate with the Twinmate. Is this your finding too?


I can not tell yet, I will let you know after some more rolls.


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Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 4:08 pm
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Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 4:08 pm
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I have had my Weston Master V since 1964. It was repaired once, about ten years later, to free a sticking needle. Since then, it has worked reliably and constantly. It gives the same reflected light readings as my Sekonic L308. I use it mostly in incident light mode, and choose it before any other meter. In fact, the only reason I got the Sekonic is because the Westons aren't all that good at measuring flash.


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Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 6:53 pm
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Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 6:53 pm
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I have got three lightmeters:

- Porst Junior (a very compact battery powered one - 70s - works well, nice!)
- EAW Fotolux II (very old - early 60s - no battery but surprisingly enough it still works Shocked But to be honest I do not completely trust it.)
- Gossen LunaSix 3 (works perfectly! I completely trust it.)

Last edited by LucisPictor on Thu Nov 19, 2009 8:46 am; edited 1 time in total


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Posted: Sat May 09, 2009 2:05 pm
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Posted: Sat May 09, 2009 2:05 pm
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Well, it looks like I've just added a Lenningrad 4 to my collection.

I hate this site! Laughing Laughing Laughing Laughing


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Posted: Sat May 09, 2009 3:36 pm
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Posted: Sat May 09, 2009 3:36 pm
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HAHAAAAA, something else to collect Laughing

I like the little Lenningrad meters, simple and always seem to work. Did you get the little opal incidence snap-on with it?


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Posted: Sat May 09, 2009 6:21 pm
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Posted: Sat May 09, 2009 6:21 pm
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LucisPictor wrote:
I have got three lightmeters:

- Porst Junior (a very compact battery powered one - 70s - works well, nice!)
- EAW Fotolux II (very old - early 60s - no battery but surprisingly enough it still works Shocked But to be honest I do not completely trust it.)
- Gossen LunaSix 3 (works perfectly! I complete trust it.)


Which battery do you use for Lunasix ?


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Posted: Sat May 09, 2009 7:15 pm
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Posted: Sat May 09, 2009 7:15 pm
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GrahamNR17 wrote:
HAHAAAAA, something else to collect Laughing


Help me!

I like the little Lenningrad meters, simple and always seem to work. Did you get the little opal incidence snap-on with it?[/quote]

Yes, it has the white doofer I believe. Though I though the opal cover would be for reflective metering?


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Posted: Sun May 10, 2009 9:01 am
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Posted: Sun May 10, 2009 9:01 am
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Attila wrote:
LucisPictor wrote:
I have got three lightmeters:

- Porst Junior (a very compact battery powered one - 70s - works well, nice!)
- EAW Fotolux II (very old - early 60s - no battery but surprisingly enough it still works Shocked But to be honest I do not completely trust it.)
- Gossen LunaSix 3 (works perfectly! I complete trust it.)


Which battery do you use for Lunasix ?


UCAR EPX625G


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Posted: Sun May 10, 2009 9:07 am
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Posted: Sun May 10, 2009 9:07 am
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martinsmith99 wrote:
GrahamNR17 wrote:
HAHAAAAA, something else to collect Laughing


Help me!

I like the little Lenningrad meters, simple and always seem to work. Did you get the little opal incidence snap-on with it?


Yes, it has the white doofer I believe. Though I though the opal cover would be for reflective metering?[/quote]

That's the equiv. of an Invercone on a Weston Wink
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