Light meter recommendations

lxmike · 10-09-2012

What light meter would you recomend to a person that was on a limited budget, I'd be going down the second hand route, (as usual), any help greatfully appreciated

Kenj8246 · 10-09-2012

Gossen Luna Pro has been good to me. Also have a little Sekonic L-208 but it's over a hundred new.

unixrevolution · 10-09-2012

Are you looking for an incident, spot, or reflective meter?

I have 2 Soligor spot sensor IIs and they are wonderful. If you want an all-rounder, the Sekonic L-558 comes high on the list.

For simple reflective metering, I usually go with a Weston or GE PR-1 selenium, or my iPhone with lightmeter app.

Gumby · 10-09-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kenj8246

Gossen Luna Pro has been good to me.

ditto 7890

brainwood · 10-09-2012

I have been using a Weston master V for many years . Simple to use and read and cheap as well . £30 - £40 should get a nice one with invercone for incident reading

ray*j*gun · 10-09-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kenj8246

Gossen Luna Pro has been good to me. Also have a little Sekonic L-208 but it's over a hundred new.

I will second that selection... I have both and they are accurate and reliable.

waynec · 10-09-2012

Watch out for the EV range. Many older meters couldn't go under EV3 so if your a low light shooter you'll have to figure it out in your head. Also, I have personally not seen a second hand meter that couldn't use a cla immediately or within a couple of months; Maybe it's just me or just people selling me junk.
The Gossen Luna Pro's are nice, just a little big, and there are attachments, but spot wise I'd go with a true spot meter if you need that function. For a good all around meter with capabilities, of which I have seen over the last year at decent prices, the Minolta IV is very capable. I especially like the rotating head and it's easy to meter a face and balance lights when shooting studio stuff. It also has a memory function for dual readings and averaging. Good in the hand too.

Vics · 10-09-2012

I second the Sekonic L308s. Reflected, incident, flash with or without cord, small and pocketable. About $180 used. Minolta spotmeter M is less about $160 used, but no incident or flash metering. Source: KEH.

Godfrey · 10-09-2012

The one I use most is an oldish Sekonic L328. I prefer incident reading meters. I've been wanting an L358 for a while now.

dschal · 10-09-2012

The Voigtlander VC meter is pretty useful too.

lxmike · 10-09-2012

many many thanks gentlemen, I'll keep an eye out on fleabay and follow up your recommendations

Chriscrawfordphoto · 10-09-2012

I have four handheld meters, and have owned a number of others over the years. Here's my advice. Avoid old meters like the Gossen Luna Pro, Weston meters, or GE meters. They are often very old, few of them are still accurate. The Westons and GE meters were made from the 1930s to the 1960s. The newest ones are 50 years old. These are electrical devices that do wear out, unlike old mechanical cameras that often just need a CLA. The Luna Pro came out around 1960; the last ones were made in the early 2000s, so the later ones are still very good and reliable. Look for the Luna Pro S, this was the final version of the old Luna Pro design.

My recommendation for a good reliable meter is a used modern digital meter. Any digital model by Minolta, Gossen, or Sekonic is good. Many of them are available for $100 or so. It costs about that much to have an ancient meter serviced, and the modern meters are a lot more accurate anyway, even if the old meter has been serviced.

If you do any studio work, or ever want to, you'll want a flash meter. Most modern meters can meter flash. I use the Minolta Flash Meter VI for most of my work. Its an expensive meter, even used, and is overkill for most people. I like it because it has a built in spotmeter and does incident metering too. Sekonic makes several models with built in spotmetering plus incident meter. They're good too.

taskoni · 10-09-2012

I have never used a meter outdoors and was using friend's meters in studio. There's a big chance that if you have shot enough without one you don't need one.

Regards,

Boris

Classique · 10-09-2012

I recommend Gossen Digisix as some suggested above. I was able to pick up a used one for $90 on ebay. It is practically new with case, cover, instruction and lanyard. I've been using it with meterless cams and work very well, even in darker situations.

Before that I had Luna Pro SBC (which I just sold for a bit more than what I paid for digisix) which was very accurate but a big too big for me to lug around.

icebear · 10-09-2012

+1 for the little Gossen Digisix. Fits in pocket and is reliable. Keep a spare batterie at hand though.

venchka · 10-09-2012

Gossen Luna-Pro sbc. Got mine for $50 with case. No signs that it had ever been used. Works perfectly. A friend of mine has had a pair of them since forever. Same story. They work fine. They run on common 9v batteries. Battery life is just shy of forever.
My backups are a Weston Master V with Invercone. Still working fine. Minolta Auto-Meter IV. A good meter with a 10 degree spot attachment & a flash meter as well. I can't get on with the digital readout. I much prefer an analog dial.
The best meter you can buy lurks inside a Leica M5.

Wayne

Chriscrawfordphoto · 10-09-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by taskoni

I have never used a meter outdoors and was using friend's meters in studio. There's a big chance that if you have shot enough without one you don't need one.

Regards,

Boris

Absolutely false. RFF is filled with people who claim that they do not need a meter (and they're shooting old cameras that do not have one built in). It shows in the quality of their work. Why half-ass things? The photo world is so competitive, why put yourself at a disadvantage just so you can thump you chest in some silly ego trip.

I've been shooting for almost 30 years. I still use a meter, every time. The kind of lighting where it is easy to guess exposure is the ugliest light. In early mornings and late evenings, as well as night work and indoor work, it is impossible for anyone to accurately guess exposure consistently.

In fact, a good meter is so vital to producing consistently high image quality that I'll go so far as to say that even trying to save money by buying an old or cheap one is just plain stupid. Indefensible. The people here who brag about not using meters often have thousands, even tens of thousands of dollars tied up in expensive Leica lenses and bodies. Trying to save $400 by not having a good meter is like driving my Crown Victoria without changing the oil because I don't wanna spend $20 on an oil change.

Landshark · 10-09-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chriscrawfordphoto

Absolutely false. RFF is filled with people who claim that they do not need a meter (and they're shooting old cameras that do not have one built in). It shows in the quality of their work. Why half-ass things? The photo world is so competitive, why put yourself at a disadvantage just so you can thump you chest in some silly ego trip.

I've been shooting for almost 30 years. I still use a meter, every time. The kind of lighting where it is easy to guess exposure is the ugliest light. In early mornings and late evenings, as well as night work and indoor work, it is impossible for anyone to accurately guess exposure consistently.

In fact, a good meter is so vital to producing consistently high image quality that I'll go so far as to say that even trying to save money by buying an old or cheap one is just plain stupid. Indefensible. The people here who brag about not using meters often have thousands, even tens of thousands of dollars tied up in expensive Leica lenses and bodies. Trying to save $400 by not having a good meter is like driving my Crown Victoria without changing the oil because I don't wanna spend $20 on an oil change.

Different strokes, etc.

matt_mcg2 · 10-09-2012

Gossen Luna Pro's are huge. I had a Luna Pro SBC, which worked well, but it was the size of most of my cameras. Just too big to be an easy carry. So I always ended up taking a Weston Euromaster [which worked well and was accurate], or when I broke the Weston, a Sekonic L308S. Which I still use and like, and which I picked up second hand for under the equivalent of $100 US.

MartinP · 10-09-2012

I have been using a Gossen Lunasix 3 for nearly thirty years, though now running with the Gossen battery adapter rather than mercury cells of course. More by luck than judgement it is a later model (black body, avoid the even older grey ones) that is still fully serviceable by Gossen. Over the years it has had the battery adapter, a cracked cover replaced and a new dial.

I last had it calibrated two years ago and on the calibration-chart it was just over 1/8 of a stop out at the "worst" part of the range. Also, the meter measures very low light levels indeed - for example poor streetlighting, or late dusk, is no problem - and this is very useful at times. There is also a 5-degree semi-spot attachment which has been handy a couple of times (reduces the walking around at least).

An old lightmeter that can no longer be serviced is probably not worth the price, as you will always have doubts about it's reliability and accuracy. At the very least, get a model which can do both incident and reflected light at a lower light level than your camera meters. Some models, even the cheaper Sekonics now, do flash-metering as well, so that could be another thing to look for if you will use it.

zuiko85 · 10-09-2012

I have bad times with meters. They quit on me. So now, except for a little Gossen Pilot, I just use my DSLR for a meter.

Jonnyfez · 10-09-2012

If you're working on the cheap - try the Sekonic L-188. This version uses a battery, unlike the L-158, and therefore is more sensitive. I picked a like-new one up on ebay for $20. It weighs nothing and is very thin - unlike some of the other suggestions here (luna-pro) that are nearly as big as the cameras I use.

palmerfralick · 10-09-2012

When I use my D70 with old ais lenses don't laugh but the $4.00 iPhone app has worked perfectly for my casual style. I tested against my wife's D7000 and my R-D1x meters and it is spot (no pun intended) on. Check out the reviews.

sepiareverb · 10-09-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by taskoni

I have never used a meter outdoors and was using friend's meters in studio. There's a big chance that if you have shot enough without one you don't need one.

Bah!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chriscrawfordphoto

Absolutely false. RFF is filled with people who claim that they do not need a meter (and they're shooting old cameras that do not have one built in). It shows in the quality of their work. Why half-ass things? The photo world is so competitive, why put yourself at a disadvantage just so you can thump you chest in some silly ego trip.

I've been shooting for almost 30 years. I still use a meter, every time. The kind of lighting where it is easy to guess exposure is the ugliest light. In early mornings and late evenings, as well as night work and indoor work, it is impossible for anyone to accurately guess exposure consistently.

In fact, a good meter is so vital to producing consistently high image quality that I'll go so far as to say that even trying to save money by buying an old or cheap one is just plain stupid. Indefensible. The people here who brag about not using meters often have thousands, even tens of thousands of dollars tied up in expensive Leica lenses and bodies. Trying to save $400 by not having a good meter is like driving my Crown Victoria without changing the oil because I don't wanna spend $20 on an oil change.

Very well said Chris.

I am of the mind that having a good negative is paramount for making a good print. I'll agree with Chris that there is no reason to skimp on a meter. That said, if you are looking to get a meter without spending a bundle a modern meter used is the BEST way to go. Having a tool which is designed to lead one to the proper exposure means getting a tool which is able to do that. I have an old Luna Pro, it belonged to my wife's uncle. I don't use it because it is unreliable- tho it is a beautiful object. I use a Sekonic 398 or a Pentax spot meter. They are reliable.

Richard G · 10-09-2012

I agree with Chris about new meters with silicon blue cells. There is nothing wrong with my very nice Gossen Sixtar from the 1970s, the Super Pilot in the US. But the slow reading of the CdS cell and the maddening interface between the low range and the high range metering modes, where what I am metering seems always to be on the margin of both is just too frustrating. I use a Gossen Digipro F. I would second the Digisix second hand. The other thing to explore is iPhone apps if you have an iPhone. For TLR users this might be fine as everything is slow anyway. I find the apps useless for what I do with 35mm as I have to punch in my PIN, find the app, launch it and then the phone rings.