[YamanoteE235]

Hi all,

I've got my first ever medium format camera, a Pentax 6x7 and am so eager to shoot it but need to find a good light meter to take along with me where I go. Can anyone recommend a good light meter? I have a camera show near me every week and they've got some older stuff but last week I saw a Pentax Spot Meter (II maybe?). At the time I had no idea how to use it but it seemed to be working. Would this be a good choice for general photography? Scenic stuff, some portrait work, nothing serious.

What would you recommend for a beginner? I looked at Sekonic but they can cost a pretty penny and I spent my money on the 6x7 and a couple of lenses!

Thanks in advance! You've all been so helpful!

[Quartermaster James]

There are some good apps available for smart phones

[gofour3]

I use a Pentax Spotmeter and a Gossen Luna Pro form my 6x7 bodies.

Gossen Luna Pro

Phil.

[officiousbystander]

The entry level Sekonic L-308S-U or Gossen Sixtomat F2 at around $US199 new are good value for money. I bought my Sekonic L308 2nd hand which is another approach. Once you start looking at so called vintage meters there may be calibration issues. This can arise from changes in battery technology.

[i_trax]

myLightMeter Free on the App Store

[stevebrot]

I don't wish to disparage the cell phone light meter apps, but to be honest, my experience has been that they do not match the readings from known-good cameras or hand-held meters.

In regards to inexpensive light meters:

• Spotmeters are specialized tools and are a wonderful thing if you understand what you are doing. They are seldom cheap.
• Support for both incident and reflected light readings is very useful
• As noted above, a Luna Pro is a wonderful thing. The major issue is that the older ones require mercury batteries (illegal and generally unavailable) or a modern battery with some sort of adapter. You want the Luna Pro SBC with SPD and 9V battery and it won't be cheap.
• I own a Luna Lux which is similar to the Luna Pro and takes 9V batteries
• I also own a Sekonic TwinMate I-208. The TwinMate is small, light and easy to use. It is not as sensitive in low light as a LunaPro, but it is easily pocketable and may be mounted on the accessory shoe atop the camera.
• You may enjoy James Ollinger's Light Meter Site: James's Light Meter Collection
• My favorite meter was a Vivitar model 24, but alas, it died
  Hin's Photo Corner: Newest, Most Favorite Gadget: Compact Exposure Meters

Steve

[ripper2860]

There are many good ones, but I can only speak to the Gossen Luna Pro. It is an inexpensive and excellent choice. It uses a CdS cell (so it will require a battery) and supports incident, reflective and with attachment, spot metering. Also allows low light metering via its dual scale. Well worth picking one up in good condition and giving it a whirl. Make sure you get the appropriate battery or adapter (available at B&H or Adorama). I've had great results using it with my old un-metered MF Yashica TLR cameras.

NOTE: Stay away from Selenium cell units (no battery required) as the cells deteriorate over time and yield incorrect results.

---

Last edited by ripper2860; 07-21-2017 at 01:51 PM.

[lmd91343]

I agree with ripper on both his points. First stay away from selenium meters. The more they are used, the more the selenium cell degrades as they produce current to power the meter, making them self powered, no batteries. So unless you find one that the owner has kept in a dark drawer for the last sixty years avoid them. I have had several of them including Westons and GEs including the GE PR2. They all needed recalibration over time. Also the more sensitive ones usually have high and low scales, because the electronics and light cell cannot respond over the entire dark to bright range. This is accomplished with a movable baffle that blocks some of the light in the high range. The Westons (except the V model) are all especially problematic because they use a special sensitivity scale, not ASA.

The second type are CdS meters. They require batteries. They also have a memory of the light level of the couple of seconds. That is easy to work around as long as you remember that. I have had several including the Gossen Luna Pro and the Gossen Luna Pro S. These meters are great. They measure down to EV -4 at ASA 100. They do incident and reflected. They are two scale meters. You press the read button, then manually transfer it to the calculator dial. The "S" model is the same except it has an extra circle on the calculator dial for filter factors that the non "S" does not. To use filter factors on the non "S" , just subtract it from the ASA. Ripper's second point is that a Gossen Luna Pro is your best choice and I agree. I sold my "S" meter because it had a much higher resale value than the non "S". The non "S" is so inexpensive it's almost free. It was the standard professional meter for many years. You need to buy a battery converter for non-mercury batteries. I've only kept the non "S".

The third type are the silicon cell varieties. The are sensitive and have a fast response. They only have one scale or an LCD display. The one I have I like the best Gossen Luna Pro F. You press the button, set the meter needle to zero and the calculation dial is automatically set. There is a filter factor circle. It is very very easy. It also handles flash. It is also pricey for a used meter. The Luna Pro SBC is a down scale version of it that does not handle flash. The Luna Lux SBC is even more down scale. I should note that I have only had the Luna Pro F variant, not the other two and I still have it. They all do incident and reflection. Another great one that I have is the Sekonic 308S. It is SMALL! It is harder to use. The metering cell faces the same direction as the LCD display making it impossible to read the meter as you scan the scene, unless you are metering your face. Also it has no calculator dial. It does incident and reflection. It also does flash. I carry mine with me for incident readings with my DSLRs. I also still have a tiny incident only Voigtlander VCII that clips into a hot shoe. I use it only for my RFs. I have sold my undisscussed silicon meters.

I also have had a handful of silicon cell spot meters. I've had and sold the Sekonic L778 and L488. They had two drawbacks, no calculator dial and I could not read the numbers thru the eyepiece as I looked at the scene. My old eyes. I have kept two Soligor spot meters. It is easy to read the needle, the spot, and the scene at the same time! I use the one with the calculator dial on the lens and have stored the one with the dial on the side.

When I used to go out with one of my MF cameras, I would take the Gossen Luna Pro F for general scene metering and the Soligor to check a couple or more special spots. With the calculator dials, you can read all possible shutter/aperture values at once. But alas I have not touched my MF cameras in over two years.

Go with the Gossen Luna Pro and get the battery adapter and spot attachment. You'll be out less than $50 for the former top of the line professional meter!

P.S.
All the Gossen meters I have mentioned take an attachment that allows 7.5* and 15* metering. It is a bit of a PIA but doable. The attachment is also cheap.

P.P.S.
The Luna Pro, Luna Pro S, Luna Pro F, and Luna Lux SBC have Zone system values on the calculator dial.

---------- Post added 07-20-17 at 01:04 PM ----------

yamanotee235

Do you live near the Los Angeles area?

[pentageek]

When I need a handheld light meter, I use Gossen Variosix F (I believe it was sold in US as Luna-Star F) with spot-ish attachment (5 degrees). Very nice tool, albeit presence of five (!) attachments makes it somehow less handy, even if you have dedicated case. I purchased mine used for $160. Long story short, it is indispensable tool for analog medium format.

[YamanoteE235]

There are some good apps available for smart phones

Hey Quartermaster James, thanks for the recommendation. Actually, I have tried maybe two of the apps on iOS but felt they weren't giving me accurate readings or felt as though I couldn't truly rely on them. I'll have to try the one mentioned below (myLightMeter).

myLightMeter Free on the App Store

I think I tried Lux and one other. They didn't give me much confidence but I will try this one.

I use a Pentax Spotmeter and a Gossen Luna Pro form my 6x7 bodies.

Gossen Luna Pro

Phil.

Seems a popular choice going by the replies here. Thanks!

The entry level Sekonic L-308S-U or Gossen Sixtomat F2 at around $US199 new are good value for money. I bought my Sekonic L308 2nd hand which is another approach. Once you start looking at so called vintage meters there may be calibration issues. This can arise from changes in battery technology.

I did like the Sekonic L308 but couldn't find it at a price I wanted to pay, haha. I'll keep an eye on this, I've got a number of eBay alerts going. Good to know about the calibration issues. Thanks!

I don't wish to disparage the cell phone light meter apps, but to be honest, my experience has been that they do not match the readings from known-good cameras or hand-held meters.

In regards to inexpensive light meters:

• Spotmeters are specialized tools and are a wonderful thing if you understand what you are doing. They are seldom cheap.
• Support for both incident and reflected light readings is very useful
• As noted above, a Luna Pro is a wonderful thing. The major issue is that the older ones require mercury batteries (illegal and generally unavailable) or a modern battery with some sort of adapter. You want the Luna Pro SBC with SPD and 9V battery and it won't be cheap.
• I own a Luna Lux which is similar to the Luna Pro and takes 9V batteries
• I also own a Sekonic TwinMate I-208. The TwinMate is small, light and easy to use. It is not as sensitive in low light as a LunaPro, but it is easily pocketable and may be mounted on the accessory shoe atop the camera.
• You may enjoy James Ollinger's Light Meter Site: James's Light Meter Collection
• My favorite meter was a Vivitar model 24, but alas, it died
  Hin's Photo Corner: Newest, Most Favorite Gadget: Compact Exposure Meters

Steve

Hey Steve, thanks so much for that detailed reply. I had the same experience with a couple of apps on my phone and felt like I couldn't really trust it. Thanks for the link to that site! I'll do some reading today.

BTW, is this the Vivitar model 24? Vivitar 24 Light Meter Looks neat, shoe mounted too.. neat!

There are many good ones, but I can only speak to the Gossen Luna Pro. It is an inexpensive and excellent choice. It uses a CdS cell (so it will require a battery) and supports incident, reflective and with attachment, spot metering. Also allows low light metering via its dual scale. Well worth picking one up in good condition and giving it a whirl. Make sure you get the appropriate battery or adapter (available at B&H or Adorama). I've had great results using it with my old unmetered cameras.

NOTE: Stay away from Selenium cell units (no battery required) as the cells deteriorate over time and yield incorrect results.

I went to a camera show last weekend and actually bought one for $10 thinking I might be OK with it for the time being but this has me worried.

I agree with ripper on both his points. First stay away from selenium meters. The more they are used, the more the selenium cell degrades as they produce current to power the meter, making them self powered, no batteries. So unless you find one that the owner has kept in a dark drawer for the last sixty years avoid them. I have had several of them including Westons and GEs including the GE PR2. They all needed recalibration over time. Also the more sensitive ones usually have high and low scales, because the electronics and light cell cannot respond over the entire dark to bright range. This is accomplished with a movable baffle that blocks some of the light in the high range. The Westons (except the V model) are all especially problematic because they use a special sensitivity scale, not ASA.

The second type are CdS meters. They require batteries. They also have a memory of the light level of the couple of seconds. That is easy to work around as long as you remember that. I have had several including the Gossen Luna Pro and the Gossen Luna Pro S. These meters are great. They measure down to EV -4 at ASA 100. They do incident and reflected. They are two scale meters. You press the read button, then manually transfer it to the calculator dial. The "S" model is the same except it has an extra circle on the calculator dial for filter factors that the non "S" does not. To use filter factors on the non "S" , just subtract it from the ASA. Ripper's second point is that a Gossen Luna Pro is your best choice and I agree. I sold my "S" meter because it had a much higher resale value than the non "S". The non "S" is so inexpensive it's almost free. It was the standard professional meter for many years. You need to buy a battery converter for non-mercury batteries. I've only kept the non "S".

The third type are the silicon cell varieties. The are sensitive and have a fast response. They only have one scale or an LCD display. The one I have I like the best Gossen Luna Pro F. You press the button, set the meter needle to zero and the calculation dial is automatically set. There is a filter factor circle. It is very very easy. It also handles flash. It is also pricey for a used meter. The Luna Pro SBC is a down scale version of it that does not handle flash. The Luna Lux SBC is even more down scale. I should note that I have only had the Luna Pro F variant, not the other two and I still have it. They all do incident and reflection. Another great one that I have is the Sekonic 308S. It is SMALL! It is harder to use. The metering cell faces the same direction as the LCD display making it impossible to read the meter as you scan the scene, unless you are metering your face. Also it has no calculator dial. It does incident and reflection. It also does flash. I carry mine with me for incident readings with my DSLRs. I also still have a tiny incident only Voigtlander VCII that clips into a hot shoe. I use it only for my RFs. I have sold my undisscussed silicon meters.

I also have had a handful of silicon cell spot meters. I've had and sold the Sekonic L778 and L488. They had two drawbacks, no calculator dial and I could not read the numbers thru the eyepiece as I looked at the scene. My old eyes. I have kept two Soligor spot meters. It is easy to read the needle, the spot, and the scene at the same time! I use the one with the calculator dial on the lens and have stored the one with the dial on the side.

When I used to go out with one of my MF cameras, I would take the Gossen Luna Pro F for general scene metering and the Soligor to check a couple or more special spots. With the calculator dials, you can read all possible shutter/aperture values at once. But alas I have not touched my MF cameras in over two years.

Go with the Gossen Luna Pro and get the battery adapter and spot attachment. You'll be out less than $50 for the former top of the line professional meter!

P.S.
All the Gossen meters I have mentioned take an attachment that allows 7.5* and 15* metering. It is a bit of a PIA but doable. The attachment is also cheap.

P.P.S.
The Luna Pro, Luna Pro S, Luna Pro F, and Luna Lux SBC have Zone system values on the calculator dial.

---------- Post added 07-20-17 at 01:04 PM ----------

yamanotee235

Do you live near the Los Angeles area?

Thanks for the incredibly detailed response. For the longest time I had only seen Sekonic being mentioned. Even back when I worked at a camera store that was all we sold so it's nice to see there's actually competition in the space. I may end up going with one of the Gossens you mentioned. I've tried the apps on the iPhone and they just don't feel reliable. Or, it's entirely possible that I don't know what I'm doing with it.

I'm close enough to LA (Anaheim, work in Redondo but spend enough time in Long Beach as well hah). I went to a camera show out in Pasadena and last weekend it was in Anaheim, much closer for me. As I mentioned I did end up buying a $10 GE meter, I can't remember the model but it is exactly as you described where it has a baffle or you could even remove the entire hood if lighting was dark enough. It seemed to work fine when I would test exposures with my digital camera (set everything manually and took a few photos). The gentleman mentioned it could be calibrated from time to time but the thing is extremely old, I believe he said from the late 40s or so.

Shame you haven't been shooting with the MF cameras! I get it though, buying film gets expensive, getting it developed (like I will have to, I don't have the space to develop my own) and finally getting prints can be very expensive. Digital is extremely convenient in that regard. I feel like I just made things a whole lot more expensive for myself, haha! What MF cameras do you own? I found an RZ67 for a steal and then picked up my 6x7 and I've been dying to get out to shoot with either of them. I'll be going out to Laguna Beach this weekend to take the 6x7 out so that will be fun.

As far as the 7.5* and 15* metering, what is the importance of that? Is that just how narrow/wide the field of view would be for capturing readings?

Thanks again for all that helpful info!

When I need a handheld light meter, I use Gossen Variosix F (I believe it was sold in US as Luna-Star F) with spot-ish attachment (5 degrees). Very nice tool, albeit presence of five (!) attachments makes it somehow less handy, even if you have dedicated case. I purchased mine used for $160. Long story short, it is indispensable tool for analog medium format.

Indispensable. Totally agree. I'm not a pro by any means and this is a hobby for me so I would prefer to be as accurate in my photos as possible especially given the cost to come to a final print. I want to develop my own negatives but I just don't have the space or equipment. Thanks for your reply!

[lmd91343]

I'm close enough to LA (Anaheim, work in Redondo but spend enough time in Long Beach as well hah). I went to a camera show out in Pasadena and last weekend it was in Anaheim, much closer for me. As I mentioned I did end up buying a $10 GE meter, I can't remember the model but it is exactly as you described where it has a baffle or you could even remove the entire hood if lighting was dark enough. It seemed to work fine when I would test exposures with my digital camera (set everything manually and took a few photos). The gentleman mentioned it could be calibrated from time to time but the thing is extremely old, I believe he said from the late 40s or so.

Shame you haven't been shooting with the MF cameras! I get it though, buying film gets expensive, getting it developed (like I will have to, I don't have the space to develop my own) and finally getting prints can be very expensive. Digital is extremely convenient in that regard. I feel like I just made things a whole lot more expensive for myself, haha! What MF cameras do you own? I found an RZ67 for a steal and then picked up my 6x7 and I've been dying to get out to shoot with either of them. I'll be going out to Laguna Beach this weekend to take the 6x7 out so that will be fun.

As far as the 7.5* and 15* metering, what is the importance of that? Is that just how narrow/wide the field of view would be for capturing readings?

Thanks again for all that helpful info!

Indispensable. Totally agree. I'm not a pro by any means and this is a hobby for me so I would prefer to be as accurate in my photos as possible especially given the cost to come to a final print. I want to develop my own negatives but I just don't have the space or equipment. Thanks for your reply!

If my memory serves me, incident metering is always 180*. The normal angle of reflected metering for the Gossen is 30*, which is the angle of view of an 85mm lens for 35mm film. 15* matches a 135mm lens and 7.5* matches a 300mm lens. You can always have your meter have a smaller field of view than your lens for more accurate metering or to zoom in on a smaller area of interest.

You are right about the cost of MF. You can't afford to waste any frames. Your metering and focus must always be near perfect. If not you've wasted money and lost that image taking opportunity. Digital has spoiled us.

The MF cameras I have include an old unused Kodak folder on display in my living room, a 6x9 Kodak Medalist II (PJ camera from WWII), a Russian Mosckva 5 (6x9 & 6x6), a couple of bad folders in a box in the closet, and a Zeiss Super Ikonta (531/2) 645 size.

The Medalist II is very sharp and has great color. However, it is too big and too heavy. I converted it to take 120 in addition to its native 620. If I want 6x9 I'd use it. I also have the sheet film back and film holders with slides. I've never used it for sheet film.

The Mosckva 5 is a surprisingly good camera. I got lucky.

The Zeiss Super Ikonta is fantastic. It is sharp and has good color. It is a later made one. Imagine a great MF camera that folds up small enough to fit in your jean's back pocket. It is almost as small as my light meters! It is my go to MF camera.

BTW it is easy to zero out most meters as long as they are still linear. Just buy from a source you can return it to.

If you're up in the northern part of LA or if I go to the South Bay, let's contact one another and you can try out my meters or go shooting.

As for not using my MF cameras, I am just starting shooting digital and film again. I hurt my shoulder and was not able to type, let alone carry or use cameras. I am much better now. My wife also had a major stroke approaching two years ago. She is recovering well, but it is a very long road. I've been home with her. Between the two I've not had the time or ability to do much photography stuff, but that is now changing!

[pentageek]

30*, which is the angle of view of an 85mm lens for 35mm film. 15* matches a 135mm lens and 7.5* matches a 300mm lens

Thanks! Now it's clear why such unusual angles are in use Hope you will recover quickly and return to photography at full speed.

[stevebrot]

BTW, is this the Vivitar model 24? Vivitar 24 Light Meter Looks neat, shoe mounted too.. neat!

Yes, that is the one and yes, they are tiny...




Steve

[lmd91343]

Thanks! Now it's clear why such unusual angles are in use Hope you will recover quickly and return to photography at full speed.

Thank you!