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10-20-2017, 12:02 PM   #1
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Light meter recommendations?

I have a few cameras without an onboard light meter. So far I've been compensating with a phone app.

But if I want an actual proper light meter, what should I look for/ avoid?

10-20-2017, 01:11 PM   #2
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QuoteOriginally posted by timw4mail Quote
I have a few cameras without an onboard light meter. So far I've been compensating with a phone app.

But if I want an actual proper light meter, what should I look for/ avoid?
I was in the same situation - my Zorki doesn't have a light meter, so I thought I'd use the Sunny 16 rule. Surprisingly, it worked really well. I wasn't shooting in any kind of difficult light though. By "really well" I mean that some photos were half a stop or a stop overexposed, but I attributed it to old Zorki shutter speeds being off, and not my impeccable application of Sunny 16.

Having said that, I recently picked up a Pentax Zone VI spotmeter and hoping to use it today for the first time with slides. Otherwise my only observation so far is that it seems to meter correctly, but can't really say any more than that.
10-20-2017, 08:30 PM   #3
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QuoteOriginally posted by IgorZ Quote
I was in the same situation - my Zorki doesn't have a light meter, so I thought I'd use the Sunny 16 rule. Surprisingly, it worked really well. I wasn't shooting in any kind of difficult light though. By "really well" I mean that some photos were half a stop or a stop overexposed, but I attributed it to old Zorki shutter speeds being off, and not my impeccable application of Sunny 16.

Having said that, I recently picked up a Pentax Zone VI spotmeter and hoping to use it today for the first time with slides. Otherwise my only observation so far is that it seems to meter correctly, but can't really say any more than that.
I do have a roll of slide film that I'd rather have an actual meter for...

QuoteOriginally posted by Brooke Meyer Quote
I still carry a Gossen Digsix ( bought used from KEH for half the price of new) in my working bag. Walking around a large dance studio or stage, I can measure the light variation in different areas. Its small, light and easy to carry. The dome is always on for incident reading with ISO set at 100. All I want is an EV value. Then I figure many stops I need using Sunny 16 as an anchor. Its also what I teach in my Basic Photography Class, except the adjustment is done with the Histogram, what I call the modern Polaroid. Michael Reichmann at Luminous landscape called the Histogram the 21st century light meter and I agree.

Normally when I'm using film, whether 645N or Kodak Brownie, I just use a DSLR histogram as a Polaroid. Slide film needs to be spot on but negative film has a lot of latitude and folks often overexpose a Stop for better shadows. Negative film is very graceful with highlights compared to digital and very forgiving with exposure.

After I bought the Gossen Digisix, I bought ( used again) a Gossen ambient / flashmeter for studio strobe use. It will also work as an ambient light meter but it a lot less convenient to carry. Had I a crystal ball, I'd have initially gotten the zambient/flash version of the Digisix. And so it goes.
A Polaroid seems like an awfully expensive light meter

More seriously, though, yes, film is a lot more forgiving, especially B&W negative film. Can't say I've used the histogram for checking exposure much.

Maybe I just want well-exposed film shots...without worrying about wasting film due to failing with the Sunny 16 rule. I did start photography with a TTL-meter camera, so I'd feel more secure with an actual light meter.
10-21-2017, 12:38 AM   #4
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QuoteOriginally posted by timw4mail Quote
I have a few cameras without an onboard light meter. So far I've been compensating with a phone app.

But if I want an actual proper light meter, what should I look for/ avoid?
Over many years, I've used many light meters including Weston, Gossen, Pentax, Minolta, Sekonic, and an iPhone app. Do you need a reflective, incident, flash, or cine meter? My last light meters that were used daily as a pro (last century) was the Minolta Auto Meter IVF and Spotmeter F Minolta Spotmeter F (Ambient/Flash) | KEH Camera

As a photo teacher and occasional photographer, I now only use Sekonic and can recommend:

Since the early 80's I've used the equivalent of the Sekonic L-398A Studio Deluxe III Light Meter. Analog, no batteries required, reflective or incident, but no flash reading functions. Sekonic L-398A Studio Deluxe III Light Meter 401-399 B&H Photo

The least expensive incident and flash meter that I'd recommend would be the Sekonic L-308S-U Flashmate. Compact and runs on one inexpensive and easy to find AA battery. Sekonic L-308S-U Flashmate Light Meter 401-307 B&H Photo Video

If I had a generous budget, and needed a great incident, flash, AND spot meter, I'd go for the Sekonic Speedmaster L-858D-U
Sekonic Speedmaster L-858D-U Light Meter 401-858 B&H Photo Video

10-21-2017, 06:01 AM - 1 Like   #5
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QuoteOriginally posted by timw4mail Quote
But if I want an actual proper light meter, what should I look for/ avoid?
It depends on your needs. For instance, Gossen Variosix F (very nice meter btw) has removable dome for incident light - if you need to frequently switch between incident and reflected light, this is not particularly convenient. Spot metering is available by means of attachable adapter - again, it is not really convenient if you switch modes often. Besides, it is not really 'spot meter' because sensor covers 5 degrees, and the adapter is usually sold separately. Does it mean that Variosix F is poorly designed and basically useless? Not at all! I use it with spot adapter virtually all the time and don't even remember whether I used other adapters. To summarize, if I were buying another light meter, I would look for following properties:

an integrated device without attachable adapters (Sekonic usually builds meters this way),
flash/incident/reflected light metering,
aperture priority, time priority, EV modes
flash metering without cable,
selectable sync speed for flash
digital display only, no 'old school' dial,
ability to measure contrast of a scene easily,
ability to set correcting factor for filters.

You may also consider weather resistant case (makes sense only if the meter will be used outdoor with WR camera and lenses), compatibility with Zone System, and cine mode. Personally I would stay away from any old meters which run on mercury batteries and need some sort of power adapter.

Last edited by pentageek; 10-21-2017 at 06:05 AM. Reason: added info on filters
10-21-2017, 07:57 AM   #6
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Is there ever a benefit to using a reflective light meter, other than the fact it works the same way as the one in the camera?
10-21-2017, 10:01 AM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by timw4mail Quote
Is there ever a benefit to using a reflective light meter, other than the fact it works the same way as the one in the camera?
Specialized reflective meters, like spot meters, can be very helpful in tricky lighting situations like spot lit or back lit subjects or where your subject is much lighter or darker than the background. Also it's essential if you're Zone System photographer.

They can also be helpful if for some reason your camera meter is broken or you're beyond the Sunny 16 rule indoors or anything darker than "Open Shade on a sunny day". When using a light meter in combination with lens filters that affect exposure, it's imperative to know how many stops or EVs your filters are reducing....but that would also be true with an incident meter as well.

With that said, when using a handheld light meter, I probably use the incident function 50%, flash 49%, and reflective 1%, so as pentageek posted, it depends on how or why you're using the meter.

10-22-2017, 07:16 PM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by Alex645 Quote
it depends on how or why you're using the meter.
I've never really thought about that too much.

Just generally to get a good idea of the exposure for the current lighting... within a stop or so...

I'm generally fine with the camera meter...I'm just looking for an external meter for the cameras that don't have a meter.
10-22-2017, 10:44 PM   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by timw4mail Quote
Is there ever a benefit to using a reflective light meter, other than the fact it works the same way as the one in the camera?
-- As mentioned back lit subjects--e.g., church stained glass windows
-- Sunset/sunrise
-- Subjects that are under cover and cannot be approached

But major issue are following. Preference (excluding true spot meter):
1. no battery (selenium cell)
2a. very low light capability
2b. relatively narrow acceptance angle
3a. Only reflected light exposure
3b. Only (or more likely mainly) incident light exposure
3c. Both reflected and incident light exposure

Actually the most limiting (Sekonic L398) studio light meter [satisfies above 1 and 3b] is my favorite, although the modified sunny f/16 rule (as-sort of-put on instruction sheets w/ film) is my most used "meter" (if not using camera meter).

Reliance on any meter is really 2nd best--best is reading about/knowing exposure theory (which is not the same as writings about how to take light readings). I wished in my first few decades of doing photography I had really studied it. It gives you so much more control--which I now see when I revisit older slides.
10-23-2017, 08:53 AM   #10
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I use this Gossen Luna Pro and really like it, it uses a 9 volt battery so no issues there:

Gossen Luna-Pro sbc reviews - Pentax Camera Accessory Review Database

I also have a Pentax Spotmeter V that I also use occasionally.

Phil.
10-23-2017, 10:10 AM   #11
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Here are some bullet points:
  • Battery compatibility on older meters
  • Size
  • Sensitivity...most are quite adequate while some others are fairly amazing (Luna Pro SBC for example). Selenium cells can be VERY slow to respond in low light and are generally limited to about LV 4*, though some models provide "boosters" for low light. Specs on older models are usually in the instruction manual. The Butkus site is a good place to find those (LINK)
  • Support for both incident and reflected metering without add-on accessories is HIGHLY recommended
  • Size (again)
  • I prefer an analog dial to digital read-out...much more information at a glance
  • Unless you know you need it, support for flash metering may be money wasted
I own two meters, a Sekonic Twin-mate L-208 and a Gossen Luna Lux. The Sekonic is always in the bag or around my neck. Build is on the light side, but that is often not a bad thing. Its weak point is limited low-light sensitivity with a range of LV 3 - 17.8. Below is a photo of the Luna Lux with a film canister and Ricoh XR-2s (same size as a K-body Pentax) for size comparison:



The perspective is a tad "forced", but I think the message is still clear that this is not a small meter (4-3/4" x 2-3/4" x 1-3/4" at 7.7 ounces). The size is about the same as the more common Luna Pro SBC. Its strong points are sensitivity (LV 0), accuracy, robustness, and all the fancy stuff on the calculator dial. Oh, and it also comes with a VERY nice leather case. Yes, it can be used to meter and calculate time exposures out to eight hours and also has convenient marks for Zone System exposure placement. The sensitivity range in bright light is a bit limited at LV 17.8, though one can use a ND filter if indicated. One of the cool things in the manual itself which is an excellent guide to basic exposure theory and has detailed instructions on all supported features.


Steve

* LV (light value) is preferred to EV as an estimation of luminance and is equivalent to EV100.

Last edited by stevebrot; 10-23-2017 at 10:34 AM.
10-23-2017, 10:17 AM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by timw4mail Quote
Is there ever a benefit to using a reflective light meter, other than the fact it works the same way as the one in the camera?
For placing exposure or estimating the range of light in the frame, it is equivalent to a dedicated spot meter, assuming one can get close to the subject. Depending on subject, a reflected light measurement may be easier to get than an incident reading. Addendum: The angle of measure for reflective meters is usually about 30 degrees to correspond with a "normal" lens. My Sekonic L-208 has marks on the top to aide in visualizing what the flash "sees".


Steve

Last edited by stevebrot; 10-23-2017 at 10:39 AM.
10-23-2017, 10:24 AM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by Alex645 Quote
Specialized reflective meters
Specialized? Reflected light is the general case for all but dedicated spot meters and studio models such as your classic Sekonic 398. Most people typically point it at the subject from the position of the camera (taking care to not angle up for too much sky) and take the reading. The angle of coverage is generally about 30 degrees and not too much off from a "normal" lens for many cameras.


Steve

Last edited by stevebrot; 10-23-2017 at 10:32 AM.
10-23-2017, 10:42 AM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by stevebrot Quote
Specialized? Reflected light is the general case for all but dedicated spot meters. Most people typically point it at the subject from the position of the camera (taking care to not angle up for too much sky) and take the reading. The angle of coverage is generally about 30 degrees and not too much off from a "normal" lens for many cameras.Steve
Agreed, but some spot meters also have a flash function and can trigger the flash as well. IMO it takes more skill and experience to get ideal exposures with a spot meter and unless youʻre shooting the moon (Luny 11 Rule), even an incident meter with some common sense will get better average exposures than a reflective type which is prone to error due to back or front lighting, high or low key subjects, or high contrast subjects.
10-23-2017, 10:49 AM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by Alex645 Quote
Agreed, but some spot meters also have a flash function and can trigger the flash as well. IMO it takes more skill and experience to get ideal exposures with a spot meter and unless youʻre shooting the moon (Luny 11 Rule), even an incident meter with some common sense will get better average exposures than a reflective type which is prone to error due to back or front lighting, high or low key subjects, or high contrast subjects.
Incident reading for strongly backlit subjects can be a bit tricky as well as for subjects where the incident light is not accessible to the photographer to measure. An example might be zoo displays where viewing is from shaded observation areas.

One thing is for sure. It does not take long using a hand-held meter before one comes to appreciate the deficiencies and challenges of in-camera TTL measurement.


Steve
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