Suggested meter

[spb854]

I have seen, in a book somewhere, an exposure meter that
had a long attachment (I think) that was placed up against
the ground glass to take measurements with.

What is this meter, or who makes it, or what do you use,
if anything?

How do YOU take a measurement, if you do, before exposing
you film?

I have a Graflex Pacemaker Speed Graphic 4 x 5 camera.

Thanks in advance,
Steve

[Capocheny]

I have seen, in a book somewhere, an exposure meter that
had a long attachment (I think) that was placed up against
the ground glass to take measurements with.

What is this meter, or who makes it, or what do you use,
if anything?

How do YOU take a measurement, if you do, before exposing
you film?

I have a Graflex Pacemaker Speed Graphic 4 x 5 camera.

Thanks in advance,
Steve

Steve,

I think you might be referring to the Sinar Metering Probe that takes readings off of the groundglass of a Sinar camera.

The back of the camera has a slot that takes the metering probe. Once the reading is taken, the probe is removed and you would proceed in a normal fashion.

As an alternative, there was also a cassette made that was similar to a filmholder. It was then inserted into the back of a camera (applicable for cameras other than Sinar) in the same way that a filmholder is inserted. The probe then gets inserted into this cassette to take a reading. Once the reading has been taken, the metering cassette is removed and a filmholder inserted.

Hope this helps...

Cheers

[lenser]

Steve,

Gossen also made a fiber optic probe attachment for the Luna Six (fits the Luna Pro as well, but I'm not sure about the conversion factors as my instructions are keyed to DIN settings). Not sure about whether it works with their later meters.

Minolta also made an accessory Kit the their Flash III and others that included a probe for direct ground glass reading.

You can probably down load instruction manuals for either by going to those company's web sites.

Tim

[ken]

Steve,
I really don't think trying to measure light from the groundglass is a practical idea. I think you would be much further ahead to get a Pentax Digital Spot Meter. If you make a zone dial for it, it is a very useful meter.

Ken

[Dan Fromm]

Ken, in principle you're right.

But once when I was calibrating a flash rig, I found that putting my Minolta Flash Meter's pinpoint receptor (I think that's what it is called, could be mistaken) against a Nikon's eyepiece got the answers I needed much more quickly and inexpensively than actually shooting Ektrachrome would have. This was the original Minolta Flash Meter.

[Michael T. Murphy]

The meter for the Sinar is a Broncolor. Here is a link to an Ebay auction. Broncolor FCM2 with the probe for about $260.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Broncolor-FCM2-flash-light-meter-with-meter-probe-FCM_W0QQitemZ300145539642QQihZ020QQcategoryZ708QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Item number 300145539642 if that long link doesn't work. More info at www.bron.ch or www.sinarbron.com

Best,
Michael

[Helen Bach]

I have the Sinar Booster I, pretty much as described by Capocheny. The metering cassette has a dark slide that goes between the probe and the ground glass, so that light does not come in through the back of the camera. The probe measures in the film plane, in front of the ground glass. There is a clip to hold the meter - the option I have is to use a Minolta Flash V. The Booster I will work with a wide range of meters, including the Sekonic L-508.

The Minolta Booster II can read from the ground glass, and it is very sensitive. That plugs in to a meter just like the Booster I does.

Neither of these sound like what you are asking about, however. What you describe is more like one of the fibre optic probes, such as the one made by Gossen.

For many purposes I think that it is unneccesary to read from the GG or from the film plane - a few spot and/or incident readings will do just as well. It is a different matter for close-up work.

Here is a thread on the Booster I. (http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=24515)

Here is one on the Booster II, including a picture of it with a Sekonic L-508. (http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=23361&page=2)

Best,
Helen