Luna-pro advice. Which ones do you like and why?

[Andy F]

I'm thinking about getting an old Gossen handheld light meter. I'm attracted to the idea that I can use it instead of a dedicated spot meter. Does anyone have any experience with these meters. I see there are many different types and I'm not sure which one to buy. I believe that the Lunasix F will calculate filter factors. I see KEH advertises "gray" and "black" for the Luna-Pro but these are not models. Also they get the battery type wrong. I was wondering if the spot attachment works for all camera models. I could theoretically buy a dedicated spot meter but they seem to be quite expensive. If people could let me know which Luna-Pro model they like and why it would be helpful so I can buy something without waisting my money.

-Andrew

[BrianShaw]

Hi Andrew. I use two different Gossen Luna Pro meters and for 96.78% of my photography they are great substitutes for a 1-degree spot meter. The real advantage is speed to get a ecommended exposure that is very very close to that obtained via several spot readings. The grey/boack Luna Pro has the advantage of great sensitivity... perhaps the greates low light sensitivity of any consumer light meter. The downside to the gray version is that the battery is obsolete. With a MR-9 battery converter, though, there are no issues. The other one I use is a Luna Pro SBC (which I believe is the same as the LunaSix F). The downside is that it is really big and bulky. The upside is that it uses a common 9 volt battery, has a null metering indicator, which is really quick to use, and it has a subdial that allows for filter factor adjustments. These meters all do reflected as well as incident metering. The 7.5/15 degree "spot" meter accessory fits on all of these. In my experience, you can't go wrong with a Luna Pro meter.

[DannL-USA]

Gossen Luna-Pro Digital F. I use two of them. They appear accurate, use a single AA battery, big visible numbers, and come with a handy carrying pouch. Having come from using the old analog Luna Pro which originally needed mercury batteries, the Digital is a breath of fresh air every time I use it. Really simple to use.

https://www.cameramanuals.org/flashe...-digital_f.pdf

Be careful that sellers do not sell you a meter that had leaking batteries in their battery compartment.

[jk0592]

I use, sometimes, ye olde grey Gossen LunaSix (same as LunaPro in Canada, long time ago). The spot attachment works great, but I don't have Zone System sticker as in my Pentax spotmeter.

[waterlenz]

I have been using the various "Luna-Pro" meters since the late 60s when I was a teenager. The various models had different names in different markets. There are basically two types, the original models used CdS cells and had two scales with one more sensitive than the other. It was turned by a rockerswitch - one way for low light and one for outdoor daylight levels. These were powered by Hg cells that are no longer available in most markets. There may be a way of using newer batteries via an adapter - have read about it but have no experience. Sometime in the 70s the Luna-Pro SBC came out. I do not recall the exact year but I got one shortly after release and still have it. The SBC models use SBC metering cells. Recall the Nikon F2 was available with separate metering finders, one with CdS the other with SBC. These finders got updated but there remained separate CdS and SBC versions. The Luna-Pro SBC models as indicated above use transister radio (as they were called) 9V batteries that are still being made. The SBC models are quite a bit bulkier than the CdS models, Both take a range of accessories in common. As well there are accessories that only work for the SBC models. They have plugs to electronically interface with the meter. The accessory I use the most is the one mentioned above (with the bull's eye degree finder). With it and the analog display one can see plus or minus 3 stops from the setting making a quick evaluation of the light intensities possible by simply pointing the meter around while looking through the WLF of the finder (it is possible to see both displays at the same time). Flash metering was added later - the F versions. As well there were LED read-out versions (instead of a galvanometer). Meters that use AA cells are a newer family of meters than the ones I just described. I do not have any Gossen meters of this type but do have a couple of Sekonics. They are more compact but lack the analog display of the earlier meters having LCD displays instead. I like the big needle of the analog type especially with my aging vision! A plus for the Gossen meters is that there is an EV window in the readout - I used Hasselblad cameras (the true 6x6 Hassys) rather extensively back in the day. Setting the EV first was the way to go with them.

[Kevin Crisp]

I've also been using these since the 1970s. Back then a pro photographer for any major paper had one. Their low light ability was extraordinary in the context of their time. The black models are the same as the gray ones, just a little newer.

Despite my being a fan, I've come to a few conclusions:

1. I wouldn't use the original these days. The mercury batteries are gone and you have to convert them. Quality Light Metric used to convert the meters for modern cells, and there are converters to get the right voltage, which I believe is 1.35 x 2. The error from extra voltage is not linear.

2. Getting anybody to calibrate one is a problem. QLM is now closed, and before it closed I sent them two Luna Pros at around the same time for calibration and they were returned off by a stop from each other and the owner (George?) didn't think that was a problem.

3. The SBC model is sensitive and has the more modern cell. But man, it is a big block of meter. The model with the three red LEDs didn't appeal to me. I think it was the one after the SBC.

4. The smaller digital ones are reliable, use more modern batteries, and are remarkably small and light. One of mine (I think it is the "F" model) includes flash metering ability.

5. The one I use now is the Luna Pro Digital. They are relatively reasonable $$ used, versatile and accurate.

[Andy F]

Does the Luna-Pro Digital take the old Luna-Pro spot attachment? I am looking for a cheap and easy way to avoid buying a spot meter. Spot meters can be so expensive. It might be that I should shell out the cash for one but the Gossen looks really interesting. If it is trust worthy it might be the way to go.

[tundra]

Does the Luna-Pro Digital take the old Luna-Pro spot attachment? I am looking for a cheap and easy way to avoid buying a spot meter. Spot meters can be so expensive. It might be that I should shell out the cash for one but the Gossen looks really interesting. If it is trust worthy it might be the way to go.

I have several Luna-Pros, some which I have worked on/recalibrated for modern batteries.

I also have the spot accessory. The meters themselves are great for what they are, but the spot metering adapter just isn't very good. Depending how old it is, it may- or may not reflect light in the way the meter expects and/or deliver the exposure indicated by the spot meter marks on the meter dial.

A good clean LP will cost you$30-40, another $30-40 for the spot meter, and another $60-ish for the modern MR9 adapters (you need two). So you're in the neighborhood of $140 for a meter that is very old and unserviceable (unless you can do it yourself).

OTOH, you can get a used Seconic L-408 for reasonable money ($200-ish here in the US on eBay) and these are very fine spot meters that don't break the bank.

Don't get me wrong, I own a handful of Luna Pros and am currently rehabbing an old Luna-Six just because I find fixing them up entertaining, but I wouldn't spend a ton on one at this point just because of age and the likely wear you'll run into.

[Andy F]

Thanks everybody for the advice.

What I originally saw was the LunaPro S. The internet says it is they same as the Lunasix 3 but I don't think so. The Lunasix seems to need to be zeroed out. While I think the LunaPro S uses EV numbers and has a scale on it for the zone system. I may take Tundras advice about the Seconic L-408. Not sure how I want to move forward. I did like a one size fit all hand held light meter instead of carrying two meters. Maybe I should just cough up the money for good spot meter.

Thanks again everyone for the advice.

[Vaughan]

Thanks everybody for the advice.

What I originally saw was the LunaPro S. The internet says it is they same as the Lunasix 3 but I don't think so. The Lunasix seems to need to be zeroed out. While I think the LunaPro S uses EV numbers and has a scale on it for the zone system. I may take Tundras advice about the Seconic L-408. Not sure how I want to move forward. I did like a one size fit all hand held light meter instead of carrying two meters. Maybe I should just cough up the money for good spot meter.

Thanks again everyone for the advice.

The LunaPro S (aka Lunasix 3S) is a Lunasix 3 with an EV compensation ring added to the exposure calculation dial. Same CdS cell and electronics as the Lunasix 3. Some were shipped from the factory with a 1.5V silver oxide battery converter.

IMHO the analog Gossen meters you want are the Lunasix F and Profisix, both of which use silicon blue cells, run on 9v batteries and have null dials. The Profisix has additional electronics for active adaptors including the 1/5/10 degree spot attachment, flash attachment and colour temperature attachments.

I went down the "Lunasix" rabbit hole a while back. The first Lunasix (aka Luna-Pro in USA) has separate buttons for high and low ranges and uses one mercury battery, the light range scale is fixed and shows both high and low at all times. The second Lunasix (also branded Lunasix or Luna-Pro) introduced the rocker switch range selection, hides the range not in use, uses two batteries and added a stop to the sensitivity (at the bright end). The third version was branded Lunasix 3, its major change was the redesigned front for attachments. The Lunasix 3S adds the EF dial.

I have had no problems using zinc-air hearing aid batteries. They only last a few months but are cheap.