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Thread: Small, pocket-sized averaging light meter - suggestions?

  1. #11
    Do or do not. There is no try.
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    Re: Small, pocket-sized averaging light meter - suggestions?

    It's possible that George at Quality Light Metric can resurrect your Weston. He brought my Master IV back to life a few years ago for around $50.

  2. #12
    Corran's Avatar
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    Re: Small, pocket-sized averaging light meter - suggestions?

    Well other than the fact that I took it apart and trashed it looking at how the thing worked and why it had stopped working, $50 to fix it would have been excessive considering they are around $10 on ebay (caveats about condition not withstanding).
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  3. #13
    Greg Lockrey's Avatar
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    Re: Small, pocket-sized averaging light meter - suggestions?

    Quote Originally Posted by Alan Gales View Post
    Yeah, I don't blame you. I considered getting one for my Stereo Realist. It would be nice but I just bring my Pentax Spotmeter with me.

    You should easily be able to get a used Spotmeter V for around that. The digital one gets pricey!
    I use a Gossen Pilot with mine. They require no batteries and mine has been working well over 20 years.
    Greg Lockrey

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  4. #14

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    Re: Small, pocket-sized averaging light meter - suggestions?

    I bought a Primostar light meter for fun out of the odds and ends bin at Camtech. A selenium meter, probably 1960's or 70's for 5$. Close up it is accurate, for away don't point it at the sky. It's a bit bigger than a Match box.
    Funny enough here's one right now (sort of)
    http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&source...pczFsfo9qDxyNA

  5. #15

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    Re: Small, pocket-sized averaging light meter - suggestions?

    Quote Originally Posted by Greg Lockrey View Post
    I use a Gossen Pilot with mine. They require no batteries and mine has been working well over 20 years.
    Thanks for the tip, Greg. Cheap and no batteries! I'll be watching Ebay.

    Alan

  6. #16
    jadphoto
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    Re: Small, pocket-sized averaging light meter - suggestions?

    I'm pretty sure that the Gossen Luna Pro has always been a cds meter, hence requires batteries. The Luna Pro SBC uses a silicon blue cel, but still needs a battery and is some bigger than the Luna Pro (or your Weston).

    Sekonic still makes the L-398, which is the Norwood reincarnate.

    Very reliable, will do incident and reflected, and can be a direct reading meter with the accessory slide kit. Its about the same size as the Weston although they are shaped differently. So you may or may not find it pocketable.

    However, like any selenium cell meter it doesn't read low light levels very well. You can read the specs on the Mamiya America web site.

    Although it does require a battery, the Gossen Digisix/Digiflash meter(s) are very compact, accurate and read well in reasonably low light. The battery in mine lasts for years.

    JD

  7. #17

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    Re: Small, pocket-sized averaging light meter - suggestions?

    Get a Weston Master IV or V on ebay and send it to quality light metric. The new cell should be good for at least 10 years. They are excellent meters, in a sense already "zoned," but you can stick on zone numbers easily. Pick up the invercone (sp?) and you have an incident meter too. I have a Pentax digital spot meter but always take the Weston along too.

  8. #18

    Re: Small, pocket-sized averaging light meter - suggestions?

    Quote Originally Posted by john biskupski View Post
    You should be able to get a later version Gossen Profisix or Luna Pro with the selenium cell for less than £60-£80. They take the common 9v battery. Incident and reflected readings (a bulky spot attachment does exist). A bit bulkier than the Weston, but very accurate and suitable also for large format work with zone markings. Best to bone up on the model range from the Gossen web-site (I believe they still cover these antique models).
    For most of my large format career, I used a Gossen Luna Pro SBC. I loved that meter. It could do anything you needed, It had two different "spot" metering attachments. The 7.5/15 degree attachment (the one had) was small and relatively inexpensive. The 1 degree attachment was bulky and cost more than a Pentax Spotmeter V. So, I passed on that one.

    Quote Originally Posted by john biskupski View Post
    Otherwise, another vote for the small Digisix, accurate enough for 'casual' readings that the OP wants, and decent battery life.
    On this, I agree 100%. When I was looking for a smaller, lighter meter for my backpacking kit, I purchased one of these little gems. It does both direct and incident metering. The angle and response of the meter was a good match for the larger more expensive Luna Pro SBC. Plus, like any good piece of backpacking gear, it served multiple functions (watch, alarm clock, timer, thermometer). It takes the commonly available and inexpensive CR2032 lithium coin cell batteries. Granted, the battery life isn't as long as a 9-volt battery, but these cells are so lightweight and have such a long shelf life, carrying a spare isn't a big deal.

    The best thing about the Digisix is the tiny size and lightweight (40g, or 1.4 oz., including battery).

    About the only drawback to this meter (other than the new price) is that the minimum f-stop on the dial is f32. If you need to shoot at smaller stops, you'll have to mentally convert the shutter speeds for anything smaller than f32.

    Kerry

  9. #19

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    Re: Small, pocket-sized averaging light meter - suggestions?

    +1 on the Gossen Pilot, It's about the same size as the Digiflash/six meter. With the advantage of being inexpensive and battery less.

  10. #20
    Corran's Avatar
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    Re: Small, pocket-sized averaging light meter - suggestions?

    Some really great recommendations guys, thanks a lot.

    I ended up snagging a Weston Master III for $5 to my door (!), and I think I might try to pick up a little Gossen Pilot for cheap too as a backup so I'm not stuck meterless again as I am now if I break another one (knock on wood).

    I also sniped a Pentax Spotmeter V for less than $150 so I'm set on meters
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