SMALL light meter suggestions

[Two23]

I have a Minolta IVf that I love and (more importantly) trust, but now I'm looking for a very compact meter to travel with. I'm thinking of something like the Digisix, L-208, Voigtlander VC, etc. I really only need ambient metering, but reflective would be a nice addition. I definitely want to stay under $200, and more like $100. I generally prefer to buy used. What about some of the older meters--weren't many of them small? I am afraid the ones that don't take batteries will be dead or dying though. So, any suggestions? I don't have a smart phone so don't suggest an app.:)


Kent in SD

[Daniel Stone]

Sekonic L-308

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1219217-REG/sekonic_401_307_l_308s_u_flashmate_light_meter.html?kw=SEL308SU&ap=y&smp=y&BI=225&gclid=CjwKCAjwhLHaBRAGEiwAHCgG3nXOrPQ3HUym84aOhauSShpVoGAiAFYQCjtwRHLpTmCo8XlUy_LyQhoCSDkQAvD_BwE

[Dan Fromm]

Don't forget the L-328. I got mine used for all of $20.

[Pieter]

Digisix is small (tiny, really) and pretty robust. Matches my Minolta IVF, too.180574

[paulbarden]

Another vote for the Sekonic L-308

[jp]

L208 is my recommendation. Smaller and lighter than you imagine if you've used old meters it replaces. It uses a lithium coin battery but it only uses power when you press the button and mine has been in the camera for a few years. The battery will probably expire of old age before it's used up.

[Liquid Artist]

I almost hate to say that I have a phone app for when I am travelling light, but I do.
I have never been let down by them either.

[Mark Sampson]

My Sekonic L-328 (a meter I enjoyed using) suffered repeated circuit board failures. The second time Quality Light Metric told me that it was basically an incurable problem... they could replace the board (at large expense) but the same failure would re-occur. So I scrapped it. It was a small, accurate meter with a simple, elegant design, and a critical failure built-in. Not complaining, it served me well for 10-12 years. Sorry, but I can't offer any helpful ideas for a small meter.

[Willie]

Quantum Calcu-lite X or XP.
Small, solid state. Can do reflected or incident. Can get as spot meter attachment as well as a ground glass reading attchment so you can meter right off the ground glass under the dark cloth if you want.

[Jim Andrada]

I have the little digisix and a couple of the really small Sekonic 208's

They all work well. I like the Digisix except for a couple of annoyances.

1) It's always on - no on/off switch. So the battery can and does run down quickly (if you consider 6 months or so "quickly")

2) Changing the ISO is a PITA since to go from 400 to 100 you have to button push your way past 800, 1600, 3200, ... to get there

3) Because it's always on you can "pocket dial" it when taking it out of your pocket and then you have to futz with it to get back to measurement mode as opposed to time setting mode (Who the H needs a clock in their light meter???)

Aside from all that it's a good meter (when the battery isn't run down) and it fits in your pocket better than the Sekonic.

[Tim Meisburger]

cell phone. works well for black and white.

[Two23]

Well, I nearly bought a Pilot 2--like the small size and vintage, but then read it doesn't have very good low light capability. So, I ended up buying a used L-208 from KEH for a lot less than a new one. I think it will do what I want. Thanks to all that responded! I might still buy one of the older vintage meters to use on day trips.


Kent in SD

[ricolm]

Nice choice. The L208 is a decent light meter.

[Jim Andrada]

Hi Tim - how are things? I have a couple of light meter apps on my phone but can never read them in the Tucson sun. They work fine indoors though.

[Drew Bedo]

I have a Minolta IVf that I love and (more importantly) trust, but now I'm looking for a very compact meter to travel with. I'm thinking of something like the Digisix, L-208, Voigtlander VC, etc. I really only need ambient metering, but reflective would be a nice addition. I definitely want to stay under $200, and more like $100. I generally prefer to buy used. What about some of the older meters--weren't many of them small? I am afraid the ones that don't take batteries will be dead or dying though. So, any suggestions? I don't have a smart phone so don't suggest an app.:)


Kent in SD

While I am sure that you have a good reason for wanting a compact meter . . . WHY? I have the same model meter and find it to be fully pocketable and a feather-weight item. So to what extent is it too big or too heavy?

Smart phones have been availab le for a few years now; perhaps one of the newer models and the right app could fit your needs while giving you GPS options, note taking and scene scouting/documentation capabilities.

Anyone know of an effective capable metering app?

[jim10219]

I also recommend a cell phone app. I use “pocket light meter”. It’s free and it works really well. My only complaint is it can get confused by complex scenes. 98% of the time, it’s dead on, but if you have small areas of heavy shadows and small areas of bright highlights the small spot meter won’t be able use them. Now if you’re just looking for an incident meter, you can meter the palm of your hand with it and then drop the exposure a stop and you’ve got a decently accurate incident meter. They also make domes to put over your cell phone’s camera (Luxi is one brand) to make it work just like a true incident meter. Several app, including the one I mentioned, have the option to be calibrated to accept it.

[Two23]

Not sure if my cell phone can become a light meter. It was made in ~2010. I keep it because it does not have GPS, and doesn't connect to the internet. It replaced the flip phone I had, that suddenly flipped in half.


Kent in SD

[Havoc]

Not sure if my cell phone can become a light meter. It was made in ~2010. I keep it because it does not have GPS, and doesn't connect to the internet. It replaced the flip phone I had, that suddenly flipped in half.


Kent in SD

Neither would I. Having to buy a smartphone for more than the price of a very good lightmeter, with an app that is made by programmers with an unknown background in photography and lighting, no real spot measure, no incident metering, having a battery life measured in hours instead of years and unreadable in bright sunlight.

What is the advantage?

[Kirk Gittings]

I like the Pocket Spot meter. Its hard to find and can be pricy but works great. I mainly use a Pentax Digital which I've used for decades, but when I want to go light or need a backup I go for the PS.
https://figitalrevolution.com/2009/12/19/metered-light-pocket-spot-meter-review/
https://figitalrevolution.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/pocket-spot-image.jpg
https://figitalrevolution.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/meters.jpg

[jp]

Neither would I. Having to buy a smartphone for more than the price of a very good lightmeter, with an app that is made by programmers with an unknown background in photography and lighting, no real spot measure, no incident metering, having a battery life measured in hours instead of years and unreadable in bright sunlight.

What is the advantage?

The programmers don't even know what hardware their software is running on. They make the software and hope it works with the variety of hardware and OS options the smartphones utilize.

The smartphone is handy for taking documentary snapshots or if you run out of film and are scouting/trying things. Certain brands are a status symbol as well.

[Kirk Gittings]

My biggest problem with smart phone apps in a smart phone for a light meter is that in my testing they suffer from flair a lot which skews the readings. That would be a phone problem more than the software. But I haven't tested them in awhile-probably in three years. Has that problem improved? I'm still on a Iphone 6s but I think I tested them on a 5 or maybe even a 4. It certainly appears that my 6s has less flair than my previous SPs.

[Nodda Duma]

The programmers don't even know what hardware their software is running on. They make the software and hope it works with the variety of hardware and OS options the smartphones utilize.


As a hardware guy I think software programmers are odd people, but having worked with many embedded software engineers over the years I have to say that this is the most ignorant thing I’ve read on this site in quite some time. Once prototypes are assembled, the hardware people never see them again because the software teams will work with the hardware 15 hours a day!

A multi-billion dollar technology is not built on “hope”.

[seezee]

Sekonic L-308

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1219217-REG/sekonic_401_307_l_308s_u_flashmate_light_meter.html?kw=SEL308SU&ap=y&smp=y&BI=225&gclid=CjwKCAjwhLHaBRAGEiwAHCgG3nXOrPQ3HUym84aOhauSShpVoGAiAFYQCjtwRHLpTmCo8XlUy_LyQhoCSDkQAvD_BwE

What Daniel said. Unless you're into zone metering, this is the best value in a compact, verstatile, and reliable meter.

[jp]

As a hardware guy I think software programmers are odd people, but having worked with many embedded software engineers over the years I have to say that this is the most ignorant thing I’ve read on this site in quite some time. Once prototypes are assembled, the hardware people never see them again because the software teams will work with the hardware 15 hours a day!

A multi-billion dollar technology is not built on “hope”.

I will certainly agree that software programmers are odd people. I went to school for computer science (WPI). We never opened up a computer or touched any hardware other than our own keyboard and mouse. Hardware was for EE people who probably became the embedded engineers.

We're not talking about tightly integrated systems here.. There are many ways programming skills are utilized in this world. We're talking about someone who makes a light meter app for his/her phone as a moonlighting job for a few extra bucks and hopes plenty of people find it in the App store or Google play. Then it gets used on more phones that the programmer never has access too or didn't exist when the app was made or last updated. If it doesn't work, the buyer is only out a couple bucks at most and life goes on. Amazingly this is fairly successful. But it's up to end users to verify apps do what we expect.