Light Meters

[Bill Kumpf]

What type of light meter (meters) do you use?

What brand? Is it an incident meter, a spot meter or a combination of both?

[Mark Woods]

I use a Minolta Spot Meter F and have for over 25 years. They aren't made any more.

MW

[Archphoto]

Gossen ProfiSix, Minolta flashmeter IV and Sekonic Studio.
The last one with my DSLR, the others with MF and LF.

I like them all 3.

Peter

[darr]

I have used a Pentax Digi Spot for 15+ years, and a Sekonic 558R in the studio for a few. When I can purchase a Metered Light Pocket Spot, I will let go of the Pentax if it performs as stated. The Pocket Spot does not need calibration and it is a much simpler meter for black and white shooters.

[Sevo]

Gossen ProfiSix, Minolta flashmeter IV and Sekonic Studio.


Seconded for the first two, with a Norwood and a Weston V in the Selenium department.

Sevo

[Ron Marshall]

Pentax digital spotmeter. Also a Minolta flashmeter.

[Eric Leppanen]

Sekonic L-608, combined incident and variable (from 5 to 1 degrees IIRC) spotmeter.

[venchka]

Gossen Luna-Pro sbc
Minolta Auto-Meter IV with spot attachment
Weston Master V with invercone
Leica M5 variable angle spot meter

[rdenney]

For large-format work, my standard meter is a Pentax Spotmeter V, with zone markings.

I also have a Minolta Spot F which I nearly stole from a desperate dealer right before closing at a camera fair, but it's a little harder to use with the Zone System because it reads in exposure rather than EV. But I still use it a lot wit medium-format.

And I have a Sekonic L-718 that I use mostly as a flash meter, and for when I want an incident meter.

Then, there's the old Luna Pro, which I keep as a matter of respect. But I can't find batteries for it that maintain the calibration, so I suppose if I were to use it I would need to have it recalibrated for non-mercury batteries.

Rick "who needs to replace the faded zone markings on the Spot V" Denney

[Bill_1856]

Weston Euromaster.

[Len Middleton]

Minolta Spotmeter F (LF)
Minolta Flashmeter III (with studio flash systems)
Gossen Lunasix 3 (for travelling light => Leica M or Rollei TLR)

[iozone]

Pentax Digital Spot

Gossen Luna Pro

Mostly the Pentax

[Marko]

Seconic L-558.

1-degree spot, incident and flashmeter.

[VictoriaPerelet]

... "meters" that we use are missed out from the list:)

1. Canon DSLR 90% of time
2. Sinar ground glass metering probe 10% (to calibrate #1 for center filters, grads & gels)

[akalai]

Sekonic L-358 (general all purpose)
Sekonic L-758DR (spot metering)
Weston Master V (flaneur mode)

...Minolta fans, you should look at this link to Kenko Tokina who took over production of these light meters;

http://www.kenko-tokina.co.jp/e/meter.html (http://www.kenko-tokina.co.jp/e/meter.html)

[Oren Grad]

Sekonic L-308, incident meter for both ambient and flash. It can meter reflected light as well, but I don't use it that way.

[Stephen Lewis]

Sekonic L-508, combined incident and variable (from 5 to 1 degrees ) spotmeter. It's been my only meter for 12 years, and has been robust enough to survive all the landscape (and I) could throw at it, including being left out over one winter night on a riverbank :eek:

[ljsegil]

Potpourri. Mostly use Pentax digital spot (Zone VI) or V Spotmeter (in a Zone of its own) as well as a Sekonic 558 for LF, Cosina Voigtlander VCII for Nikon and Contax rangefinders.
Silly perhaps, but there it is.
LJ

[John Powers]

Sekonic L-508, combined incident and variable (from 5 to 1 degrees ) spotmeter. It's been my only meter for 12 years, and has been robust enough to survive all the landscape (and I) could throw at it, including being left out over one winter night on a riverbank :eek:

Sekonic L-508 I think. I have worn the numbers off the case but it fits the above discription. Once in a long while it needs a battery, but the battery status clearly shows on the read out, so it is no surprise and I carry two spares.

Interesting survey. It surprises me that the OP did not state why he was asking and that no one before me has asked. What are we trying to accomplish here?

John

[Bill Kumpf]

After almost 20 years my Sekonic L328 has a blank screen. This was the back up meter to my Pentax V. Faced with a repair of replace decision, I was wondering what the options were.

So far the poll results are as expected as to the brands and type. One option I had not considered was using a DSLR as a meter. I will look at that.

Thanks everyone for the responses.

[Tony Lakin]

Starlight, Digisix and my trusty Pentax V (ZVI modified)

[Mick Fagan]

Gossen Profisix with various attachments, but I mainly use the 1º, 5º and 10º spot/tele attachment.

I have the flash attachment for studio stuff, but I don't have strobes these days.

I have the darkroom attachment which I take with me when I visit a foreign darkroom.

The fibre optic attachment is great for checking shutter and f/stop accuracy with film on a light box, or for doing TTL on the ground glass.

I also have the repro attachment, which really makes a difference using incident measurement on flat art work.

Bought it 25+ years ago, never thought it would be so good and versatile.

In the field and travelling light I just have the meter alone in it's leather case and use incident generally, or if the subject is nearby and I have time, reflected.

Mick.

[Eugene van der Merwe]

Sekonic L558. Having both spot and incident makes my life easier, sometimes i just can't decide what should be a midtone...

[imagedowser]

Gossen lunisix, Pentax Zone VI and practice starting in 1953.

[Scott Knowles]

I use two Sekonics, the primary is a L-358 w/ 1-degree spot and the secondary is a L-308b with a 5-degree spot.

[Dave - Landscapes]

For me its a Gossen Luna Pro SBC (incident/reflected), Pentax digital (spot), and a Sekonic L-608 (incident & variable spot). Mostly use the Gossen backed up where necessary with the Pentax spot.

Dave

[Diane Maher]

Sekonic L-608, combined incident and variable (from 5 to 1 degrees IIRC) spotmeter.

Me too on the Sekonic. However, I think it is a 1-4 degree spotmeter. I have a Weston Master at home, but haven't tried using it yet. The needle still moves, so I think it still works.

[Capocheny]

Minolta Flashmeter III and Minolta Meter IV

Pentax Digital Spotmeter

Cheers

[Michael N. Meyer]

You mean when I'm not just guessing, right?

[Bob McCarthy]

Soligor Zone VI modified, Pentax Zone VI modified and an old Luna pro hidden away somewhere. haven't see the LP since the divorce. Along with my money.

bob

[Aender Brepsom]

Sekonic L-508

[Mike Reyburn]

Sekonic L-508 and occasionally a Weston V.

[Ivan J. Eberle]

General Electric DW-58, a vintage 1947, mint condition Selenium cell (battery free) foot-candle meter that came bundled with my new-to-me Meridian 45B last year. It's still accurate enough that if I only shot B&W or color neg it might be the only meter I'd ever need (that is, short of guessing at the exposure in available darkness).

I shoot color transparencies, though, and trust a spot meter more than an incident meter for edgy light. I usually also have either a D200 or P645N with me, which have terrific spot meters.

[Turner Reich]

Soligor not listed? Wow, who missed that one? It was good enough for Fred Picker to have modified as a Zone VI meter.

[Ari]

Minolta IVf, incident readings only.
It's had the same battery since I bought it 12 years ago.

[John Cahill]

Old Luna-Pro with variable spot; Weston V

[R Mann]

Pocket Spot - made by Metered Light (they also did the Metrolux timers) - weighs 4 oz!! and is about 2" by 2.5" by .75"!!

[Martin Aislabie]

I have recently resurrected my Weston Euromaster :)

It needed a new Selenium Cell and a re-calibration to get it up and running again.

It’s so nice to have a simple to use and reliable incident light meter when I need one.

It even ties up pretty much with my Pentax Digital Spot Meter :D

Martin

[RmFrase]

Sekonic L-758dr

[iamjanco]

Sekonic 558R and a Weston V (just in case I'm taking pix during exposure to a relatively large electromagnetic pulse).

[ki6mf]

Pentax 5 Analog with Sekonic 748 as a backup

[Michael Wynd]

I use a Gossen Lunalite incident/reflected meter that I've had since 1982. I've only had to change the 9 volt battery in it once in 27 years.
Mike

[dsimaging]

sekonic L-778 spot meter, and a sekonic L-358 for flash stuff. I got both of em for a steal, but normally i would just use the spotmeter. the both take AA's, and they don't need em often, even though I use them 3-4 times a week for a few hours or so at a time.

great meters IMO, the best

dan

[Tom Micklin]

For all Large Format, a Pentax digital spot meter, Zone VI modified, that I've had forever.
Now looking for a nice Weston or maybe LunaPro to use with newly acquired Zeiss 6x9 folder.

[kev curry]

Have two Minolta Spot Meter F's

[Robert A. Zeichner]

Pentax digital spot and various Gossen Luna-Pro's with spot attachment. I also have an analog Pentax spot for backup.

[Emrehan Zeybekoglu]

Gossen Luna Pro SBC (sometimes with the spot attachment).

[Scott Davis]

Minolta Spotmeter F, or Sekonic 408 which has ambient and flash, incident and reflected, and 5 degree spot for both ambient and flash built in. The 5 degree spot is a bit limiting at times, but I keep it around because it is relatively compact for all the stuff it does.