Choosing a Handheld Light Meter

JeremyLangford

JeremyLangford

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I have a Minolta Autocord 6x6 TLR with no meter and I want to start shooting with it so I need to get a handheld meter. I know very little about light meters but I am hoping that I can get one with a backlit screen because I have been in many situations with my Minolta SRT-101 where I can't see the TTL match needle exposure guide due to the FOV being too dark.

I plan to keep this light meter forever unless I decide to upgrade. If I like using a handheld meter than I will probably save some money by getting an M4-P instead of an M6 when I can afford my first Leica. Would it be worth it for me to get a meter than has both Reflective and Incident metering? I want to keep the meter as small and as cheap as possible without sacrificing important features but I am prepared to spend quite a bit if I need to.

Any suggestions or insight?
 
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Monochrom advertises the Sekonic Studio Deluxe as the last remaining, new light meter without batteries. That's the one I have, and I quite like it.

It's pretty sturdy, has a swivel head and isn't all that big. It's just a little difficult to use without those ISO-blades, you have to first set the scale to the according number and after that read off what aperture and shutter to use. One more step than required by similar meter. It's incident only.

martin
 
As far as a backlit screen goes, most of the light meters with backlit screens are rather large. With most inexpensive light meters, by the time it gets too dark to read the meter, it is too dark for the meter to be able to meter accurately.

if you want to get one that will last forever, and you don't mind getting a large light meter in order to have a backlit screen and a couple more stops of low light sensitivity, consider getting a meter that does incident, reflective, and spot metering. If you tend to set your tlr up on a tripod, a good spot meter can definitely help you get more accurately exposed shots.
 
You're asking for a lot! Not many meters have illuminated (backlit) screens. Good meters aren't cheap, nor are they all small. Most meters will read both incident and reflected light. Quality meters at this point in time are about as "upgraded" as they can get from the standpoints of reliability, sensitivity, etc. Some fantastic meters, the Weston Master V for instance, (I have two) don't contain a battery so of course the dial isn't illuminated.
 
To my mind the Sekonic L308s is the one of yo'.

The analogue ones are great though they suffer when the light is low and this is when you really need one.
 
It really depends on what you need the meter for. For example for me a meter must have flash and multiflash and must be very sensitive but I don't care of whether has spot measurement, or whether it is small or big, for other persons (for example Ansel Adams) a meter must have spot of 1 degree, for others must be so small to become part of the camera... Just think of what you need the meter for and then you should already have a very short list of possible candidates. The only general suggestion I give is to be not too romantic in the meter because using one already make the process of taking a picture slower so having a meter which is easy to read is in my opinion the most important thing, i.e. for me led display is welcome, dial and rotating discs a bit less...

GLF
 
I agree with the Sekonic Twinmate 208. reliable, fairly cheap, fantastically intuitive and most important of all, it's compact. It does incident and it's robust enough to not get put off-kilter when left in a pocket. It's what I preferred. With my autocord.
 
Try to find a Calculight XP. One of the most sensitive meters around (-7EV), and has LED display that you can read in the dark. Small, batteries hold forever.
 
The Studio Deluxe is not good if you need to meter in low light conditions. If you're using it in the studio - or in daylight - fine -- but forget about low light.

If you want back-lit - get the Sekonic L-358:

http://www.sekonic.com/products/Sekonic L-358 FLASH MASTER.asp

I love it - yes - it's a bit bigger than the L-308s (which I also have) - but if you want something versatile you'll use for years -- it's a keeper.
 
I like the little twinmate (top middle) and the chunky LunaPro. (bottom left) The digital Sekonic (bottom right) is my only meter for flash.
None of my meters have back lit displays.
 

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You need 2

You need 2

FrankS said:
I like the little twinmate (top middle) and the chunky LunaPro. (bottom left) The digital Sekonic (bottom right) is my only meter for flash.
None of my meters have back lit displays.
Click to expand...

Check the photo FrankS posted. The Luna Pro sbc in the lower left corner is the best low light meter ever. You will need to carry a flashlight to read this meter. I got mine in like new condition with the original case for $50. Make sure if you go Luna Pro sbc shopping that you buy the one with the needle. DO NOT BUY THE LATER MODEL WITH LEDS. It is much easier to determine exposure of a scene with the needle.

You will need a backup meter. Most anything else will do. I have a Weston Master V just because I like them and a Minolta Autometer IV for spot reading and flash use. It's huge.
 
I have a Sekonic L-508. Nice meter, although I don't use it that often.

For everyday use, I have a Zeiss Ikon Ikophot T, which takes a 9-volt battery (commonly available) that lasts several years.

It's very accurate. It can handle reflective and incident metering. And the dial lights when correct exposure is indicated, which means that it can be read in all situations.

There is no needle to get knocked out of calibration or damaged.

Cost me about $35 four years ago. Well worth its cost.
 
I've used a number of the Westons, and here's why I stopped using them, although they're awesome meters, particularly the Weston III:

weston_dial_300.jpg


Try reading this when the light is low.
 
Wow, this is gonna be harder than I thought. I absolutely will never need my meter for studio use. I simply like to carry a camera with me at all times and take pictures of people and things I come across. This is why I would benefit from the meter being smaller. I love how cool all the analog meters look but I feel like I need to be able to use the meter in low light conditions. How do most meters work? Do you set a preferred aperture and the meter tells you the shutter speed to use? Is it vice versa? Can you do either?
 
venchka said:
Check the photo FrankS posted. The Luna Pro sbc in the lower left corner is the best low light meter ever. You will need to carry a flashlight to read this meter. I got mine in like new condition with the original case for $50. Make sure if you go Luna Pro sbc shopping that you buy the one with the needle. DO NOT BUY THE LATER MODEL WITH LEDS. It is much easier to determine exposure of a scene with the needle.

You will need a backup meter. Most anything else will do. I have a Weston Master V just because I like them and a Minolta Autometer IV for spot reading and flash use. It's huge.
Click to expand...

The Minolta Auto Meter IV F seems like a good meter than can do everything. Could it fit in my pocket?
 
I have the Seconic Twin-mate (L-208) and while it is a small and easy to use meter at daylight, it is not that good in dark light and you can set ISO only in half-stops. The lower (practical) limit is EV 5 for 400ISO. Below that it is nearly impossible to distinguish a meter-reading from the standby position of the needle.

A better alternative might be the Gossen Digisix. I had that meter before. It has an easy to read display, can be set in third stops and works down to EV 3 (400ISO). EV3 at 400ISO is pretty much your limit for taking photos hand-hold. Only drawback of this meter is that it has only sequential menu setable in one direction, you have to scroll through all higher ISO values first to set a lower value than the actual.

Both meter also allow for incident metering by just sliding an integrated small white cap over the sensor and both use an easy to get CR2032 battery.
 
Simplest is the L308s small and light. I also use the VCII for in camera mostly with my Canon P. VCII sits perfectly (not loose) in the flash shoe of the P but not on the M3. For critical landscape, the L558 (1 deg. spot) is my go to meter.
 
I'm going to agree with Benjamin and gilpen123 and suggest the Sekonic L-308s. I have the 308b (without screen illumination) and its a fine meter to work with. Tiny, light and only runs on one AA battery which you can anywhere (unlike my lunapro) it offers both inicident (which is all i use) and reflective metering modes and is so simple to use. The only downside is that its probably not as robust as some of the more higher end sekonics
 
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