Ambient light meter recommendations please

[kennethcooke]

I am taking delivery of an M6 classic on Wednesday and I would appreciate your recommendation on light meters. I have used Weston Masters in the past but someone suggested Gossen Lunasix 3s and I believe 3s can be adapted with a battery compartment adaptor and Sekonic . I only wish to use a meter for very low light conditions- film only and analoge

 

[Michiel Fokkema]

Hi,

I can recommend the meter inside the m6.
If you really need a meter for low light I can recommend the newer Gossen meters. Older meters of any brand are not as light sensitive as the modern ones.

Cheers,

Michiel Fokkema

 

[oftheherd]

Hi,

... Older meters of any brand are not as light sensitive as the modern ones.

Cheers,

Michiel Fokkema

I don't know if that is true or not true. I do think my Gossen Luna Pro SBC is sensitive enough for any practical low light readings. However, If you are looking for black cats in coal bins, I don't even think incident is the way you want to go.

The Gossen Luna Pro SBC would still be my meter of choice for night time reflected light shots. My Sekonic L28c2 is surprisingly good in low light, but it depends on your definition of low light. It certainly won't do what the Luna Pro SBC will do. I do tend to think the larger the dome, the more accurate the reading.

 

[Michiel Fokkema]

Hi,

i regard the luna pro/Profisix as a modern meter.

Cheers,

Michiel Fokkema

 

[M like Leica M6]

Have a look at the Sekonic 308:

http://www.sekonic.com/products/products.asp?ID=3

It is much smaller than the Gossen meters, weighs much, much less, it is precise, affordable, and it even handles flashlight measuring. And it uses standard AA batteries. But the best is that it can be used with one hand and gives the result immediately. Most Gossen meters require that you turn a ring and then read some tiny numbers. The Sekonic has a big digital display.

 

[oftheherd]

Hi,

i regard the luna pro/Profisix as a modern meter.

Cheers,

Michiel Fokkema

Then I would guess we aren't far apart in our esteem of the Gossen meters. I didn't consider the Luna Pro or SBC as modern. However, I guess you were considering it against the Westons mentioned by the OP.

The Sekonics are nice meters, but can use my Gossens with one hand as well. Naturally two handed is a little easier. I have never used a Weston, so I don't know if they are OK one handed or not.

 

[rogerchristian]

I use a Sekonic Twinmate L-208, it fulfills all the basic needs, reasonable sensitivity, holds reading, light, small. For a good all around meter, especially to bump against something like the M6 or similar, it is an excellent choice. Uses a 2032 lithium pancake battery, which doesn't leak, has long life and works well under reasonable temperature extremes.

Hard to beat that combination of positives.

 

[Roger Hicks]

If you don't mind the bulk, the Luna-Pro SBC (null reading) is superb; easy to use one-handed; and (if you want it) provides a superb quick'n'dirty reading of the subject brightness range. Runs on a standard 9v block cell.

For smaller size and bigger readout, the Digipro is pretty good too and runs on an AA. I have both. The only Sekonic I have has packed up: it gives a reading when you put a new AA into it, but you then have to remove and replace the battery each time you want a reading...

Cheers,

R.

 

[carpediem007]

I second the Gossen line

I second the Gossen line

If you don't mind the size (ca.12x7x3.5 cm), I think a Mastersix is just about perfect. It has all the photography (incident/reflected/flash) and photometry metering functions you'll ever need and can be expanded with all kinds of "stick-on" modules for specialist use.
Used to be the top-of-the-line Gossen meter costing more than 800 EURO but can easily be found for less than a 100 EURO today...
I love mine and have no problem using it with one hand or seing the huge digital numbers. Perfect for night photography too...
Cheers,
Michael

PS: I usually trust the lightmeter in my M6 and use the Mastersix in the studio (flash), or with my M3 and sometimes to randomly check (an train) my "nature-given, built-in" lightmeter (my eyes). I hope that one day I won't need an external lightmeter anymore; especially while "doing street"...

 

[kennethcooke]

Re- Ambient light meters

Re- Ambient light meters

Thank you, I was rather taken by the simplicity of the Sekonic Studio Deluxe L-398 and yes I shall rely on the M6's own meter in general but shots in low light i.e. church interiors and theaters might challenge the capabilities of the cameras internal meter, or maybe it won't, I don't know. Other choices might be Gossen Lunasix 3 or a Weston Master V

 

[Michiel Fokkema]

The sekonic 398 is really not that good in low light. Probably the Weston master isn't either.

Cheers,

Michiel Fokkema

 

[robertdfeinman]

Low light

Low light

If you are really shooting in low light then your problem is not which meter, but how to meter.

Take a typical example, a street at night where the sources of light are street lights and shop windows. If you meter the overall scene you will produce a long enough exposure so that the street itself will look like it was shot in daylight while the shop windows and street lights will be totally washed out. If you meter the shop windows then you don't have a low light situation, they are bright.

In this case you will get well-exposed shop windows and the rest of the scene in darkness. This will parallel what one would see in person. Similar situations occur with landscapes or seascapes at night or dusk as well as dimly lit interiors.

Metering is designed to make the scene look "normal" and this may not be what you wish in most cases. There are several guides published (and online) which give average exposures for typical situations such as these, I suggest trying these as a starting point.

The meter in my Pentax 67 goes to about 4 sec at f2.8 with 200 speed film. This is good enough for a brightly lit street at night. Beyond this I just guess. What's the worst that can happen, you waste a few extra frames of film?

How many frames will you have to waste to pay back the $200-300 a meter might cost you?

 

[Nikon Bob]

I like using the Sekonic L-398 for it's size and lack of battery requirement under normal conditions. For low light I put up with the bulk and battery dependence of a Gossen Luna-pro SBC. The Sekonic is just not sensitive enough.

Bob

 

[kennethcooke]

If you are really shooting in low light then your problem is not which meter, but how to meter.

Take a typical example, a street at night where the sources of light are street lights and shop windows. If you meter the overall scene you will produce a long enough exposure so that the street itself will look like it was shot in daylight while the shop windows and street lights will be totally washed out. If you meter the shop windows then you don't have a low light situation, they are bright.

In this case you will get well-exposed shop windows and the rest of the scene in darkness. This will parallel what one would see in person. Similar situations occur with landscapes or seascapes at night or dusk as well as dimly lit interiors.

Metering is designed to make the scene look "normal" and this may not be what you wish in most cases. There are several guides published (and online) which give average exposures for typical situations such as these, I suggest trying these as a starting point.

The meter in my Pentax 67 goes to about 4 sec at f2.8 with 200 speed film. This is good enough for a brightly lit street at night. Beyond this I just guess. What's the worst that can happen, you waste a few extra frames of film?

How many frames will you have to waste to pay back the $200-300 a meter might cost you?

I think i am getting the picture, if you will excuse the pun. In the dim and distant days, I would assess the light and expose to what I thought was right, maybe taking two or three exposures it differing settings, i.e. guesstimate. I assumed things had moved on since then, obviously, I was mistaken. I will use the M6's meter within it's capabilities and them beyond that guesstimate. Is that what you are saying?

 

[robertdfeinman]

Guessing

Guessing

You can do slightly better than guessing if you start with one of the exposure guides. I have an old pocket guide from Kodak that had a little calculator wheel that gave you starting points for various types of scenes at different film speeds.

I also seem to recall a similar guide packed with some types of film. The types of scenes covered included fireworks, store windows, rainy streets, and lit up buildings at night like the Empire State or Lincoln Memorial.

There are also guides for shooting by moonlight as the moon waxes and wanes. If you don't have such a guide already, I'm sure you can find something similar online.

The main point is that meters don't do what you want under really dark conditions.

 

[newspaperguy]

If you don't mind prowling thrift shops and 2nd hand stores - keep your eyes open for a Sekonic Auto-Lumi L-158. This is very small (2" X 3" X 3/4") and light selenium (sp?) meter. Surprisingly accurate and extremely durable. I've had this one for more years than I remember.

 

[sykotec]

i've got to agree with the Luna Pro SBC votes here, but only for REALLY low light situations. it's a great meter, but it's a bear to carry. for times (most) when it's not needed, i carry a DigiSix lately. simple, seems accurate, and a great size

i'm a long-time nikon slr user, only using RFs for most of my 'work' in the last few years. that said, the nikons are going, but there's a 'new' slr in my world - a hasselblad 500c/m. if you ever use something that, like the hassy, is geared towards metering EVs, the DigiSix is wonderful