Any Light Meter Recommendations?

[dourbalistar]

I use and can recommend the Sekonic L-208 Twinmate. It's a pocketable handheld meter that can take incident or reflected light readings. I like that it has an analog readout so you can see equivalent aperture/shutter speed combinations at a glance, plus EV if you're into that. It takes a modern 3.0V CR2032 battery, so you don't need to worry about voltage adapters. The measuring range for both ambient and incident at ISO100 is EV3 - EV17, adequate for most indoor and outdoor scenes. Somewhat clunky, but it can also be shoe mounted. $129 USD brand new, but can be found for <$100 used.

Here's mine, with a Gordy's wrist strap:


2020.05.09 Roll #244-04724-positive.jpg by dourbalistar, on Flickr

 

[The Spastic Image]

Dear snegron,

You can find Gossen Pilot meters with cases and lanyards all day long for less than $20.00. They are small and require no batteries being a selenium cell.

I have 2 that I have owned for well over 10 years and both read almost exactly the same as my Nikon D7500 meter at various ISO settings.

Regards,

Tim Murphy

Harrisburg PA 🙂

$30-$50 buys you a Gossen Luna-Pro. I use a Pilot as backup, mine works well.

 

[hap]

I use and can recommend the Sekonic L-208 Twinmate. It's a pocketable handheld meter that can take incident or reflected light readings. I like that it has an analog readout so you can see equivalent aperture/shutter speed combinations at a glance, plus EV if you're into that. It takes a modern 3.0V CR2032 battery, so you don't need to worry about voltage adapters. The measuring range for both ambient and incident at ISO100 is EV3 - EV17, adequate for most indoor and outdoor scenes. Somewhat clunky, but it can also be shoe mounted. $129 USD brand new, but can be found for <$100 used.

Here's mine, with a Gordy's wrist strap:


2020.05.09 Roll #244-04724-positive.jpg by dourbalistar, on Flickr

a good meter...have one.

 

[Tim Murphy]

$30-$50 buys you a Gossen Luna-Pro. I use a Pilot as backup, mine works well.

Dear Spastic Image,

$ 50.00 buys you a Luna-Lux SBC too, and you will never struggle to find 9VDC batteries. The problem is the thing is half the size of a plain prism Nikon F if you carry it the case! But it works excellent. it's just bulky, like me! 😉

You can put a Pilot in the case in your pocket and it's barely bigger than your car keys if you have a couple of supermarket key cards on the ring.

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂

 

[The Spastic Image]

Dear Spastic Image,

$ 50.00 buys you a Luna-Lux SBC too, and you will never struggle to find 9VDC batteries. The problem is the thing is half the size of a plain prism Nikon F if you carry it the case! But it works excellent. it's just bulky, like me! 😉

You can put a Pilot in the case in your pocket and it's barely bigger than your car keys if you have a couple of supermarket key cards on the ring.

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂

Agreed. I have a Luna-Pro F (I use it often) and a Pilot 2 (my street meter). Your point is why I have both. Also, Luna-Pro F, Luna-Pro SBC meters can be had for $50 with a little hunting. Love the easier to find battery too!

 

[Tim Murphy]

Agreed. I have a Luna-Pro F (I use it often) and a Pilot 2 (my street meter). Your point is why I have both. Also, Luna-Pro F, Luna-Pro SBC meters can be had for $50 with a little hunting. Love the easier to find battery too!

Dear Spastic Image,

And to the OP's original post, it's a $ 50.00 meter than reads down to EV-3, which certainly qualifies as low light capable.

Regards,

Tim Murphy

Harrisburg PA 🙂

 

[The Spastic Image]

The Luna-Pro F sure does read to -EV-3. Only sin is it's a bit bulky. I recommend getting a Pilot or Pilot 2 also, outdoors and average light it works well!

 

[Bill Jones]

Thanks! Just out of curiosity (and completely off topic), would that MR-9 PX625 battery adapter also work to place SR43 batteries in my Nikon FTN Photomic prism?

Hi snegron7,

The MR-9 adapters with voltage transformation will work in the Nikon F FTN meters. I've been using them there for about 5 years. Warnig there're 2 MR-9 battery adapters made by Kanto Camera. One has the voltage adapter circuit and the other does not. You should get one with the voltage adapter circuit.

Kanto cameras web site is kantocamera.com. It comes up in Japanese but the English "button" is on the top right.

Bill

 

[furcafe]

. . . I've dragged a Digisix around and used it with all my 35 and MF cameras. It's tiny, accurate, super light weight. It's my choice when not using my Pentax SpotmeterView attachment 4825093

The switch gets easily pressed through the neoprene case. I take the battery out between uses and carry spares on longer trips. One of the petty design annoyances.

Another vote for the Digisix (or Digiflash for flash metering), which I've used for over 10 years. It does go through batteries because of the easily-pressed reading button & cold weather in winter, but the CR2032 batteries are cheap & easy to buy in bulk (also the same as used in Apple AirTags).

 

[Reinvention]

A meter with a rotating incident/reflected head is more convenient to use – Luna-Star F, for example – but usually larger. The Sekonic L-208 is small and the Luna-Lux SBC is large; both have the same ergonomic issues but are accurate.

 

[wlewisiii]

I use and can recommend the Sekonic L-208 Twinmate. It's a pocketable handheld meter that can take incident or reflected light readings. I like that it has an analog readout so you can see equivalent aperture/shutter speed combinations at a glance, plus EV if you're into that. It takes a modern 3.0V CR2032 battery, so you don't need to worry about voltage adapters. The measuring range for both ambient and incident at ISO100 is EV3 - EV17, adequate for most indoor and outdoor scenes. Somewhat clunky, but it can also be shoe mounted. $129 USD brand new, but can be found for <$100 used.

Here's mine, with a Gordy's wrist strap:


2020.05.09 Roll #244-04724-positive.jpg by dourbalistar, on Flickr

This is the one I have. Handy and accurate. When I take out the cameras that need it I hang it around my neck and it's just there handy when I want it.

Reasonably priced too.

 

[CMur12]

Hi snegron7,

The MR-9 adapters with voltage transformation will work in the Nikon F FTN meters. I've been using them there for about 5 years. Warnig there're 2 MR-9 battery adapters made by Kanto Camera. One has the voltage adapter circuit and the other does not. You should get one with the voltage adapter circuit.

Kanto cameras web site is kantocamera.com. It comes up in Japanese but the English "button" is on the top right.

Bill

I would use the MR-9 adapter with a silver oxide 386 battery, which is flatter than some of the others.

- Murray

 

[Bill Jones]

I would use the MR-9 adapter with a silver oxide 386 battery, which is flatter than some of the others.

- Murray

Murray,

A 386 and an SR-43 are the same battery. Either one should work well unless you have some specific brand of batteries that is too thick.
I would stick to well known brands for any photo batteries. SR in the name shows the battery is silver oxide while LR is lithium. Kanto specifies two SR43's in two adapters for the FTn.

Bill

 

[Richard G]

I love meter threads. Usually disagree with most of the posts. I own a L398, out of curiosity. Incredibly finnicky to use, quite big, dense. A nice idea, only. The light meter in the phone is very hit and miss. Too long a delay for the reading. Not a dedicated tool. Sekonic L308X is good. It is small, sensitive and light and has incident dominant and reflective option with a slide of the incident cover. It has a battery. It has an on-off switch. But I hate that. My favourite is the Gossen DigiPro F. Larger, feels light, instantly on. Takes one AA battery. Fits in an inside jacket pocket, and is not lost in there but tall enough to whip out quickly. The key point is you either trust Sunny 16 or experience or whatever and you play fast and loose. Or you don't. If you don't, you want an instantly on, fast, sensitive, reliable, easily readable meter. The end.

 

[ChrisPlatt]

Gossen meters are big and heavy. Some are as large as 35mm cameras I own.
Instead I prefer to use an inexpensive late model Sekonic CdS exposure meter.

Chris

 

[hap]

Hi snegron7,

The MR-9 adapters with voltage transformation will work in the Nikon F FTN meters. I've been using them there for about 5 years. Warnig there're 2 MR-9 battery adapters made by Kanto Camera. One has the voltage adapter circuit and the other does not. You should get one with the voltage adapter circuit.

Kanto cameras web site is kantocamera.com. It comes up in Japanese but the English "button" is on the top right.

Bill

I would think that the MR 9 voltage modification circuit would work on the M5 if it good for the Leica Minolta CL.

 

[shawn]

The adapter doesn't fit the M5 very well. I had a hard to getting it it to fit, make good contact and have the door close. The M5's meter is adjusted without having to take the top off so it would not be too hard to adjust it 1.5v.

 

[Bill Jones]

The adapter doesn't fit the M5 very well. I had a hard to getting it it to fit, make good contact and have the door close. The M5's meter is adjusted without having to take the top off so it would not be too hard to adjust it 1.5v.

Shawn,

The MR 9 adapter should work on the M5. But if the M5's voltage can be adjusted for the 1.5v batteries, that would be a better choice since you only need to insert one object (the battery) instead of two (battery and adapter) each time you change batteries. Less small things to drop and loose.

Bill

 

[snegron7]

Gossen meters are big and heavy. Some are as large as 35mm cameras I own.
Instead I prefer to use an inexpensive late model Sekonic CdS exposure meter.

Chris

Before posting here, I was considering using one of my smaller, lighter AF 35mm cameras to serve as a meter (Nikon N80 or Pentax Super Program). It would be roughly the size of a large meter.

 

[shawn]

Shawn,

The MR 9 adapter should work on the M5. But if the M5's voltage can be adjusted for the 1.5v batteries, that would be a better choice since you only need to insert one object (the battery) instead of two (battery and adapter) each time you change batteries. Less small things to drop and loose.

Bill

Should but really doesn't fit well. I had the same problem with the Leicaflex SL or SL2.. can't recall which one.

To adjust the meter you take off the bottom strap lug and the adjustment pots are right there.