Anyone have a recommendation for a small pocketable incident light meter?

[JJW]

Hi there.

Well, it finally happened. The mercury cell in my Gossen Luna Pro bit the dust. I got a good 8 or 9 years out of it, so I am happy.

Replacing the cell is possible, but problematic. The best option is one of those electronic adapters that enable you to use a silver cell instead of the mercury. But they're not cheap. Maybe it's time to put that money to better use and get another meter.

I would like to have a small light meter to take along while I am shooting just to double check exposures. I had my Luna Pro for close to 25 years, so I am not up on all the latest and greatest gear out there.

Can anyone recommend a simple and robust light meter that does incident readings? I would be looking to spend about $50 or so for a good clean used one. Something a bit smaller than the Luna Pro would be perfect, so I can put it in my pocket and have it handy when I need it. Digital readout would be great, too.

TIA!

 

[David Murphy]

Earlier versions of the Sekonic L-398 (I don't know all the part numbers) can sometimes be found for $30-$50 used on eBay. Just make sure it has a HIGH slide included. They are beautifully made, dead-to-rights accurate, and don't need batteries

 

[Topdog1]

The Sekonic L-208 TwinMate is great. Small enough to mount in your hot shoe, small enough to fit in a shirt pocket. Comes with a lanyard and a hot shoe mounting adapter. Does both incident and reflected light. It's analogue which you may or may not like. I like it - no stupid digital buttons that you can never remember how to use. See it here:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=Search&A=details&Q=&sku=200224&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

/Ira

 

[kaiyen]

Another vote for the 398. Not useful in lowlight, but everywhere else it's great. And ergonomically it's all one-hand usable.

allan

 

[like2fiddle]

I've used a Gossen Pilot 2 for a long time. No batteries, pocketable, lanyard around your neck if you want. Both incident and reflective meter. Not great in low light, but the price is right. Probably find on ebay for $20 or so.

 

[rogue_designer]

I love my Sekonic StudioMate II, tho I don't think it qualifies as pocketable.

For that, I use my Gossen Digisix - which is more robust than it first appears. It also sips battery power comparitively.

 

[JJW]

The Gossen Pilot 2 is exactly what I'd be looking for.

The other sgguestions are muy expensivo or overkill or too big. I had one of those Sekonic 398s and it broke... it's really a studio meter.

Now can anyone point me to a nice cheap clean used Pilot 2?

 

[photogdave]

Another vote for the Gossen Digisix. The only negative from my experience is if you're shooting with two cameras at different ISOs, it's a pain to change the ISO setting. Other than that, excellent little meter!

 

[peter_n]

I use a Quantum Calculight XP that has a smallish incident dome. Very good in low light; has a digital readout that you use to dial the exposure on a wheel - the best of both worlds. About $50-60 on eBay.

 

[srtiwari]

Agree with re: the Gossen Digisix.

 

[mwooten]

I've been using a Polaris meter. Not super small, it is about the size of a pack of cards. The battery has been in it for years.

 

[Simon Larbalestier]

Hi there.

Replacing the cell is possible, but problematic. The best option is one of those electronic adapters that enable you to use a silver cell instead of the mercury. But they're not cheap. Maybe it's time to put that money to better use and get another meter.

TIA!

You might like the Gossen Sixomat: pockectable ,sensitive and digital readout - i use one as a back up. I also purchased the battery adapters to give life to my Lunasix 3 but you're righht not cheap as you need two adapters. For discretion the VC Meter II is very good it can either fit the hotshoe of the camera or you can fix it to a lanyard and make off camera readings.

 

[FrankS]

I just got a used Sekonic 308b in the mail today. About $100.

 

[SolaresLarrave]

How about the unbeatable Sekonic L208? Has incident and reflected light meters, a small lanyard, and the battery lasts forever. The price, though, is up to you to categorize: I got mine for $86 or thereabouts. With shipping it was still less than a hundred.

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

If the small "pocketable" incident light meter isn't a good, working, reliable Selenium cell meter, then you can't go wrong with the Gossen Digisix.

3 out of 3 users agree. 😀