best photometer for pinhole?

S

Sureño

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hi guys, I'm new into pinhole cameras world and I would like to know your opinion about which photometer might be better for this kind of photography? I guess Aperture Priority should be a must, so that put the Sekonic 308s out of question. I'm looking for an affordable lightmeter for pinhole.
cheers.
 
I use an old Weston (in my pinhole bag) or a Gossen Digisix, which only goes up to f/32 (then I have to figure out the equivalent for my pinhole apertures).

As for calculating exposure times, I've heard good things about the Black Cat, but I've just never bothered. I look up the reciprocity failure adjustment for the film I'm using and just do the math (either on a piece of paper or on my phone). If I'm feeling really lazy I just multiply the exposure time by 5 (short times -- under 1 minute ) or 10 (long times - over 1 minute) -- this approach seems consistent with the guesstimate-it approach I have when I do pinhole. One other thing: Fuji Acros is nice because out to about 2 minutes it requires little or no reciprocity adjustment.
 
It may be a bit of heresy to recommend another board on RFF, but if you're serious about pinholing, I highly recommend you meander over to f295. The URL for the forums there: http://www.f295.org/Pinholeforum/forum/Blah.pl

Some of the posters there have forgotten more about pinholing than I will ever know. Fabulous work, passionate photographers, and very helpful posters.

Sureño said:
thanks guys you rock.
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Papercut said:
It may be a bit of heresy to recommend another board on RFF, but if you're serious about pinholing, I highly recommend you meander over to f295. The URL for the forums there: http://www.f295.org/Pinholeforum/forum/Blah.pl

Some of the posters there have forgotten more about pinholing than I will ever know. Fabulous work, passionate photographers, and very helpful posters.
Click to expand...

Thanks for this link. I'm interested in pinholing.
 
As long as you know the aperture of your pinhole, any light meter should do. Just meter and then do your conversion to your aperture. Then if necessary, add exposure for reciprocity. You could then make yourself a chart.
 
I use a Gossen Luna Pro F (for no special reason other than that's the meter I happen to own).

To use the meter for pinhole, I set the film/paper's ISO on the meter, then reference the exposure time (in seconds) for f/128 on the Gossen (the meter's highest f-number) then do the conversion this way:

(camera's f-number / 128) ^2 * exposure time for f/128 = camera's exposure time.

This does not take into account reciprocity failure. But I mostly shoot paper negatives, which have virtually no reciprocity issues at most normal exposure times for pinhole (upwards of ten minutes I've seen no significant reciprocity failure for paper).

I end up doing the calculation for the camera's f-number / 128^2 part of the formula ahead of time and afix this number, as a constant "K", to the camera with a label maker. Each of my pinhole cameras have their "K" factor number labelled thusly. In the field I do the metering on the Gossen, reference the exposure time in seconds opposite f/128, and multiply that number by the camera's K-value to yield the working exposure time. Very easy and also very accurate.

~Joe
 
Papercut said:
It may be a bit of heresy to recommend another board on RFF, but if you're serious about pinholing, I highly recommend you meander over to f295. The URL for the forums there: http://www.f295.org/Pinholeforum/forum/Blah.pl

Some of the posters there have forgotten more about pinholing than I will ever know. Fabulous work, passionate photographers, and very helpful posters.
Click to expand...

thank you Kevin! very very helpful link :)
 
JoeV said:
I use a Gossen Luna Pro F (for no special reason other than that's the meter I happen to own).

To use the meter for pinhole, I set the film/paper's ISO on the meter, then reference the exposure time (in seconds) for f/128 on the Gossen (the meter's highest f-number) then do the conversion this way:

(camera's f-number / 128) ^2 * exposure time for f/128 = camera's exposure time.

This does not take into account reciprocity failure. But I mostly shoot paper negatives, which have virtually no reciprocity issues at most normal exposure times for pinhole (upwards of ten minutes I've seen no significant reciprocity failure for paper).

I end up doing the calculation for the camera's f-number / 128^2 part of the formula ahead of time and afix this number, as a constant "K", to the camera with a label maker. Each of my pinhole cameras have their "K" factor number labelled thusly. In the field I do the metering on the Gossen, reference the exposure time in seconds opposite f/128, and multiply that number by the camera's K-value to yield the working exposure time. Very easy and also very accurate.

~Joe
Click to expand...
I wish I could understand a word of your explanation..:bang:
my pinhole will be (didnt arrive yet from Poland) a Noon 6x6 f/158.
doing maths for reciprocity til 158 isnt it difficult? I was thinking about buying the Sekonic 308s but it doesnt have Aperture priority so I cant use it, right?
 
Ilford is marketing their own pinhole camera kit and also a direct positive paper too. The iso for that paper is 3. Looks like lots of interest in pinhole cameras.

Bob
 
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