Clip-on meters

[KoNickon]

I for one am anxiously awaiting the arrival of an MR meter for my newly acquired M3. (I paid about 40%of the price of a new VC II meter; an excellent deal but not ridiculously so.) Based on the comments I've heard about the VC's being rather easily knocked off its settings, and its relatively high price, I thought that if the MR could be found for a decent price I'd go with that. It's made for the non-metered Leicas, and the fact its metering area corresponds to the 90mm framelines makes it pretty easy to know what you're metering. I have some 625 batteries, so no need at the moment to adjust it.

Nice reply, Joe -- right on.

 

[zpuskas]

I also have a VC meter, first version I believe. I like it very much. Small. Accurate. Only one complaint, I tend to press the "on" button whenever I make an exposure. No big deal, I assume the batteries won't last as long.

 

[richard_l]

I like a meter which can take both incident and reflected readings. In dicey lighting I may take several readings of each type. If I can get an incident and reflected reading to agree, than I feel pretty confident that it's nailed. (I'm not this anal about exposure unless I'm shooting slide film.) Anyhow, the only thing I have against the CV meters is that they only do reflected. The Digisix does both, but it looks kinda goofy clipped to the top of the camera, and it's more convenient to use it handheld anyhow.

 

[ray_g]

Another vote for the digisix. I have not handled the VC, but personally, I like the ability to take incident readings as well as reflected. I got mine with the shoemount, but I have never used it on the camera. I prefer to just keep it in my pocket. When I raise the camera to my eye, the only thing left is to release the shutter.

As regards the EV values, you really just need to turn the wheel to set the aperture/speed combo on the initial reading. From there, adjusting by one or two EV in either direction, when the light changes, is pretty intuitive.

 

[schmoozit]

Edited after a straight-up apology was offered.

 

[MCTuomey]

Trius, I have the sekonic twinmate, but i'm looking at the VCII as well. The twinmate is a nice one-hand meter that reads quickly. It is very small and nothing to carry along. The ISO setting sometimes slips, though - it needs to be a tighter dial. Otherwise I like mine quite a bit. It handles incident and spot one-handed, too.

Remy, glad you're back. It would be a shame to lose your good humor and insights here.

 

[FrankS]

I liked the Sekonic Twinmate too, especially because I need to switch my "seeing far away glasses" for reading glasses when looking at small numbers and letters like those on my VC meter 2.

 

[egpj]

Frank, the Dark Side is strong. Both Leica and the dRF are tempting beasts. I got tempted and for now I can't go back. But RFF is like Ariadne's thread to me. As long as it doesn't snap I'll be fine, someday. 🙂

BTW, the M2 still has its gloriously golden jacket. 😛

Please post a picture of that M2. I see something like that and I will bow down and say "we're not worthy, we're not worthy!" 😀

 

[egpj]

By the way, sorry I went OT on you guys.

 

[wlewisiii]

I really like my VC Meter II for it's simplicity and accuracy. It only does reflective, but it does it well and has been the most consistant meter I've ever owned. It fit's on the top of classic cameras beautifully too 😉 just look to my current avatar for an idea of that. Yes, the ISO slips rather easily and if it gets cold the batteries will croak a whole lot sooner than I expected (actually getting winter this year, for a change... 🙂 )

I use it with all of my meter-less cameras and with some of the ones with meters too 😱 as I trust it more than the ones in those cameras. One of the important things about metering is not so much the meter or the technique or anything else like that - the key is to be consistant. If you know that "x" light that is always at 1/60@f16 on your meter and prints right then you can ignore any other meters giving you a different reading. Stick to one. Get to know it as well as you learn your emulsions - that will help more than anything else I've learned in the last year.

And if you really want incident metering, it really shouldn't be that difficult to make a dome for it out of a styrofoam coffee cup 😀

William

 

[RML]

Please post a picture of that M2. I see something like that and I will bow down and say "we're not worthy, we're not worthy!" 😀

ROFL!
The M2 used to be pink before I gave it a golden jacket. Now, if you still want to see it... http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=16655&cat=4934 .

I'm bringing it to the Leica Challenge coming weekend here in Amsterdam. I hope to get some stares. 😀

 

[RObert Budding]

Wrong site?

Wrong site?

How is this in anyway a helpful response?

PULEEZ!!!

The fellow RFF'er who posted this question obviously DOES NOT have an old Leica meter hanging around in the back of his drawer somewhere.

He's seeking advice on a modern product offering.

This kind of response is an all too typical RFF "gotcha - I've been around longer than you..." kind of answer.

SO WHAT?

You have a bigger "junk drawer" others of us!

As to the original query:

I find that the CV meter is great to work with. I like the mondern LCD indicator when mounted on my Nikon S2 because it "mirrors" my backup Bessa R2S so I don't have to do too many mental calesthenics with my aging brain cells!

Oh! I thought I was on pnet for a moment! Really rude and awful behavior!

I find that I'm coming here less often lately. Too many rude remarks cropping up these days. And this one was completely off base. People were staying on topic, and even if they weren't, why be rude?

If I wanted rude, I'd look for a pnet film vs. digital thread.

Robert

 

[bobofish]

RML,
Despite my better judgement, I'm going to admit that I think that's a cool looking camera.
Not exactly discreet, we'll say, but cool nonetheless. Unique is probablly a good word.
Cheers!

 

[Stephan]

Because you assume that one can just "click on eBay" and get an old school Leica meter at half the price of a new CV one. That's why.

eBay is an auction house of a mixed bag of old and new gear. The new stuff is usually "closeouts" the old stuff is "catch as catch can"!

If a guy needs (wants) a clip on meter and doesn't want the grief of hoping to: a) find it and; b) if he does - trust that it really works! Then he is better off to buy new gear.

There is nothing wrong with finding an old piece of useful gear in YOUR drawer for YOUR usage - but how does that help a guy who needs something for HIMSELF?

If you were willing to offer your Leica meter to him at a fair price then your answer would be helpful. Elsewise, I don't see how it is.

Either way, your original response was way too agressive, man.

 

[dcsang]

hmmm.

on specs alone the Twin Mate is more sensitive on the low end of the spectrum while the VC Meter II is more sensitive on the high end.
The angle of measurement is about the same (around 30 degrees)
The Twin Mate holds the reading for 15 seconds vs 10 seconds for the VC Meter II.
The sekonic has those special "Leica-ized" speeds 😀 1/5, 1/10, 1/25, 1/50 etc. for the M3 😀
Interesting, it will also measure upwards of 12,500 vs 3,200 for the VC Meter II.

Earl, thanks for posting about this one - I hadn't even considered it but I will now. I'll take a look at it in NYC this weekend and do a physical comparison of the two as well.
The bonus is the Sekonic is 1/2 the cost of the VC Meter II as well.

Dave

 

[Solinar]

Yep, I was surprised to see this photo.net behavior here, too. I'm tempted to bring out the pancake bunny.

I didn't weigh in because even though I know clip-on meters are popular, I'm still accustomed to hand-held. I just have to have the option of an incident meter.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Please note that on the related thread,

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=177499#post177499

George publicly apologized to Remy and that it was accepted.

That is a big difference between RFF and Photo.net.

 

[Solinar]

Brian, thanks for pointing that out. Once again, RFF pulls through. I'll put that pan cake bunny away.

 

[zuikologist]

Robert - I have the same thoughts sometimes, but please hang in there and keep coming back. Like all things that grow and change, newcomers do not necessarily have an understanding of the culture of this online community, and sometimes the *rules* such as they are, need to be reinforced. RFF is a remarkably tolerant place 99% of the time. Having said all that, there is no excuse for rudeness.