Light meters & the market.

[Linkert]

I'm gonna come off as a really smart guy here, 😎

First off, I do not know how the various kinds of light meters work, internally. But looking at a Sekonic L-208, Voigtländer VC II, Gossen Digisix or similar I can't figure out what drives the price?

A Sekonic L-208 will set me back 140 USD (906 SEK), and it's probably a fine tool. 140 USD is not a huge sum of money either, but where are the low cost alternatives we see for all other kinds of camera accessories?

There seems to be a rather small amount of light meters of this small and simple type out there on the market or have I just missed them all?

Really the question is; where are the 100 USD or lower alternatives to these light meters? These types of light meters give such a simple/primitive impression.

The question might seem odd. But I think there are loads of people like me who are looking at getting a small hot/cold shoe mountable light meter, but finding the market to hold just about no choices except for the three previously mentioned. (yes, I'm aware of the old vintage selenium meters)

Anyone here that's crafty and smart want to create the ultimate 'peoples-light meter' that photographers all around the world will have three–five units of laying around in their drawer? 😉

Thoughts?

 

[muser53]

I suspect that just as smart phones are killing the inexpensive p&s so will they kill off the inexpensive basic light meter. There are many good apps that do the trick. Lest you get the impression I'm a digi-wonk just know I shoot B&W negs (develop my own film) almost exclusively and have little (at least up to now 🙄 ) love of digital imaging for my own work. Oh yes I do have a drawer of meters that get a regular workout in the sun.

 

[bjornkeizers]

I'm in the same spot as you are. I have a few cameras without meter, so a dedicated, affordable, small meter would be great. But even the cheapest ones here run 140 euros. That's quite a lot for an all plastic device that looks like it came from a cereal box. And anything else will run me at least 200 euros.

Instead, I use an app on my iPod Touch that seems to work just fine.

I've also considered getting a used meter, but all the old ones have some form of unreliable meter or need a quirky, unavailable battery to work.

There simply doesn't seem to be much of a market for a good, cheap meter.

 

[Vics]

Google "sunny 16 rule." It's about as good as a cheap meter, and it's free.

 

[David Hughes]

I'm in the same spot as you are. I have a few cameras without meter, so a dedicated, affordable, small meter would be great. But even the cheapest ones here run 140 euros. That's quite a lot for an all plastic device that looks like it came from a cereal box. And anything else will run me at least 200 euros.

Instead, I use an app on my iPod Touch that seems to work just fine.

I've also considered getting a used meter, but all the old ones have some form of unreliable meter or need a quirky, unavailable battery to work.

There simply doesn't seem to be much of a market for a good, cheap meter.

Well, I dunno but my old 40's Weston Master works OK for me. Had it checked and rebalanced and it's worked ever since. Unlike my fancy electronic thing that needs another repair or retirement.

Regards, david

 

[3rdtrick]

I just picked up a used Gossen Digiflash at a camera show for $100. It reads in directly EV and has a calculator scale for aperture and shutter speed. I also have a few old Polaroid shoe mount meters. They read in EV and are actually quite accurate. Vic is right, "Sunny F16" or EV 15 works. I just use the meter to confirm and for indoors.
Pete

 

[Linkert]

Google "sunny 16 rule." It's about as good as a cheap meter, and it's free.

Ultimately I want to be able to eye-ball it, and I have figured a dedicated light meter would be a great tool for learning how to determine my shutter speed and aperture in different situations. Use it enough, and I will probably be able to guess the metering before I've asked the light meter.

As many people do, I use my phone as a light meter. It works, but it's not very convenient shooting with a FSU camera one handed in the streets, or jerking my phone up into the air, do a reading, put it back into my pocket and go about my business. If I were doing landscapes, sure fine way of approaching the metering issue.

edit: Also, I live in Sweden. Light is a rare occurrence most of the year which makes Sunny-16 rather hard.

 

[squareshooter]

The old Weston light meters don't use a battery and many are still working fine. In my opinion you don't want a camera-mounted light meter but instead a hand-held one. Much more versatile. Good photography involves a lot more than putting your eye to the viewfinder and snap, snap, snap. Sometimes it does really help to stop, consider what is before you, take careful meter readings then set the exposure, frame the shot and shoot.If that sounds old fashioned, well, making a Samurai blade or a fine wine or 24-year-old unblended Scotch whisky takes time, effort and thought. Plastic knives like you get at McDonalds are easy and cheap to make as is rotgut blended whiskey, and you can make wine from dandelions found on your front yard.

 

[brainwood]

Like others here I'm also a fan of the old Weston Meter I have reliable mark V I bought from ebay for around £15. It was mint but after a couple of years use it looks a bit more lived in. Great meters though and well worth a look

 

[Vics]

... edit: Also, I live in Sweden. Light is a rare occurrence most of the year which makes Sunny-16 rather hard.

That tells me that yolu haven't reasd up on how sunny-16 works. It doesn't mean it has to be sunny, nor does it mean you must use f16 all the time. Google it up and you'll see how simple it is. You'll never just "learn to guess" your exposure. Sunny 16 is not guessing.

 

[Linkert]

That tells me that yolu haven't reasd up on how sunny-16 works. It doesn't mean it has to be sunny, nor does it mean you must use f16 all the time. Google it up and you'll see how simple it is. You'll never just "learn to guess" your exposure. Sunny 16 is not guessing.

Of course it doesn't have to be sunny all the time. Maybe I'm not very well read on sunny-16, but to my knowledge it's in simple terms like this: On a bright sunny day, match shutter speed to the speed of your film, set aperture to 16. Adjust your aperture as you encounter shadows, clouds start blowing in, sun starts to set, light starts to evaporate and eventually darkness and artificial light is all you have.

It can be quite hard for a non-light reading person to estimate shutter speed and aperture if the starting point is rather low light condition 8 months each year. From what I've heard, and you will probably agree, that it's harder to determine settings in low light?

People mention using a light meter to double check settings when shooting indoors or other low light conditions.

Whatever, it was more of a casual joke which failed, and sunny-16 is not here nor there. This thread is about light meters, and the absence of cheap alternatives on the market.

 

[David Hughes]

Funny 16

Funny 16

Hi,

They used to print exposure guides and put them in boxes of film, and sometimes they print them on the carton tabs.

A 120 film carton suggests it should be "sunny 11" and so does an elderly Kodak Gold Super 200; I saved them years ago to add to the collection.

A modern tab from a Fuji C200 suggests bright sunlight f/16 and 1/500th second shutter speed. How anyone could read this is beyond me, I had to find a x20 loupe.

Given the latitude of negative film I expect they are all within specification.

I've a Wellcome exposure guide from 1914 or 15 somewhere and the AP 30's guide. I'll have to find them and check.

Regards, David