One-handed light meter? Digisix?

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dbarnes

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Wouldn't a modern matrix light meter be fun to have in a Bessa? Well, we can dream! Meanwhile, I'm finding the meters in my Bessa Rs to be just odd enough that I want to carry a handheld meter, one that I can run one-handed like I did my old Gossen Luna Pro.

One handed, as in:

1) Hold the meter in whatever (sometimes odd) position that an incident measurement requires, where the needle or numeric readout may not be visible.
2) Press a button to record the measurement.
3) Bring the meter back into comfortable reading position.
4) Rotate the exposure dial as needed to match the measurement.
5) Read and choose aperture and shutter speed.

I'm leaning toward the Gossen Digisix. Like the Luna Pro, it gives you an EV value that you transfer to a dial to get your exposure reading. It has two advantages that I value highly -- being relatively light and reasonably small and using modern batteries. It also has well documented quirks -- user interface, battery life, build quality -- that I think have been well addressed in other forum threads. In this one, I really want to focus on the actual operation of a meter, as described above.

Price needs to be under $150, better would be under $100, new or used.

Recommendations?

Thanks!
 
digisix and digiflash are both great meters, and tiny. they even make a little hot shoe adapter to keep the meter on the camera.

bob
 
I use my digisix one-handed, just the way you describe, all the time. It has other quirks, as you say, but for one-handed operation it works great. I keep it in my shirt's left breast-pocket, take it out, take a reading, twirl the dial, plop it back in. 99% of the time it's all one-handed, even changing the ISO if necessary.
 
I had one Digisix and found it unpractical because of its EV reading only. I prefer the standard and un-killable Polaris, it holds better in the hand, has good direct reading and is slim enaugh for a summer shirt pocket.
 
Sekonic L-208. The match-needle metering is about as fast a way as one can get of determining all practical aperture/shutter-speed combinations for a given light reading.
 
If I had to buy a new meter (or when the digisix dies), the L-208 would likely be my choice too. The digisix was a freebie (maddoc/Gabor threw it in with the M4 I bought from him) and I have no complaints except the extra functions which are totally superfluous.

ruby.monkey said:
Sekonic L-208. The match-needle metering is about as fast a way as one can get of determining all practical aperture/shutter-speed combinations for a given light reading.
Click to expand...
 
dbarnes said:
I want to carry a handheld meter, one that I can run one-handed like I did my old Gossen Luna Pro.
Click to expand...
And so why not a Luna Pro? Sekonic and others make designs not too dissimilar.

The only TRUE one hand light meter I, however, know of is the Spectra Professional/Classic. Though the use of slides for film speed one could read directly the T-stops at the given shutter speed. Going in a still cameras between shutter speeds and calculating the stop differences is simple. Same going from stops to speeds.

The Spectra meter is, however, large. A much lighter alternative is the no meter light meter such as the Agfa table for middle Europe. For outdoors shooting they are accurate enough.

And that brings us to the no-hand light meter: Powered by brain. In my youth I used to shoot a lot of slide film and did not own a light meter until much later.. and really only for cine. The brain, in fact, tends to work better than most light meters.. Just a few years ago I recall I was on holiday and the battery in my meter died.. I could not find a local replacement so switched over to brain. Back at home I compared the exposures.. Those on "brain power" were much better. Optimal, of course, would be to use a meter as an assist to brain power.. but as Homo Faber we tend to let the tools control...
 
There are lots of good ones. Luna-Pro F is bulky but runs on a 9v block battery and has a wonderfully intuitive 'null' needle scale, with (relatively) big, easy-to-read numbers on the dial. Sixtomat Digital is small, light and very good. The only Sekonic I own - a Flashmate - works ONLY for the first reading after you put the battery in. Anyone know how to fix it?

Cheers,

R.
 
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I prefer a null-reading meter like the later Luna Pro SBC and Luna Pro F, rather than the models that require transferring EV numbers. These later ones also run on 9v "transistor" battery rather than the mercury button cells, so less battery hassles.

While I like the Luna Pro, I admit to preferring the Gossen Super Pilot SBC, as it's like a junior-size Luna Pro, null-reading, and it runs fine on modern silver cells.

Being smaller, though not as small as the Digisix, the Super Pilot SBC is easier to carry and handle. I found one on eBay a couple years ago for BIN $50, and I'm pretty happy with it. Check it out!
 
I use the Digisix one handed too. After a while, it is easy to assimilate EV values with aperture/speed combinations, so moving the dial is not always necessary.
 
I use a Digisix as well. It's perfect for me. It seem to be accurate for both incident and direct light readings. My exposures are consistant. I have had my fill of carrying around larger bulky light meters. My Digisix fits into a shirt pocket. I have no need for anything more. - Jim
 
I use the Sekonic L-208 one-handed. Almost too small ergonomically. I like one-handed use with the larger digi L-308S, but I've decided to sell it due its shutter-speed priority only feature. Will replace it with the L-358 for those times I need flash/ambient etc.
 
Another vote for Sekonic L-208 Twin Mate. Compact, light, easy to read, even mountable to accessory shoe if you can't spare one whole hand. It adds virtually no weight and you'd forget that you had it around neck all day.
 
Thanks for the many quick replies. Regarding the "null reading" design, is it a matter of lining up one needle with another? If so, I guess there would be two versions of that, one (call it A) in which the light-metering needle's position can be frozen after making the light measurement, and then the second needle lined up with it at your leisure, and one (B) in which you have to line up the needles while the light is actually being measured. I'm not having any luck finding the Super Pilot SBC manual online. Is it an A or B kind of thing?
 
If you still have your Luna Pro SBC and it is dead, send it to Quality Light Metric in Hollywood for overhaul & callibration.

If you don't, consider another one (that auction site) and an overhaul.

Or, a Weston Master IV, V, or VI with an overhaul (Quality Light metric) will give you one hand metering and no battery worries. The only downside - not good for night (available darkness) shooting.
 
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