rodinal
film user
The L-208 meter has a mark on its scale showing the horizontal acceptance angle (it isn't just a garnish!). You can use the meter sideways and then it becomes the vertical angle.
With any meter is a good idea to point it downwards to avoid too much sky, that's what bottom-center weighted built-in meters do "automatically".
With any meter is a good idea to point it downwards to avoid too much sky, that's what bottom-center weighted built-in meters do "automatically".
Richard G
Veteran
It is indeed as I and others have indicated and I just checked the manual for my 32 year old Gossen meter: for landscapes it says to point the meter 'down slightly'. My more recent Gossen manual does not mention this nor does a pdf for the L-208 Twinmate. In the design of in-camera meters it is necessary that the meter is on the same axis as the lens. I am always amazed at the accuracy of the M6 meter, and apparently AE on the M7 works well for a surprising number of scenes.
VinceC
Veteran
This discussion shows why basic incident meter readings are so accurate compared to reflective readings. Through-the-lens matrix metering and weighted metering and other modern sophisticated computer-assisted metering systems all try in some way to have the camera "guess" what kind of scene you might be pointed at. None of this matters with incident metering where you measure the light itself with stunning accuracy.
wray
Well-known
This has been my experience with 208. When pointed slightly down its reading agrees with my cameras' built in meters.
bean_counter
Well-known
I use the L-208 on a hot shoe, or point it down slightly handheld. Works pretty well. It's a great little daytime meter, particularly for Barnacks, as it has hash marks for the 'old' shutter speeds and f-stops.
I had the opposite experience to most of the posters here with the L-208; I never did get a decent incident reading with it, always 1-1.5 stops off. So, I use it only in reflective mode.
My wife bought me a L-308s for my birthday a couple of years ago, and I LOVE it. Decent incident metering really improved my chromes.