What is the most reliable, easiest to use, hand-held light meter?

[Palacios48]

Regarding cell phone apps versus other light meters, I did a quick comparison of a free app (Lightmeter) to readings from a Weston Master II, a Contax G2 using 90mm lens, and the actually working light meter on a Vitessa T (Note: change the "scale" on that light meter to get best match). Incredibly all gave same readings off a uniformly lit wall. The adjustments that I have to bear in mind in the field are the actual shutter speeds of various leaf shutters on the Voigtlanders, Retinas or Ikontas, since 1/125 certainly isn't the same on all of them. Close enough for fairly wide-latitude black and white films, especially if bracketing a particularly interesting shot. However, looking around the Bay for a small hand-held such as those discussed here. Best regards.

 

[Bolo Kukus]

DownUnder ... I see you are as good at accreting Stuff as I am. 😉

G

I just felt sorry for those old Westons. I bought a Master V in 1970 and it traveled all of Asia with me in the '70s and '80s. In 1985 I found another V still in its original packing in a small camera shop in Sydney (AUS) and acquired it for the then princely sum of AUD $45. Both are still in one of my camera bags somewhere at home and still read about half a stop under, which I can mentally adjust when I'm photographing in sunny conditions.

The Weston I really wanted was the Weston EuroMaster - the first version - and last year I lucked into a lot of six oldies, including two EMs that still read exactly the same if again half a stop under. Luckily for those of us who still enjoy using these, their owners usually kept them safely tucked away in their cases, and the selenium cells didn't wear out from too much light.

These days I'm being diplomatically but firmly pressured at home to Do Something With All That Stuff. Our second bedroom is my writing and photo room but has also filled up with odd bits as our garage is now overflowing with as yet unpacked boxes from our move out of Tasmania several years ago. My problem is every item I've hoarded - there, I've used THAT WORD for the first time, an acknowledgement of a sort that I'm firmly in the grasp of Hoarder's Syndrome with all its shameful connotations, admittedly most derived from pop psychology but nonetheless hurtful - has its own history, and I can usually recall it all from the day I found and bought the thing.

Until 1997 when I met my partner in Malaysia and we decided to settle in Australia, I led a bohemian sort of life and didn't really accumulate a lot, that or when I moved (which usually I did once every 2-3 years) I did a complete clean out and sorting and disposed of anything I hadn't paid attention to in 12 months, excepting cats, vinyl, CDs, books and of course photo gear. From 1997 on the storage boxes filled up and filled up and took over both our lives.

I also have Gossen meters (including a Sixtino like the one in #73, a beaut little worker it is) and one or two old Agfa ones from the 1950s, all in fairly good working order. I did own one of the classic Sekoniks I bought secondhand about 20 years ago, but I found I didn't get along well with it, trying to work with it befuddled me as it wasn't a simple operation like with a Weston Master. Also I kept losing the exposure adjustment inserts (or whatever those are formally called) and they weren't easy to replace. So I eventually bit the bullet and sold it on Ebay for 4x-5x what I paid for it. One of the rare times I actually made $$$ on an item I flogged on Ebay, the Sekonik and my Hasselblad 500CM which is yet another tale of woe so I'll not go into it here.

The Goose's are just gathering dust in a box somewhere and I really must dig them out and clean them out and get new batteries for them (if it's still possible) and decide what to do with them. Likely Ebay again (he sighs, loudly).

 

[Ljós]

Gossen Digisix. It's just so small and light and disappears in the hand. Readout is instant digitally, and after a while you don't even need to consult the sliding scale for converting into f-stop/shutter speed combinations. Incident metering (my most used method by far) works very well, and the incident dome can be flicked back and forth with one finger.

A bummer though that Gossen did not bother to improve the Version 2, as a couple of minor fixes could have made this meter even better in use. (Meter switching into timer-mode from accidental presses etc., or make changing ISO values faster or with a memory function for switching between values.) But these are minor nuisances. I just feel that for the money they could have put a bit more work into this tried und true lightmeter.

 

[Freakscene]

Gossen Digisix. It's just so small and light and disappears in the hand. Readout is instant digitally, and after a while you don't even need to consult the sliding scale for converting into f-stop/shutter speed combinations. Incident metering (my most used method by far) works very well, and the incident dome can be flicked back and forth with one finger.

A bummer though that Gossen did not bother to improve the Version 2, as a couple of minor fixes could have made this meter even better in use. (Meter switching into timer-mode from accidental presses etc., or make changing ISO values faster or with a memory function for switching between values.) But these are minor nuisances. I just feel that for the money they could have put a bit more work into this tried und true lightmeter.

I found that the DigiSix gave me different measurements the first time I metered as opposed to subsequent times. I think @Dante_Stella mentioned that it might be SBC cell conductivity changes that caused this. But having to meter twice to be sure I got the right reading was really tiring.

I like the Sekonic L308 meters.

 

[Ljós]

I found that the DigiSix gave me different measurements the first time I metered as opposed to subsequent times. I think @Dante_Stella mentioned that it might be SBC cell conductivity changes that caused this. But having to meter twice to be sure I got the right reading was really tiring.

I like the Sekonic L308 meters.

I only have a sample size of two: a Gossen Digisix I had for many years, and now a Gossen Digisix 2 which I bought used upon getting back into photography. Neither one of my units has this problem.

 

[Mlehrman]

I use the Gossen Digisix, point it a a nearby representative shadow. Maybe bracket.

 

[Richard G]

No meter:

When I first had the Leica M2 I had no meter. It was several months before I could afford a meter, asking no questions and doing no research and accepting the advice from the same camera store that I should have the Gossen Sixtar. (?Super Pilot in the US). I did quite well with Tri-X and the film box end in the meantime. Ten years later I again had an unmetered Leica and no light meter with me. I did well for a month on holiday with just the box end guide, including with Kodachrome 64.

Opportunity cost of having a light meter:

So there's an opportunity cost in having a meter with you; worse, built into the camera urging you to make an adjustment. Post 26 from Deleted Member 65559 shows the power of kit and brain, carrying a spotmeter and an incident meter, and, under pressure, just grabbing one quick incident reading in changing light to get the shot.

CdS cells are slow:

That Gossen Sixtar served me well for years, but it had a low range and high range and read, slowly, with a CdS cell. Invariably where I was the light was at the upper end of the low range, or the low end of the upper range. Maddening. I still have it, in the bag with the Rolleiflex. I hardly ever made incident readings. I managed, in my ignorance.

Not wasting the opportunity:

The power of the hand held meter is how much you don't use it: many less readings per shot taken. When you do you use it you might want it quick. I can whip out the Gossen Digi Pro F and press M and it turns on instantly and shows me the reading. But sometimes it is n 125 which is some aperture lower than 1 and I have to scroll down to f2 and 1/8s. I guess that relates to where I last used it. So only now do I realise that I had better take a reading near where I am to shoot, near in time mainly, and the meter will be more quickly helpful. The incident cone facing me is a great help in getting the reading and seeing what the reading is all in one move.

The Sekonic 308 has the same property: the incident cone and the read out are facing the same direction. But the 308 has to be turned on. In exchange, the read out is backlit.

Sekonic L398A:

I bought one of these second hand. Perfect condition. Just out of interest. I have never been able to make a reading in which I had any confidence. And it seems ridiculously complex to get the reading. I have read the instructions at least 3 times. Am I an outlier? I read of people actually using one of these.

I'm happiest out in reasonable light not using a meter at all.

The Gossen Luna Pro SBC.

This uses a silicon blue call and a 9V battery. You can take two readings or more and get the dynamic range of the subject. Unlike my first Gossen you are not fiddling at the end of the metering range. The needle is centred and the reading made from the central position. Ingenious. Mine is in a perfect rugged leather case. I use it with the Hasselblad at home, or near the car. If I have to climb Kilimanjaro I'll probably take it up there too.

 

[stephen_lumsden]

No meter:

When I first had the Leica M2 I had no meter. It was several months before I could afford a meter, asking no questions and doing no research and accepting the advice from the same camera store that I should have the Gossen Sixtar. (?Super Pilot in the US). I did quite well with Tri-X and the film box end in the meantime. Ten years later I again had an unmetered Leica and no light meter with me. I did well for a month on holiday with just the box end guide, including with Kodachrome 64.

Opportunity cost of having a light meter:

So there's an opportunity cost in having a meter with you; worse, built into the camera urging you to make an adjustment. Post 26 from Deleted Member 65559 shows the power of kit and brain, carrying a spotmeter and an incident meter, and, under pressure, just grabbing one quick incident reading in changing light to get the shot.

CdS cells are slow:

That Gossen Sixtar served me well for years, but it had a low range and high range and read, slowly, with a CdS cell. Invariably where I was the light was at the upper end of the low range, or the low end of the upper range. Maddening. I still have it, in the bag with the Rolleiflex. I hardly ever made incident readings. I managed, in my ignorance.

Not wasting the opportunity:

The power of the hand held meter is how much you don't use it: many less readings per shot taken. When you do you use it you might want it quick. I can whip out the Gossen Digi Pro F and press M and it turns on instantly and shows me the reading. But sometimes it is n 125 which is some aperture lower than 1 and I have to scroll down to f2 and 1/8s. I guess that relates to where I last used it. So only now do I realise that I had better take a reading near where I am to shoot, near in time mainly, and the meter will be more quickly helpful. The incident cone facing me is a great help in getting the reading and seeing what the reading is all in one move.

The Sekonic 308 has the same property: the incident cone and the read out are facing the same direction. But the 308 has to be turned on. In exchange, the read out is backlit.

Sekonic L398A:

I bought one of these second hand. Perfect condition. Just out of interest. I have never been able to make a reading in which I had any confidence. And it seems ridiculously complex to get the reading. I have read the instructions at least 3 times. Am I an outlier? I read of people actually using one of these.

I'm happiest out in reasonable light not using a meter at all.

The Gossen Luna Pro SBC.

This uses a silicon blue call and a 9V battery. You can take two readings or more and get the dynamic range of the subject. Unlike my first Gossen you are not fiddling at the end of the metering range. The needle is centred and the reading made from the central position. Ingenious. Mine is in a perfect rugged leather case. I use it with the Hasselblad at home, or near the car. If I have to climb Kilimanjaro I'll probably take it up there too.

I have a sekonic L-28 a2 very similar to the 398. This is a good incident meter which I use to get a range of light values when I am out and then I can go from there with better estimates within that range. If the light changes I just get it out again. This works fine when the we
ather is cloudy and grey as values usually remain the same then. If it's sunny the I take a shadow read also.

 

[MNS]

I use two Weston light meters.

A Weston Euromaster V and a Weston Master 3. Both fully working and recently serviced by Ian Partridge in Colchester ...and best of all, no batteries required!

 

[Cascadilla]

My main studio meter for the last 25+ years has been a Sekonic L 718 flash/ambient meter. I replace batteries once or twice a year (2 AA) with regular professional use. For 4x5 zone system work I have used a Soligor 1 • spot meter since the mid 1980's. I had it modified by Zone VI studios shortly after I bought it to match B&W film sensitivity and it always gives accurate readings. It isn't the smallest thing to carry around but it works well.

 

[Prest_400]

Sekonic L308 is fantastic. I'm mostly using it as an incident meter.
My unit is the plain old 1992-94 first model. Made in Japan and while now it sometimes is erratic on turning on when it's cold, still works very well.

I used to have a Minolta Autometer IIIF but it was rather oversize, IMO. Also, ironically I like digital readout meters.
A fun anecdote is that on my last trip I had 3 light meter options: Phone (app), hot shoe meter (Reflx lab) and Sekonic L308. The shoe meter's battery depleted... No luck quickly finding the exotic button cell when island hopping (my fault); Then on another leg I drowned the phone overestimating its seal capabilities against humidity... But, I had the Sekonic to pick the duties up!