What light meter do you carry with your LTM?

[jcrjr3]

Hi everyone! My wife as a wedding present gifted me with a 1935 Leica III that came with a 5cm 3.5 elmar. I was very excited. In my pursuit of trying to read and evaluate light, I'm wondering which light meters are LTM users choosing and why? Thanks in advance for the replies! (also this is my first post after countless hours reading up on these forums)

- José

 

[Classique]

I use gossen digisix for my non metered bodies. Small, accurate and sensitive down to -2 EV. I also like that it has incident and reflective metering.

 

[Bill Clark]

I use a Sekonic #L-158 for cameras w/o a light meter.

Bought it many years ago.

Welcome to the forum!

 

[Thomas78]

I am carrying a gossen digisix with me.

It is small, light and more accurate (for slide film) than my vintage selenium cell light meters.

 

[katabatic]

My iPhone with the Light Meter app, I confess.... Works well enough, though I also have a very capable Minolta Autometer III, but just can't justify the hassle of carrying it around when I'm using my IIIc. I know, I should be banished to the forest....

 

[jcb4718]

I mostly use a Sekonic L-208. I use it in 'reflective light mode' i.e. with the sensor exposed I point it at the scene (a little bit down in fact to exclude the sky) and take the reading. It works fine for average scenes. It nestles nicely in the palm of my hand and is very unobtrusive. I generally take the reading first, often as I'm approaching the scene. The exposure set, I have just to bring the camera up to my eye, focus and shoot. My other exposure meter is a Variosix F which I use mostly in 'incident mode' i.e. with the dome fitted. It works fine no matter what the lighting but is not so unobtrusive. People tend to notice like they would if I had 'photographer' tattooed on my forehead! I'm not claiming these are the best (I acquired them in a haphazard way) but they do the job. If I could take just one with my LTM? The Sekonic...it's really handy! Hope this helps.

 

[robbiechad]

I mostly use sunny sixteen when out and about in decent weather with my Fed or Retina 11c, I do however have a Western Master IV and V which are still pretty accurate, which I use when I can be bothered to faff about taking them out of the case and putting them back in when finished, I think I am getting old and impatient.

 

[avikrc]

I use a Voigtlander VC ii meter. Its quite capable, small, attaches to the hot-shoe. I think it only goes down till EV1. But I never had any problems out in the streets at night.

 

[robert blu]

My only camera without Lightmeter is the Rolleiflex, and I use a Sekonic L-308B, mainly as incident light reader.
robert

 

[johannielscom]

José,

Welcome and congrats on your wedding, your Leia and your first post, as well as finding yourself a terrific wife, if I may say so😀

My lightmeter is nearly as big as the Leica II that I shoot: a Gossen Lunasix 3. It's a real good meter and I'm not troubled by its size, but it's anything but small...

 

[jwnash1]

Sekonic L-308B or the smaller Sekonic L-208 with my Canon -P and even with my Pentax MX when I want incident lighting which is most of the time.
John

 

[vdonovan]

Another vote of the iPhone light meter app when I'm out with my iiif. I'm working on improving my visualization chops, so I'll estimate the exposure myself first, then check it with the iPhone.

 

[dabick42]

I usually carry a Sekonic L-608 and Weston Master V.

The former is very useful for its 1-4 degree spot-metering facility and for accurate incident light measurement, the latter for reflected light use in uncomplicated lighting situations - also useful as a standby should the 608's battery go flat...

 

[rhl-oregon]

Welcome from Oregon, Jose.

I routinely cheat by packing a GR Digital for test exposures; it's the same size as my LunaPro. I also have a Weston Master still going strong after all these years (older than I am), that I keep at my office.

 

[Lawrence Sheperd]

Usually it's my Weston Master I, model 715. I also have the Master II and III, but the Master I is the only one which is still working (and it's the oldest of the bunch, probably 1940's vintage.) With the film speed dial (in Westons not ASA) set at 320, it's within 1/4 stop of my Gossen Luna-Six set at 400 ASA. I've also got the Weston Invercone for it for incident readings.

If I want a variety of readings and legible numbers I take the Gossen.

 

[Pioneer]

The Voigtlander VC meter is perfect on my II. That, or Sunny 16, which is just a bit more portable 🙂

 

[Koni Kowa]

I use my eyes and my nose. 😛

 

[bhop73]

I use a Sekonic L-208.. it's tiny.

 

[zauhar]

Usually use a Gossen Lunasix, which is excellent in low light.

I also have a Polaris digital meter that does both spot and incident modes. I mainly use it as a spot meter.

Randy

 

[newspaperguy]

The little (and old) Sekonic L-158, like Mr. Clark, or one of several Weston Masters.