Which Meter For M2?

[DeeCee3]

I've been shooting long enough to estimate exposure by the "sunny 16" rule and make very few errors. But I've also been weaned away from "sunny" by five or six years of auto-exposure experience. Now I'm getting ready to go on holiday and want to travel light, taking only my M2 and a couple of lenses, leaving the digital SLR and its ton of lenses at home. I also want to shoot slide film. Hence, a meter's almost a necessity.

I have a couple of handhelds but years ago I used a clip-on Leica meter with a selenium cell that worked remarkably well. And the fact it would be attached to the body of the camera makes it far preferable to one of the handhelds. I'd like to find a similar meter but with a better cell. Price is a factor, incidentally.

What would the forum suggest I look for?

dc3

 

[chris00nj]

The VC meter II looks pretty cool. One's in the mail on the way for me.

 

[Beemermark]

Buy the Mr-4 meter. There isn't a better meter for the M cameras. You can usually find a good one for a little less than a hundred.

 

[projectbluebird]

I'd vote for the MR-4 as well. It couples with the shutter dial, uses a battery so is good in low light, and has a metering angle similar to the 90mm focal length, so you can get a pretty good reading. Since you will be using it on an M2, you can get either of the two versions. The first had a reading button on the side, the later second version had the button moved to the top, because of the angle rewind introduced on the M4. It kept breaking off the button on the earlier version!

 

[luketrash]

I like the Gossen Digisix/Digiflash models.

They're literally the size and weight of a stopwatch and indicent mode is dead simple to use.

I use my Digisix for all of my old cameras and it works great. The only reason I don't like the VC or the mr-4 is that I like having one meter I can carry in my pocket (easily) for every camera I own.

 

[thomasw_]

I like the Gossen Digisix/Digiflash models.

They're literally the size and weight of a stopwatch and indicent mode is dead simple to use.

I use my Digisix for all of my old cameras and it works great. The only reason I don't like the VC or the mr-4 is that I like having one meter I can carry in my pocket (easily) for every camera I own.

I second the little Gossen Digisix. Very useful and accurate and simple to use. If you want a battery-less meter try the Sekonic 391A; as a side benfit, it is a very groovy and cool meter 😉

 

[Pablito]

VC meter II , accurate and smaller than anything from Leica.

 

[katgut@earthlink.net]

I would think that having a narrow-angle (the angle of the 90 as posted above) would not be convenient--how would you know where it's pointed?

I've used a Voigtlander VCI, but I actually prefer not having a meter on the camera. Camera-top meters either scratch the top, or fall off in the case of the VC. And if you take it off, it gets lost easily. I really don't see a point in having a meter mounted on top of a camera. I usually just use a handheld and check the light and then put it away.

 

[Bingley]

I've been using a VC II meter, at first w/ a Canon P and now w/ an M2. It's accurate and tiny. I carry it in a shirt pocket when I'm out and about, rather than on the camera accessory shoe. Yes, the wheel that sets the ASA moves around, but I've learned to deal w/ it.

 

[Roger Hicks]

I'd back a VC over an MR, and I've had both. The MR contacts were never very reliable, and having to strip it and clean them periodically more than made up for the convenience of the shutter-speed coupling.

In hand-held meters I rather like the Gossens; not the tiny ones, but the other digital models.

For classic, batteryless reliability, albeit with more weight and poor response in low light, it is hard to beat a Weston Master III.

Cheers,

R.

 

[HuubL]

I don't know the VC meters, but the fact that they're not coupled and have a loose asa dial made me choose MR4 meters. I also have a coupled meter on the Canon P. Don't use that one often though. The Weston Master V is a beautiful meter and pretty accurate, but in the end I mostly just shoot sunny 16.

 

[saiseto]

You can't go wrong with the VC meter, I have been using it for a couple of yeras and it never disappoints me!

 

[Pablito]

You can't go wrong with the VC meter, I have been using it for a couple of yeras and it never disappoints me!

and remember it's about half the size of the Leica meter. The iso dial on mine does not move around though this seems to be a common complaint.

I actually prefer that it's not coupled.

 

[Rogrund]

!'ve got the VC II and it's the best meter I've ever had. The ASA dial isn't loose at all. Go for the VC!

 

[oscroft]

I know you're not asking about handheld meters, so please feel free to ignore this, but...

I shoot in bright tropical light quite often (I don't know where you're going on hol), and metering for slides can be very tricky indeed - when you've got such small latitude and a scene can easily have a range of 7 or 8 stops, it's not easy. For that reason, I find the ability to take incident light readings invaluable (I usually combine them with reflective readings).

And so my meter of choice to go with my M2 (though I also use it in combination with the TTL meter in my M6) is a Gossen Digisix - it's accurate, convenient, and small, and its incident diffuser slides over the meter cell and can't fall off and get lost.

 

[icebear]

I also like the Gossen Digisix, apart from being small, you don't have to set anything but the ISO speed. You meter and get a reading in EV which you turn on the dial and then you see all f-/speed combinations that equal the metered EV and depending on your subject you select for fast speed, large f-stop etc. Usually the following meter values will be somewhere close so it's just 2-3 clicks of the dial to be set for the new EV. Little unusal at first but once you got the hang of it - why should it be any different?

 

[ferider]

Go for the VCII meter. This is how it looks 🙂

No loose ASA dial (if it is, it's easy to tighten). The MR4 feels much bigger, kind of defeats the purpose of a Leica, IMO.

That being said, I much prefer to use a hand-held meter attached to my belt 🙂

Best,

Roland.

 

[DeeCee3]

Many Thanks, One and All!

Many Thanks, One and All!

I really appreciate the counsel you folks have given. Roger, I have a Master V (and a III) but the cells are shot and replacing them costs more than a used Leicameter...I agree, though, that the Master V is as good as they get. I haven't seen any used VC models around but I've run across several MC's and MR's at reasonable prices.

You've been of great assistance. Thanks.

dc3

 

[thirteen]

I use a VCII meter for the most part. Sometimes off, sometimes on camera. Accurate and small.
On my really retro days I use a Zeiss Ikophot from the early '50's. Still accurate, but not for low light.

 

[Fuchs]

I would think that having a narrow-angle (the angle of the 90 as posted above) would not be convenient--how would you know where it's pointed?

A solid Leicameter will point the measuring area in a way to coincide with your M2's 90mm frameline in the viewfinder. For it to be solid the more important thing is to have the shoe screws tightened every so often or at least to control they are tight enough. It is very precise, and you can get a preview of the metered area just switching to 90mm with the frameline selection lever.

These screws getting loose is the cause of almost all of the dreaded "Leicameter brightlines" on most M2 and M3 top plates.

That said, I'll second the VC-II, just for the easier to read display