Pocket lightmeter?

Lemaildetom

Lemaildetom

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Hi there,

Another newbie question from me. I've a film camera which doesn't have an internal light meter so I am going to need a pocket one. I know nothing about them and have never used one. As I'm just trying i don't want to be spending a lot of money. I've look on google and a lot of people recommend as a tcheap option to put an app on your phone... but I haven't got a smartphone. So can't do this...
I've also read a lot of people recommending the sekonic 308 but can't find any cheaper that 75£ second hand which I don't think is such a bargain.

What about new, tcheap asiatic import things on ebay?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Digital-L..._Photography_Light_Meters&hash=item485a176916
or
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/JAPANESE-...991?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item51b8ba2567

Or what about old vintage lightmeter which are said to be working?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Weston-Ma..._Photography_Light_Meters&hash=item2ecee73f0f

All though welcome.
Thanks
 
That's good. I haven't seen it. Again, I know nothing about light meter. Is this suitable for me? How does lighmeters works? Do you put the iso of the film, your aperture and it give you the shutter corresponding to the ambiant light?
 
Basically, yes. You set the ISO on the meter according to the film you're using then point the meter toward your subject. The meter then reads a number when you press the silver button in the side. If you turn the outer dial to this number, the meter then displays all possible combinations of shutter speed/aperture to expose correctly at the given ISO.

I've just found this YouTube video showing a similar meter to the one I have (just branded differently)


Cheers
Steve
 
I have a Sekonic L-8 which I got on Ebay, I think for around £20 but it was in absolutely mint condition. Smartphone lightmeter apps are supposed to be very unreliable.

Mine is very easy to use and has a flap you open or close depending on how you want to read the light.

There is also the manual Sunny 16 rules etc :)
 
Smartphone apps are fine if you can calibrate them with a known good light meter, one in a more modern camera will be fine. If you can get a working Weston meter they are pretty small and pretty good but again you need to calibrate them to ensure.

Sunny 16, some practice and negative film is probably enough.
 
I'm not sure why a smartphone meter would be any different than a handheld really? The app is just using the internal light meter that the phones' camera uses to expose the image anyway so it's as accurate as any digital camera.

There's already another thread talking about light meter apps where I've posted some examples;

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/iphone-light-meters-film-developing.532256/

Someone has also done a direct comparison with a Gossen handheld meter and found it was fine;

"Having recently been dragged into the 21st Century and been given an iPhone I tested it yesterday against my Gossen Lunasix F they were within 1/2 to 1/3 ev of each other"
 
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Some smartphones lack the necessary hardware. They use a light sensor to dial the screen brightness against the ambient and that doesn't really need to be that accurate so some manufacturers will use a sensor which won't detect a decent LV just a rought Bright/Not bright reading.
 
The light meter apps I've looked at (admittedly some time ago) required you to take a picture using your phone, which was then analysed and the appropriate settings displayed. Lot of faff, IMO.

I bought a Weston Master V as I had one years ago so I knew how it worked. Got a mint boxed version on the bay for £25, IIRC, and it's a lovely thing to use alongside the RZ.

The Sekonic L308 gets rave reviews and holds its price because it's good at what it does. When you actually handle one though, it feels like a cheap and slightly nasty plastic toy. I'm in two minds about them; I'd like one for general use and flash metering but I'd also like a more expensive meter that gives me the option to take spot readings (but then you're getting into silly money even second-hand, which is why I haven't bought one yet).
 
Another +1 for a Weston Master V. Beautiful piece of kit, and really nice to use. Doesn't work brilliantly in very low light... but then again, neither does film! Try to find one with an "invercone" attachment, so you can take incident readings as well.

Dave
 
I have the Sekonic 308 and as above a Western V.

The western is good and cheep but quite heavy, the sekonic is plastic and weight nowt.
 
The free "Light meter" app uses the built in camera meter on the iPhone to change settings actively as you point the camera at your subject. The ambient light sensor on phones is next to the front facing camera, not the rear camera as it adjusts the screen for your view, not the surrounding environment.

Within the light meter app, as you move around, the exposure settings constantly change depending on whether you set it to Av or Tv priority

View attachment 7177

I've just taken this screenshot as I walked around Asda :0). Having used a handheld meter as well, the iPhone app is considerably simpler and quicker to use without having to press any buttons.
 
Strangely enough, I've just picked up Amateur Photographer and they've got a light meter shoutout including a free Android App.

The review confirms that the quality of the results is determined by the phone quality itself but they also state, "We compared a reading against one taken on an Olympus OMD EM10 and the result was spot on"
 
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That's commitment for you...I also couldn't do that with a handheld light meter ;0)
 
Can you photo the Sekonic 308 Write Up :-)
 
well my roginal post was can you recommend something which is not a "app", I don't have a smart phone...

but thanks
 
Lemaildetom said:
well my roginal post was can you recommend something which is not a "app", I don't have a smart phone...

but thanks
Click to expand...

Sorry the thread has drifted slightly but I think we answered your original post regarding how a handheld meter works and recommended cheaper options.

Good luck with your decision.

Cheers
Steve
 
I have been using the Lightmeter app in the magazine photo above (on my iPhone weirdly, even though the magazine says "Android devices only"...) and I've found it to be really good so far. It's great because you can use the small screen in the middle to point it where you want to meter from. I've been borrowing a meter from a guy at work (A "Sekonic Flash Master L-358"), but to be honest the instruction manual is a bit on the large side, and I've been happy with the iPhone meter, so I haven't learned how to use it yet!
 
Lemaildetom said:
well my roginal post was can you recommend something which is not a "app", I don't have a smart phone...

but thanks
Click to expand...

Im going to say the Skonic 308 then, its basically new so super accurate takes modern batteries and is super light.
Also resale value will be high, buying a second hand one for £75 is good I bought mine for £70 recently.
 
stevelmx5 said:
Sorry the thread has drifted slightly
Click to expand...

No worry guys, It has to be beneficial to all readers to but thanks to came back a bit on track ;-)
I'll have have think, I wasn't planning on investing this kind of money. Maybe I'll go for steve's one.
 
Strappy said:
Steve, I can't believe that you've just taken pictures of AP in Asda to share with us! :LOL:
Click to expand...

I can; I do it all the time with AP (unless it's in a plastic sleeve). Why pay for something that's 90% digital. I've got Lightmeter for my Andoid phone and have to say that it's about a stop and a half out compared to my two Gossen Luna Pro/Lunalite meters.

At the risk of offending the Weston diehards, I wouldn't recommend anything that relies on selenium. I've got 3 cameras with built in selenium meters, none are accurate. I was given a Weston Master III which was way off and was glad when the glass fell out and I had an excuse to chuck it away. I think the Master Vs have a better reputation because the selenium hasn't worn out yet.

My advice would be to buy something you can afford that takes a battery, and uses a CdS or Silicon Blue metering cell. From experience Gossens are good, though some need adapters to run on mercury replacement batteries and Sekonics seem to have a good reputation.
 
@NickT Agree completely modern stuff spot on, my western V is pretty accurate but it is heavy and a little cumberson to use with the dial.

When you consider film cost and the benefits of getting better readings over the period of a few years its quite realistic :-)
 
I had a similar experience to NickT with an old selenium meter, a Gossen Sixtino that I bought used back in 1983 to go with my Zenit EM. After sitting unused for a couple of decades I got a camera that didn't have an inbuilt meter & dug it out to use it again. Readings seemed out & when checked against an SLR & it was 3 stops out. I replaced it with a Gossen Profisix. Lovely meter but not exactly small. Would echo his recommendation on what to get.
 
Presumably most of the light meters mentioned here are NOT spot meters? At least, they're totally different shapes than the Pentax spot meter, and it's hard for me to see how you could accurately point them at a small area...
 
Lemaildetom said:
I've also read a lot of people recommending the sekonic 308 but can't find any cheaper that 75£ second hand which I don't think is such a bargain.
Click to expand...

If you're going to be shooting film, I would argue that money spent on a good light meter is a very wise investment, indeed.

They can be used with absolutely any camera (film or digital), allow for a very consistent workflow (e.g., your metering method would be consistent from camera to camera, lens to lens, etc.), and open you up to a whole world of new equipment (e.g., don't need metered prisms, etc.)

Moreover, film isn't necessarily cheap, so why waste it with questionable exposures? Good light meters allow you to accurately and consistently measure the light according to how you want to expose your image.

Given that light meters can be used with so many cameras and prevent wasted frames, I think that £75 is a bargain in the long run.

I have a Sekonic L308 and I use it with all of my cameras.
 
skysh4rk said:
Moreover, film isn't necessarily cheap, so why waste it with questionable exposures?
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Thanks for the tip.
Do you have any link to website that explain properly how to use a lightmeter?
 
Lemaildetom said:
Thanks for the tip.
Do you have any link to website that explain properly how to use a lightmeter?
Click to expand...

Yep, no worries.

I don't have any web-based resources that I know of off the top of my head, but I know that there is plenty out there with a bit of googling. I think that Sekonic might even have some videos on their website.

It's not very hard to get to grips with the basics of using a light meter and it really puts you into direct control of your photography.
 
skysh4rk said:
If you're going to be shooting film, I would argue that money spent on a good light meter is a very wise investment, indeed.

They can be used with absolutely any camera (film or digital), allow for a very consistent workflow (e.g., your metering method would be consistent from camera to camera, lens to lens, etc.), and open you up to a whole world of new equipment (e.g., don't need metered prisms, etc.)

Moreover, film isn't necessarily cheap, so why waste it with questionable exposures? Good light meters allow you to accurately and consistently measure the light according to how you want to expose your image.

Given that light meters can be used with so many cameras and prevent wasted frames, I think that £75 is a bargain in the long run.

I have a Sekonic L308 and I use it with all of my cameras.
Click to expand...

I couldn't agree more. A good light meter puts you in control. They are very easy to use with very little practice. They don't get fooled like an in camera meter does if your camera even has one.

I have been using a Sekonic L-358 and L-658 for years and would be lost without them. I bought them new and didn't upgrade for the newer ones when they came out since I didn't feel I would gain anything for my purposes. They are just as helpful with digital as with film.

Edit: I called my favorite meter a L-658 when it is a L-558 R. I have been calling it a L-658 for years. I guess the years are catching up.

Check out Joe Brady, he knows his stuff.

Don't worry that he is talking about digital, it works the same.

http://www.sekonic.com/classroom/webinars/mastering-exposure-for-landscape-photography-part-ii.aspx
 
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Now that looks interesting Ron, I shall give that a watch when I get home. (y)
 
Thomas, using a light meter is pretty straightforward, but there is something you need to get to grips with. Most meters measure the light reflected from the subject, and can be fooled - like a camera's metering system - if the light is tricky. Sometimes it's better to use spot metering, or walk right up to the subject (not always possible) and take the reading from there, or use the meter in incident mode which measures the light falling on the subject, rather than reflecting from it. Not all meters have spot and incident metering capability, so that's just something to bear in mind when you're deciding which one to buy.
 
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MartynK said:
Thomas, using a light meter is pretty straightforward, but there is something you need to get to grips with. Most meters measure the light reflected from the subject, and can be fooled - like a camera's metering system - if the light is tricky. Sometimes it's better to use spot metering, or walk right up to the subject (not always possible) and take the reading from there, or use the meter in incident mode which measures the light falling on the subject, rather than reflecting from it. Not all meters have spot and incident metering capability, so that's just something to bear in mind when you're deciding which one to buy.
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The meters found in cameras measure reflected light, but most of the handheld meters are primarily for measuring incident light, although some might also have reflected and/or spot metering capabilities.

For instance, the Sekonic L308 is mostly used for measuring incident light, it isn't capable of spot metering, and only has very limited reflective metering capabilities.

Edit: To clarify, the smartphone apps and a number of the inexpensive handheld meters mentioned in this thread will measure reflected light only, but the handheld meters that I'd recommend using, such as the Sekonics or Minolta meters, would be of the incident variety.
 
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I use my Seconic 308 for incident light for my RB67 for me it enables me to get up to the subject and measure closely, i also have a small project coming soon to try some very close up work for which I hope to use the RB67 :-)
 
ChrisR said:
Presumably most of the light meters mentioned here are NOT spot meters? At least, they're totally different shapes than the Pentax spot meter, and it's hard for me to see how you could accurately point them at a small area...
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Yeah all of these have been general reflective meters but spot meters can be had for similar money (used).
 
steveo_mcg said:
Yeah all of these have been general reflective meters but spot meters can be had for similar money (used).
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I would argue that most of these meters are generally for incident metering. I haven't used the top-of-the-line Sekonics, so maybe they're different, but I've found the reflective capabilities of the meters I've used to be fairly restrictive, personally, as I can't tell for certain the area of the scene that the meter is viewing for the reflective measurement. Plus, with the angle of the reflective readings from most meters being approximately 40 degrees, I think that the reflective reading is only accurate for normal lenses.
 
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