Summary This is my first "serious" light meter, bought it new, unseen, from a camera dealer in another town. Needed it because i had alot of wrong exposures with my Horseman LF.
Strengths feels solid, simple, to the point. maybe too simple. its bigger than i thought.
Weaknesses Handles and looks like a big pocket calculator. I want better low light capacity and illuminated display. for the price i think they could have included that into the meter.
Similar Products Used a Leningrad 8 wont compare i guess...
Reviewed by Killerbee
, Intermediate
, from Canada
Price Paid $219.00
at Phogographic solutio
Photography Experience 2-5 years
, Other
Summary This was a replacement for a minolta IIIF which needed recalibration and the lcd went. Nothing to special about the meter in general but since it doesn't have a movable head I think it may prove a bit more reliable. No back light for low light ( this is a pain ) and I wish there was a spot attatchment for it. Very simple and easy to understand, nice to use and accurate. Does flash and ambient ( at the same time ) and the flash multiplacation feature is useful but it needs ratio to. The contrast ratio in ambient mode is good. Can chage iso after reading to fine tune it. Mine has been dropped a few times, and still works well. Excellent value for the money, and equal feature wise to other meters in the price range but easier to use and read the lcd ( none have a back light at this price level either ).
Strengths Simple to use, no moving parts ( other than the sliding dome ), accurate, reliable, cheap. Flash multiplier and ambient + flash ratio, ambient contrast feature. Remembers last reading even after auto power off.
Weaknesses no back lit cd, no optional spot attatchemnt, I'd like flash ratio ( ok I'm asking for alot here ). Not as small as the sekonic 308
Summary My first hand-held meter, and I was reluctant. I now find it easy to use, especially when judging a range of contrasts (it displays a range of likely f-stops) and when used with a grey card (a must with any meter, certainly a hand-held). Requires some practice to get trickier situations perfect (side lighting, dusky skies to avoid silhouettes, extremes of light and dark), but with practice and patience, you'll get it right. Not a spot meter, but close enough to get just about every picture perfect.
I wish for a backlight. When I'm shooting in dim light, I lean on the large-ish numbers on the display, but a backlight would make life just that much easier.
A better choice than an old-fashioned dial meter because: 1) it takes AA batteries; 2) it's very accurate and easy to use; 3) it's not bulky; 4) it displays only the information you need, but a sufficiently wide range of data to keep even the most analytical souls happy.
Strengths Small and lightweight Easy to handle Lots of info on display Reasonable ergonomics Accurate!
Weaknesses Lacks backlight
Similar Products Used New Gossen multi-purpose meter (mostly spot)
Summary Can't beat it for the price. I refuse to spend over $200 bucks for a meter. I think it's terrible how photographic companies charge ridiculously high prices for anything even remotely related to photography. Keep it simple- that's what's nice about the Gossen- simplicity instead of a bunch of complicated buttons and functions. I've used the flash meter also in order to do outdoor fill flash and was happy with the results.
Strengths Accurate Small pocket size Simple
Weaknesses I can see how it may be easy to accidentally change the ISO setting, but I give a quick glance to make sure when I use the meter. It's probably more unlikely than likely, I think.
Similar Products Used I looked at my friend's Minolta IV and it seemed more difficult to understand right away than the Gossen. I'm sure if I spent a few minutes with the Minolta, I'd figure it out, but the Gossen was fairly quick to learn without the directions.
Summary In terms of features, this meter has the best bang for the buck. What I like most is the display. For starters, it is extra large! In ambient Ev mode, you can see ISO, shutter speed, aperture and exposure value all at the same time. This is much better than having to scroll through menus to get to the different numbers.
The contrast measurement feature is intuitive and useful. All you need to do is to hold down the 'M' (measure) button in 't' or 'Ev' mode, the meter automatically remembers the range of values as you point the meter to various directions. This is quite useful for measuring directional vs. ambient light.
The only minor drawback of this meter is the position of the measure button: right in the middle of the top. It would have been much better if this one button is on the side. On the other hand, because of the small size of the meter, it is still fairly easy to operate the meter using only one hand.
Some may argue the dome should be on top instead of in front. I can see arguments for the dome/photocell in front. This arrangment makes sure the photographer (or whoever is measuring) does not block some of the light being measured.
Strengths Very slim LOTS of information on LCD Aperture priority Quick start-up Accurate Contrast range measurement Compensation setting
Weaknesses The measure button should have been on the side
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