Color Temperature Meters

[Christian Janss]

I think it has come to the point in my career where I need to buy a color temp meter. Filmtools has the Gossen color pro 3F for $1350 new but I saw the same one or nearly the same one for around $450.

 

Two Questions:

 

What brand / type of meter would people recommend?

 

Is it a bad idea to get one used?

 

 

 

Sorry if this has been discussed before, I tried to search for it but couldn't narrow my parameters so I got hundres of postings.

 

thanks in advance!

Christian Janss

[Chris Keth]

The only one I've used is Minolta's color temp meter 3. It worked well. I wouldn't hesitate to buy used as long as you consider a proper professional calibration part of the cost.

[Nico Hardy]

I've used the minolta and the gossen, and own the later.

The gossen works all right and it does the job.

Anyway, be careful with the name, there's the 3F and the 2F.

The one you really need is the 3F, the other one just reads the amber/blue side of the spectrum only.

 

Personally I wouldn't spend too much money on it.

In my experience, it only work in reference to itself, matching it to another meter (ie. your gaffer's) is nothing short of a surprise.

 

Somebody also said it earlier, but I do find a digicam sometimes more useful than my color meter.

I use the meter only when i run into strange color lights (usually public or big places) and need to match something...and sometimes no even.