Robert Sawin Posted September 22, 2008 Share Posted September 22, 2008 All, i am in the market for a NEW light meter. I dont have one but im finding myself wanting one of my own. there are many out there. i shoot film including 8mm, and also HD video and SD video. so i need a one stop shop for all. sekonic has a couple of new meters but i would rather have some seasoned opinions from the esteemed here. thanks in advance.... I am old school I got an analog Gossen Profisix with a spot meter attachment and would not triad it for the world. Germans make the pest light-meters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse Lee Cairnie Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 i even asked it to light for me once and it did. Too funny Mike! I love it! Spectra IVA yellow with a nice little sticker collection all over it.. eventually it will be covered.. dont need anything fancier if you can add in your head.. I do have a funny glitch in mine and have to press the button twice to get an accurate reading.. anyone else have that problem.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Haspel Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 Then don't pay for them yourself. Put a couple on your expendables order for every job. they always seem die before unpaid idealist art project stuff, where nothing is being paid :) I do have a funny glitch in mine and have to press the button twice to get an accurate reading.. anyone else have that problem.. no, everything fine here. altough mine does have the problem of not looking as funky as yours.. :lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Simpson Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 im so jealous. How did you go about getting such a clean cutout? That must have taken forever! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse Lee Cairnie Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 (edited) Hahaa.. Thanks! The Red sticker was a blade machine that takes paths and cuts the vinyl. I made it back in Hign School and found a great place for it. A tribute to one of the greatest Heavy Metal guitar players of all time, on my second most prized possesion.. well until my computer crashes.. then it becomes #1.. hahaa.. the other ones I just used scissors and some patience.. I need to find more color stickers.. I know one thing.. if it ever goes missing.. it will never be confused with someone elses.. hahaa Edited September 23, 2008 by Jesse Lee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate Downes Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 any suggestions for the cheapest that will do the job? Most of the meters I find have more features than I need. I just want a no-frills needle. dial the ISO, press the button, needle tells me where to set it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Rose Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 I think the Spectra Pro is the way to go. As I recall, I bought mine for 150.00 a few years back. And boy does it have bang for its buck. It came with three different heads: Spherical, flat and lumigrid, so you could do average incident, individual incident and reflected readings. It also came with ten slides which roughly approximated the different films, or reduced the light for bright conditions. You could work quick and dirty with it, and I've never gone wrong with it. It may hurt the wallet (which is the nature of this beast, sad to say), but you really shouldn't skimp on a meter. Look at is less as another expenditure, and more as an insurance policy. A good light meter will better ensure that you get the results you want, reduces the change of unpleasant surprises, help to prevent reshoots, and best of all, will allow you to sleep better at night. Buy a good meter from a REPUTABLE source, even if you have to pay a bit more. Because do you really want to risk your film (or someone elses) for the sake of a few bucks savings on a meter? You'll quickly find that what little you saved on the meter will be lost (and then some) in paying to re shoot your film. I would also advise you to abandon this notion of a simple meter that "tells you where to set it." That is a risky way to think. You get lulled to sleep. It is YOU who must make the decision, and you need to know why you are doing what you are doing. The meter is there to aid you in making that decision. It helps you to better predict the outcome so you can make the best choice under those conditions. Because, you'll find a lot of cases in which you DON'T want to follow the meter. You've got to adjust for filter factors, any special processing, as well as the characteristics of the film. A lot of DPs (myself included) like to over-expose their neg by a half stop to a stop. If you're shooting reversal, you're better off underexposing based on what the meter says. There's a lot involved, and if you just follow the meter every time, your results could be all over the place, in terms of DoP, contrast, color balance, density and a whole host of things that could create a headache in post. This is where planning and test shoots come into play. There's a lot involved. So good luck in your search, and remember that the meter remains a tool. You are in control, not the other way around. Best, BR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Chris Keth Posted September 24, 2008 Premium Member Share Posted September 24, 2008 any suggestions for the cheapest that will do the job? Most of the meters I find have more features than I need. I just want a no-frills needle. dial the ISO, press the button, needle tells me where to set it. Nate, I often see Minolta Autometers (you'd want the IV or V) for sale used. They rarely have asking prices of more than $150 and can usually be had for $100 or so. I love mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate Downes Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 Nate, I often see Minolta Autometers (you'd want the IV or V) for sale used. They rarely have asking prices of more than $150 and can usually be had for $100 or so. I love mine. I found a V yesterday for $150 and that is what prompted me to ask this, really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Chris Keth Posted September 24, 2008 Premium Member Share Posted September 24, 2008 I found a V yesterday for $150 and that is what prompted me to ask this, really. I'd try to offer them 120 or something and be done with it. It's a great meter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Marcus Jaeger Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 Is there anyone who has experience with a Gossen Variosix F2 because I have been offered a good deal ? It seems to be a professional light meter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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