Minolta VS Sekonic

Larry Chan · March 23, 2004

Hi all

I'm thinking of getting a light meter and it seems that most people just use Minolta or Sekonic.

I know they have their own pros and cons, so maybe people here can give me some suggestions whether Minolta or Sekonic is more suitable to a new comer.

Thank you so much.

Regards

Larry

Morten · April 18, 2004

Hi,

I've checked a bit around the net and I came to the conclusion that the Sekonic L608 Cine super zoom master would be a good buy so I bought a new one off eBay. I just recently received it, but so far I've been very happy with it and it coverst all my needs. It was also half the price that I would have to pay in Australia.

You can check it out on www.sekonic.com

I've talked to more experienced DOP's that also rates it highly.

Cheers,

Morten

Larry Chan · April 20, 2004

Hi Morten

Really thanks for yr reply.

But you dare buy light meter at eBay!

How can you confirm the light meter is in good condition?

Best

Larry

John Pytlak RIP · April 20, 2004

You can have any professional lightmeter checked out and recalibrated by the manufacturer, or a company specializing in this service:

http://www.minoltausa.com/eprise/main/Mino...rea/ServiceArea

http://www.sekonic.com/svcgeneral.html

http://www.spectracine.com/repair.htm

Tony Brown · April 21, 2004

I'd vote for Minolta - I use Spotmeter F's and Flashmeter V's for incident readings.

I've never owned a Sekonic, but have heard many people be critical of the battery life and build quality.

I also buy meters on Ebay. I recently bought a mint condition Flashmeter V for £102, that someone had won in a competition. He'd used it maybe 5 times.

Strange how Spectra have fallen from grace. I still have a an old Spectra in my box (must be 30 years old) and its still very accurate.

Anybody still use Spectra?

Mitch Gross · April 21, 2004

Anybody still use Spectra?

I use a digital Spectra that I bought more than a decade ago and I love it. A great meter. I too still have an old classic Spectra Pro that I keep in my case on the emergency that all my meter batteries die at once and I need someting to take a reading. Still love those little hand-drilled slide inserts. It's still a very accurate meter. I copied very DP photo I saw in A.C. and taped one side of the ball cover down so that I could flick it to one side to take a meter reading and then flip it back again for protection. Did you?

Sam Wells · April 21, 2004

For incident, I looked at the Sekonic L-358 and Minolta VF last summer.

The Minolta was a few $ less, took AA's (and perhaps is less battery hog).

In every othyer respect, ergonomics, display etc I liked the Sekonic better.

I've had good luck with Sekonics, I have the L-778 spot meter & it's great.

So I'm not interested in the combo meters right now.

I put off buying the 358 as I found an older 318 quite cheap, takes a single AA, and if I dropped it in the Mekong river not the end of the world. I may buy the 358 eventually.

In answer to battery use questions re recent Sekonic meters, a Sekonic sales rep said to me "well they're not just meters, they're computers"

Which is true I suppose. But then, in thinking about how few readings I actually take in daylight situations, probably no big deal.

Spectra IV-F is another choice.

-Sam

stijnbarbe · April 21, 2004

my sekonic studio deluxe II L398M doesn't need batteries. It's an analog needle incident meter and I love it!

you can lock the needle, ideal for checking bluekys and other backgrounds.

this model is the most basic 'cine' model sekonic makes.

I bought mine new but with an importers discount. it cost me 175? or about 200$

my only problem is tha tI now have to borrow a spotmeter and meanwhile save up for my own.

So I'd guess you'd want something like a 558 cine dualmaster. I've used it and it didn't seem very rigid, but then again you're always careful with a lightmeter, aren't ya? the design and use of a sekonic are very intuitive, but it's true that the batteries run out quickly.

Larry Chan · April 21, 2004

Thank you all for the valuable opinion and share of experience.

Seems that Minolta and Sekonic both have their die-hard fans.

Maybe I should try it out myself?

Hope I can learn more by using a light meter.

Best

Larry

Tony Brown · April 21, 2004

taped one side of the ball cover down so that I could flick it to one side to take a meter reading and then flip it back again for protection. Did you?

LOL.... I'd forgotten that!!

Guilty - seemed kind of cool at the time B)

Sam - sadly no, I'm not careful with meters - I spent years cursing D.P.s who only had one thing to look after and they could never find it - their meter. :angry:

Now its me that has 30 people running around trying to find mine ......... :rolleyes:

Sam Wells · April 23, 2004

Hope I can learn more by using a light meter.

That's the important thing.

The ultimate light meter will be the film itself, that's what it does, it yields photochemical response to light. The purpose of a meter is simply to predict what that response will be.

-Sam (who in fact has never lost a meter yet, knock on wood !)

Morten · April 27, 2004

Dear Larry,

I found this one guy on ebay who's located in Hong Kong. He is rated as a "Power seller" so I just crossed my fingers and hoped he'd send me the light meter, and he did and as the page said it was brand new. I figured it was worth a shot since it was half the price. He even sent me the meter before I had paid him all the money.

I don't know which one's better out of Sekonic and Minolta. I just got the impression that sekonic was slightly better when I read reviews and product info, but I'm thinking it's just the same as with the whole Nikon VS Canon thing. It's a matter of preferance.

Regards,

Morten

Dan Salzmann · April 27, 2004

I use a Sekonic 508C and love it. Works on 1 AA battery.

Also use a Minolta Colormeter II sometimes.

Both companies make very good equipment. I used Minolta light meters as a photographer and cinematographer and was quite happy with the results.

I suggest picking a meter you can afford and not getting too hung up about it.

Bob Hayes · April 28, 2004

I just bought a Sekonic Dualmaster L-558 Cine. It is the new combo incident and reflective meter. I replaced my Minolta Spot and Incident meters. It took me a weekend to figure out how to program it. I?m still getting used to it but I think it?s a keeper.

Michael Nash · May 5, 2004

I just bought a Sekonic Dualmaster L-558 Cine. It is the new combo incident and reflective meter. I replaced my Minolta Spot and Incident meters. It took me a weekend to figure out how to program it. I?m still getting used to it but I think it?s a keeper.

Bob, compare the incident reading of your Minolta and your Sekonic in low level tungsten light (f2.8 at 500 ASA, 24fps). If it's like my 508C, your Sekonic will read about a half stop low compared to the Minolta (the Sekonic will say f2.0.5 while the Minolta will say f2.8). Switch the light to daylight balanced and the meters will agree; and at higher light levels they'll agree. This is a "known issue" with the Sekonic 508, which may or may not have been fixed with subsequent models.

Also, check that the spot and incident readings agree -- usually they don't and need to be adjusted. Fortunately you can adjust them independently, and I was able to get mine to agree dead on.

Eric Steelberg ASC · May 6, 2004

I think the built-in spot meter in the Sekonic makes it bulky to hold and everyone I know who has one always has a hard time finding spare batteries on set when it dies. I also don't like if it happens to fall, get banged, or break you're out 2 meters. Having separate meters is an insurance policy. However, their performance and features are very good.

I've been using a Minolta IVF and SpotmeterF since '92 and love them. Had to fix a loose connection in the head of the incident a few years back because it was giving me inconsistent readings dpending on which way the head was twist.

J. Lamar King IMPOSTOR · May 6, 2004

Unlike, some others my L-508c is very accurate even at low light levels and the battery lasts a fair amount of time. I know that some of these meters do have real issues though, I guess some people have gotten lemons. Over time the lack of a spot readout in the eyepiece has proven to be a huge issue causing me to buy a Spotmeter-F. Of course that problem was solved in newer versions of the meter. Now that I have the Minolta I'm looking to get a Spectra incident meter.

I too still have a 398 II and it gets used every now and again. Probably the best of the analog meters.

Jonathan Bowerbank · December 19, 2006

Good ol' "Search" function, took me to this old thread, ha ha

I wasn't aware that Minolta had discontinued all their meters (after being taken over by Sony)

Does anyone still think it would be a good idea to buy a Minolta light meter? My only concern would be getting it recalibrated, should something go wrong.

thanks!

Jon