light meters

[ckiang]

Originally posted by yamashita
Just wondering, how does those analog light meter works? Don't know what should I call it, since they have no LED display, so give it a name like analog.

how do I read those display on those analog type?

Either by matching 2 needles, or by reading the number off the needle in the meter, and setting that number onto a dial. Then read off the shutter/aperture combinations from that dial.

Regards
CK

 

[sulhan]

btw its digital- on loan

 

[ckiang]

Originally posted by sulhan
btw its digital- on loan

Digital one will give direct readout, of coz.

Regards
CK

 

[Gunjack]

I am interested in a cheap light meter for my cheap russian mechanical camera that has a slightly "sticky" lightmeter. Not looking for good ones, coz having a cheap one is better than having to guess the aperture/shutter speed myself... as long as it works. Cheapest I saw so far was at Fotoguide??? in Peninsular Plaza, a $60~ selenium light meter...

 

[yamashita]

Guess digital light meter is just too expensive.

 

[sulhan]

Hiee...

I wanna get one......is it recent price in fotoguide???

 

[rubric]

Originally posted by Gunjack
I am interested in a cheap light meter for my cheap russian mechanical camera that has a slightly "sticky" lightmeter. Not looking for good ones, coz having a cheap one is better than having to guess the aperture/shutter speed myself... as long as it works. Cheapest I saw so far was at Fotoguide??? in Peninsular Plaza, a $60~ selenium light meter...

Did you see the brand/model? It's not secondhand right? I'm also thinking of one for my al cheapo russian tlr.

 

[Ian]

Originally posted by ninelives
Ian, do u think we really need light meter when nowaday camera already got a built-in one?

Unless we are into portrait/studio photogray else we won't be using it.

correct me please.

Correction coming up

In camera meters are only capable of working in a single mode, that is by measuring the light reflected from the subject that the lens is being pointed at. This applies to whatever mode your metering happens to be, ie: matrix, center weighted or spot.

Now this is all well and good, however for some work it's better to measure the actual light coming from the camera position (ie: falling on the subject), landscapes and portraiture are two good examples where 'incident' metering is often preferable.

Now comes the intersting part, in terms of the human brain, a moving needle (ie analogue display) requires less processing than a digital display, especially if your using a meter to measure across an entire scene and are watching the displayed light level varience. This is one of the reasons why many of the top end (read big $$$) digitals have a pseudo analogue display as well as a more conventional digital display section.

However for the average amateur a digital meter is complete overkill, given the in camera metering systems now available. A cheap selenium or CDS based meter is more than adequate for those times that a hand held meter is going to be used.

 

[Ian]

Originally posted by yamashita
Just wondering, how does those analog light meter works?
how do I read those display on those analog type?

As CK has mentioned there's two basic types of analogue meter, match needle and match number.

However to really clarify things I've knocked up a rough and ready scan of two light meters and will give you a run through of how to use them below.

As you can see from the image above, there are two light meters. On the left is a Ziess Ikophot meter that I was given in the mid-late 1960s when I first started with photography.

The Ikophot is a typical 'match needle' type meter and most work in a similar fashion. To use the meter you do the following:

1) Set the film speed scale (ASA/ISO) A to match the film speed you are using in the camera.

2) Take a reading by pointing the meter at your subject and then the meter needle B will move in accordance with the amount of light reflected from the subject.

3)Rotate the outer scale ring Cuntil the 'ring' D is over the meter needle B

4)Read the appropriate shutter speed and aperture values from the scale E

It's very quick and easy once you do it in person.




The meter on the right is a Gossen Luna Pro meter that I've owned for quite a few years. This is a 'match number' type of meter.

To use the meter:

1) Set film speed scale A to match your film speed.

2) Take meter reading, and the meter needle B will move in accordance with the amount of light. The number on the Yellow scale B that corresponds to the needle is then read.

3) Rotate outer ring C until the number at point D matches the number on the meter scale B.

4) Read the appropriate aperture/shutter speed combination from scale E.

Hope that answers your question on how the meters work.

 

[yamashita]

hey thanks alot.

Now understand how's it work. might get one. but cathay sold out already.

item :
1) Gossen Pilot 2 Meter - not handling
2) Gossen Scout 2 Meter - not handling

3) Sekonic 158 Auto Lumni Meter - no stock
4) Sekonic 188 Auto Leader Meter - no stock

Date : 18 Oct. 2002 / SL

 

[Ian]

That's not good, try a few of the other shops in Singapore like Prime, TCW etc, someone will have them.

 

[rubric]

Thanks a bunch Ian.

 

[Ian]

Originally posted by rubric
Thanks a bunch Ian.

Your welcome rubric.

 

[NitroTech]

Thanks Ian, for the in-depth explaination. Learnt something new today. :thumbsup:

 

[Dagger]

Originally posted by yamashita
Guess digital light meter is just too expensive.

You may like to consider mint second hand ones.

 

[yamashita]

Originally posted by Dagger


You may like to consider mint second hand ones.

Even second hand are expensive. Saw from ebay. heh

 

[Ian]

Originally posted by yamashita


Even second hand are expensive. Saw from ebay. heh

Yamashita - Some people just don't seem to understand the word 'cheap'

CK:

Re your post earlier on digital meters. How then do you define the likes of the Quantum Calc-u-lite or Shepherd FM 1000 meter? They are a digitally displayed number transfer meter that uses a digital number which is then transferred to a conventional analogue type set of rotary scales :devil:

 

[Goondu]

Originally posted by Ian


As CK has mentioned there's two basic types of analogue meter, match needle and match number.

However to really clarify things I've knocked up a rough and ready scan of two light meters and will give you a run through of how to use them below.

As you can see from the image above, there are two light meters. On the left is a Ziess Ikophot meter that I was given in the mid-late 1960s when I first started with photography.

The Ikophot is a typical 'match needle' type meter and most work in a similar fashion. To use the meter you do the following:

1) Set the film speed scale (ASA/ISO) A to match the film speed you are using in the camera.

2) Take a reading by pointing the meter at your subject and then the meter needle B will move in accordance with the amount of light reflected from the subject.

3)Rotate the outer scale ring Cuntil the 'ring' D is over the meter needle B

4)Read the appropriate shutter speed and aperture values from the scale E

It's very quick and easy once you do it in person.




The meter on the right is a Gossen Luna Pro meter that I've owned for quite a few years. This is a 'match number' type of meter.

To use the meter:

1) Set film speed scale A to match your film speed.

2) Take meter reading, and the meter needle B will move in accordance with the amount of light. The number on the Yellow scale B that corresponds to the needle is then read.

3) Rotate outer ring C until the number at point D matches the number on the meter scale B.

4) Read the appropriate aperture/shutter speed combination from scale E.

Hope that answers your question on how the meters work.

Ian, thanks for the detailed explanation. :thumbsup:

Btw, even your lightmeter photo is sharp.

 

[Ian]

Originally posted by Goondu


Ian, thanks for the detailed explanation. :thumbsup:

Btw, even your lightmeter photo is sharp.

Haha Goondu .. those aren't photos, they are scans done on a flatbed scanner. Setting up the product bench to take shots of meters isn't worth the time.