Sekonic Light Meter - Review and Lessons Learned
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- Опубликовано: 7 сен 2024
- Alastair takes a vintage Sekonic Light Meter out for a quick review and finds it doesn't seem to do what it is supposed to do - well not reliably, anyway. He has to figure out if it's not working properly or if the Minolta light meter he also uses isn't working properly, so a couple of test shots and all is revealed. #lightmeter #camera #vintage #camerareview #sekonic
Thanks for the video. I love using my old cameras with built in selenium light meters, but I've learned that they can indeed be off by a few stops. So long as I remember that, I don't have a problem. Selenium meters are like getting advice from your grandfather. You listen respectfully and then adjust where you need to. ;)
I think that is the perfect analogy!
He's right. There are two possibilities for the different light readings, and the applicable reason is that he doesn't know what he is doing. The Sekonic is a reflection meter. It reads light reflected from the subject toward the meter. The other (incident) meter (Minolta?) reads the light falling on the subject from the the light source. Used properly, there would commonly be a small difference in readings so long as the subject has an average range of tones. In this context, you would select a subject in the room with the camera facing toward the subject. With the Sekonic you read the light reflected by the subject (point the meter at the subject). With the MInolta, you go to the subject, then point the meter dome back toward the camera and take a reading of the light reaching the subject. (Do not measure the incident reading from the camera position, as being closer to the window, that light will be significantly brighter than the light reaching the subject further into the room.)
Your explanation is absolutely true - but the Sekonic was consistently underexposing everything no matter what. The selenium is pretty much done, unfortunately. Regardless, thanks for the comment - one of the more understandable replies to this issue I have seen.,
Completely true. Different meters, both used incorrectly.
The Minolta seemed to give me a pretty good exposure….
My bad, the second time you used the minolta reflective meter correctly: near the subject pointing towards your camera. The incident meter is like your camera meter and should be pointed towards the subject. And towards the darker parts of the subject, not the high lights. Otherwise you underexpose your film, as you've shown.
Thanks for the nice info. I just picked up one of these for a couple of bucks. I also have an Argus light meter with the same design, but much easier to read. The part about the Sekonic that confused me is the "light value" number that lines up with the ASA. Not sure if that's just informational. I put it next to my Argus and got roughly the same metering. I then zoomed my 60D into that specific spot I was metering with the analog meters, set the ISO to 100 and f-stop to 5.6 (to match both meters) and it showed almost the exact shutter speed as both meters. I also have a light meter app on my phone that had the same readings. I guess I got lucky :).
Edit:
The Argus did not read accurate outside but the Sekonic was still spot on with my 60D.
I have two of the exact same GE made light meters .. I found one very cheap on ebay that had its original leather pouch.. I bought it because it looked in better shape and had the case.. When I got it the cell some how was putting out MORE power then it should have .. You would think over the years it would get weaker but it was pushing the needle further then it should have by quite a bit.. Thus the end readings would be underexposed .. The one I had that was beat up some was quite close and I could get used to using it without much issues.. I just swapped the top sections and as the model I have you can pull the top half off for really dark areas , Flip a door open for medium light area or close the door for bright areas all three. Well the top half was much nicer on the one I got really cheap so I ended up using it and the leather pouch lol. But I was shocked at how much different the two where from each other.
That was fun. My experiment with this... since i bought a tasty piece of vintage glass which came with a Spotmatic attached... is to meter with a digital camera and shoot with both it and the Spotty. Took my first two frames (in over 20 years) on XP2 yesterday... and it was a very exciting experience. I'm going to run through all my Takumars in the course of the 36 shots - which will take a few days - but, man! - am i looking forward to that first set of negatives. Thanks for the video and all the best from a cabin in a swamp in a rainforest in New Zealand. Lkd&Subd.
one other thing to consider, is that "meters" in general try to get everything exposed for a 'middle gray' value (zone system, zone 5 or 6) so if, as you are doing here shooting a white jug, you have to adjust the reading to set it to expose the shot, so the white is on zone 9, 3 or 4 stops away,OR to bump the shadows from zone 5 to zone 1 or 2, to get blacks with detail so tweak the dials accordingly, just as if it were bellows draw, or filter factor, same thing, you desire a metering DIFFERENT to what the machine WILL provide you.
The Zone system was always a bit of a Dark Art for me. But I understand what you're saying here. Thanks for the tips. And bellows draw - the bane of my existence! I wonder if anyone even knows what that is, anymore...
Ignoring the camera meter and trying what the meter suggests... You sir are a genious :) I have a Deltz meter I just repaired and I've been finding its metering doesn't match anything else.... This showed it really is working ok :)
Btw, the closed setting is for bright direct sunlight and outside during a bright day. In an inside setting with light like this I think the open option would have metered correctly for the old meter.
Now in not sure, but I believe those old meters have a screw you can turn to calibrate the meter. If so with your other meter it should be easy to get it reading out better. Like I said I'm not sure about this but maybe it's worth a shot!
Tha is for the suggestion! I’ll take a look.
@@UnderexposedwithAlastairBird The screw on the back of the meter is just for zeroing the meter. Just like an old bathroom scale.
I have a thought on the problem, with the digital meter, you have the "dome" in front of the sensor, which is used for incident meter mode, but you are technically speaking taking a reflective meter reading, so this digital meter is having diffused light come on to the sensor, through the dome, BUT the sekonic manual meter, has a 'raw' sensor, un_diffused, so the light intensity is vastly different, hence the different readings!
Thanks for the clarification!
Very interesting. Maybe the meter is not actually faulty. I used, a long time ago, that sort of meter as an area meter, good for a person or large object or scenery outdoors. But for people and objects indoors it needed roughly even light. When it is pointed at an object up close and there is a bright light source nearby it is essentially measuring a lot of the light coming in from the source, in this case the window.
So in the video, you point the sekonic at the light source, but point the minolta at the cup. one of the problems i saw was the lighting is from 90 deg. the 1954 meter was not designed for that. What i mean is, it was not used much for a studio type lighting, keep it out doors, it will always give you the middle gray reading if your light is at your back. As you know the zone system works best if you learn it from Ansel himself. It is fun to play with the sekonic, pair it with the Mamyia 6 Automat, and have fun. I use mine quite a bit. but just for black and white front shots of static buildings and such. if you want white, open two stops and hold your breath, Thanks for the vid. oh yeah what is the dogs name. :D ps, I would like to start the chant "Bring back the 220 film roll's" Later man.
Thanks for the comment and the pointers! Our house hound is Lucy, and she's always happy to make an appearance. And if anyone brought back 220 film I would buy a ton of it. I have so many cameras that could take advantage.
Take the dome off the Minolta. The Sekonic takes reflective readings not incident. You had the Sekonic pointing at the bright window light. it was always going to underexpose by 2.5 stops to middle grey. User error. Please try again.
Thanks! I have this one:) Great video
Is their an adjustment screw on the back to calibrate it?
I don’t believe so but I’ll take a look. Regardless, the meter is pretty far out of tolerance.
There is a zero adjustment on mine 👍
could you do a video about your scanner & scanning workflow ?
You're not the first person to ask for that! In fact, we were discussing what we want to include not that long ago. I'm delighted to hear what you would like to see in the video if you have any suggestions...
@@UnderexposedwithAlastairBird I am generally always interested to see other people's workflows in Film scanning. From a small clip in your video, I thought I saw that you may be using a Flextight Scanner. I have always been curious about those. so just a video about how you scan your negs and how the machine/software works would be great.
For sure. It is a Flextight scanner. I had an ancient Precision II but recently upgraded to a Hasselblad X1. Amazing piece of equipment. We’ll get shooting that video on scanning.
@@UnderexposedwithAlastairBird sounds great. Really interested to see the flextight workflow. Since I love the frontier colors myself, I bought an SP3000 which I have been using since a year.
subscribed ;-) nice channel
The old one is going to be measuring reflected light. The cells look like an old Weston master meter.
Good to know. The exposure was still awful, though. There are some companies that, apparently, re-do the selenium cells, but I'll let this one sit on the shelf for now.
@@UnderexposedwithAlastairBird by the way love your channel and the easy presentation style
@@jonathanhotopf1823 Thanks!
Which model is that?
Leica M2 and a Hasselblad in his bag and the guy doesn't even know the difference between incident and reflective metering...
You should see my other cameras…
I had a Selenium Light Meter a Gossen Sixtino 2 / Gossen Pilot 2. Selenium Light Meters tend to be not very sensitive and when the Lid is open, Selenium Light Meters meassssssure _reflected_ Light.... And with this Sekonic this could be the Case too, when the Lid is closed, so it possibly only reduces the Sensitivity. But not sure. The Gossen Sixtino 2 / Pilot 2 could also meassure incident Light with a Difusor. When Selenium Light Meters are old, the Selenium Cell will not produce as much Voltage anymore like when the Meter was new or even no Voltage so false Readings or even no Reading at all can be the Result.
Thanks for the notes - I think you're right - the cell is kaput after all these years.
Place a grey card in front of the jug, facing towards the camera. Use the sekonic to measure the grey card - there is your exposure. Without the grey card, adjust your exposure by about +2 stops.
a charming little thing!