If you want to check a cameras built in light meter, on a bright sunny day set the ISO to 100, the aperture to f16, point the camera at something in the sunlight that's a mid tone (18% grey) the camera should tell you that correct exposure is 125/s.
@@julianmuller1016 that is why he said set the iso to 100! If the camera reads 1/125 then the light meter electronics is working- which the whole point of this test!
I've been using the Sekonic L-208 for years and I'm very happy with it, though it doesn't appear to offer any functional advantage over the TT Artisan meter which sells for about half the price. Nice review.
Thanks Brian. I feel like they are all pretty standard as far as accuracy (could be wrong) unless you go with a handheld spot meter which I think will obviously get you a much more precise reading. obviously features, layout and accessories are what will separate them.
If you have the Sekonic L-208 Twinmate, it has an incident meter and a reflective meter. The incident meter is much more accurate than a reflective meter and no knowledge of advanced metering techniques are required.
I heavily researched all the light meters you mentioned, some I couldn't find for sale in the UK. I eventually bought a sekonic twinmate L208. Advantages to the twinmate - analogue display with a match needle, so you can see immediately all the other combinations for exposure. Greater range of settings, 8000/sec to 30 sec, and iso 25-12500. Single battery operation. Can be used for incident light readings. Price here in the UK £99, (about $120 US). Disadvantages. Its a bit bigger than those you mentioned, and I was concerned about the build quality as it's made of plastic, but I can tell you its pretty solid and a joy to use, very simple and intuitive.
I, too, got tired of pulling out my phone to check exposure. I decided on the Reveni Labs meter because of the accessories available. I got a mount that lifts it a bit to work on my Leica iii and a side mount that allows it to work on my YaashicaMat 124g.
@@graham_white it's pretty simple. There're power, menu, - and + buttons. You cycle through the menu and use the + or - buttons to set things like ISO and aperture or shutter priority. Once set, just hit the button to take a reading.
I've got the Doomo and the KEKS EM-01- I like the aperture priority of the KEKS but the DOOMO is just stupid simple- both work great though. Also to note, when shooting with older vintage cameras, one variable no one talks about is whether or not your camera's shutter speeds are accurate. Mechanical cameras tend to lose 1/3 to full stop in the higher range of 125/th to 1000/th of a second. Some with horizontal cloth or metal curtains can be adjusted slightly to bring them back in line, however cameras with the copal shutters are much more difficult. If they are not accurate and you don't know it, then the metering is irrelevant anyway for the 1st roll or two when you observe your slightly overexposed images at the higher shutter speeds.
Nice review. I have a Reveni spot meter on order and should have it soon. I also have a Sekonic L758 and an older Pentax digital spot meter, which I actually prefer of the two...much easier for using the zone method. I'll see how the Reveni stacks up to the Pentax.
I have been using the Keks EM-01 for my Pentax 645N and Minolta X-700. It’s quite accurate and very helpful. If anyone is going to purchase this, lead time is pretty long so order now than later.
@@graham_white originally, I was going to get it from my cousin but his dad purchased him one of those expensive light meters. I ended up giving him $100 and keeping the module instead.
thanks Tom! I still use my Minolta meter when I want a more precise measurement on a specific spot, but these on camera meters are great for a compact quick setup. If I'm doing studio or anything for sure I am using a handheld.
I've never used a lightmeter, due to only shooting with a Pentax K1000, that has it built in, but I am definitely looking for one as I wanna get more film cameras next year. This video helped a ton. Love your content Graham!
Been using this same ttartisan light meter for a few months now and have it permanently attached to my FED 3b. Regarding the small spacer on the battery cover screw, at least from my experience if you don't have it installed along with the screw, the battery cover screw needs to be re-tightened from time to time. I guess the small nudges to the light meter when i pull my camera out and put it back in the bag loosens the screw
haha. I have recently discovered that same thing after a lot of jostling. really wish there was a better solution cause man I have almost lost that thing a dozen times.
The small Reveni lightmeter is really accurate, simple to use and the size is really small. If you want another great external meter consider the Reveni spotmeter.
The TT Artisan is a reflective meter that reads a 45 degree angle. No incident metering, no spot metering, no flash metering. And, because of the set angle of coverage, the percentage of a scene that is metered changes with the focal length of a lens. How accurate could that be while using different lenses or a zoom lens? These shortcomings make these meters unusable to me in the work that I do. The Reveni hotshoe meter suffers from the same deficiencies. While the small (not hotshoe) Reveni spot meter can be used with excellent accuracy it requires metering skills to get the most from it (zone metering). But, still no incident or flash metering. If having your exposure in the ballpark is alright with you, (a very big ballpark) then this might be all that you need. If you are shooting outside, the easy to learn Sunny 16 rule will give you about the same accuracy. But, if you need or want precision in your exposures overall, or if you use flash outside or in a studio, meters like this aren't going to live in your bag for very long.
I don't own the KEKS EM-01 (yet), but it does have an optional 3-pack of different sizes of aluminum cold shoe mounts to allow a tight fit on virtually any camera. There are also 3 different mount locations on the base of the meter.
I got one ttartisan meter shipped earlier this week, will be pairing it with my QL17(which meter is very suspicious) Btw, Doomo really seems very close to Ttartisan, but they are different in size, Doomo being smaller.
Should work fine. There are several options available depending on what you want, this are setup to meter for about a 50mm focal length since the meter has to angle slightly but yeah it worked fine for me
Just a little discussion, in your opinion, which do you think is more important, ‘subject’ itself inside the photograph or the overall ‘artifact’ inside the frame (whole photograph)… Or, even including the frame as the total ‘artifact’? I’m interested in hearing your conception.
hmm. I mean any image needs a subject. The big difference between film and digital is you can't go around shooting wide open at 1.2 and disregard everything but your subject. So when it comes to film the entire "artifact" or image I think is more important. and personally crafting an image with a subject and a cohesive artifact is much more difficult and skilful than just a appealing center framed subject with little need for composition.
Hello Graham! Great video as always! I'm just curious about one thing, do you have any examples of the pictures taken with the TT Artison Meter? It would be nice to see how the exposure is metered in this one in particular. I hope you can get back to me, cheers!
I believe it has a built in meter so you should be fine. If the internal meter is broken I can’t remember if it will work properly. I’f not any meter will really work, just depends in preference.
I have more cameras than I need, some requiring mercury batteries. The thought of not having to modify and or repair them, AND having to buy ONE battery to meter all of them? twist my arm just a little bit harder.
Agreed, there are several great options for this. It’s a little annoying to have to use an extra accessory but much better than having 10 different battery types etc.
One problem I see with this is doing night time photography which I primarily do. It would be nice to have a digital read out for shutter speed when ss is 2"-30"+ Stuck with my phone and thankfully decent pentax super me in camera meter.
Compared to other brands or handhelds i$65 isn’t bad. Granted not dirt cheap but still worthwhile I think for peace of mind given cost of film. Again depends on how comfortable you are without using one at all.
They are center weighted similar to how any built in camera light meter would be, definitely not a spot meter. the only trick is that the sensor of course has to be angled slightly if that makes sense. so its best with like a 35/50mm and something like a 135 would have very different reading depending on the composition.
@@graham_white Okay, makes sense to me. Seems like an adequate general purpose meter. I had an old shoe mount Sekonic that was always convenient. The selenium cell finally gave up the ghost. This seems novel. If I could only give up my Gossen Luna-Pro! LOL
Honestly performance wise probably not a noticeable difference. Voigtlander and doomo are both mechanical while the keks is LED display. So really just preference and price
@@gurugamer8632 personally I think most in camera meters are better simply because they are in camera and setup for that specific camera. I think you are better off with the in camera meter as long as its working properly.
You would need some kind of adapter or handle. the RB67 has a handle with a cold shoe and the C330 has a cold shoe on it. it just depends on each cameras accessories and body setup
I've used the VCII meter for years and love it. I also have the Reveni but haven't actually used it, for some reason. This one looks great. Do you know what the angle of measurement is for this one? I think the various models you discuss have different angles. I think the VCII has a 30-degree measurement, for example. I think the Doomo also has acessories, like a double shoe mount so you can use both the meter and an accessory viewfinder, for example. Great review!
Ya I do like the accessories offered by Doomo and Reveni, but with my setups I don't have a use for those yet so it doesn't make sense for me. of course if I got one I'm sure I could fine a use haha. The TTArtison has a 45 degree not sure about some of the others. Personally if I want to get specific on metering I am going to use my handheld spot meter for those types of shots.
I'm sure there is a lot of useful info in your video but I could not watch your video to the end as your rapid continuous flicking of your hands threatened to trigger my latent epilepsy. That's something to work on !
@graham_white Oh, I thought people put videos up with the hope to be seen and listened to. . People move forward with feedback and some have egos that don't allow that. While I'm here I will say apart from excessive waffle, it comes out too fast to hear properly. No need to thank me for the advice..
If you want to check a cameras built in light meter, on a bright sunny day set the ISO to 100, the aperture to f16, point the camera at something in the sunlight that's a mid tone (18% grey) the camera should tell you that correct exposure is 125/s.
Well this heavily depends on the ISO of the film you're using
@@julianmuller1016 that is why he said set the iso to 100! If the camera reads 1/125 then the light meter electronics is working- which the whole point of this test!
For negative film 1/90 would be better than 1/125.
@@geofff6671 that is irrelevant for the topic and wrong
@@geofff6671yea
9:50 The shoe mount of the Doomo is adjustable. You can change the position of the shoe mount on the meter in different configurations.
Thanks for shedding light on the subject.
I've been using the Sekonic L-208 for years and I'm very happy with it, though it doesn't appear to offer any functional advantage over the TT Artisan meter which sells for about half the price. Nice review.
Thanks Brian. I feel like they are all pretty standard as far as accuracy (could be wrong) unless you go with a handheld spot meter which I think will obviously get you a much more precise reading. obviously features, layout and accessories are what will separate them.
The L208 has a bigger range of values, 8000/sec to 30sec, iso 25-12500, than the light meters mentioned in the video.
If you have the Sekonic L-208 Twinmate, it has an incident meter and a reflective meter. The incident meter is much more accurate than a reflective meter and no knowledge of advanced metering techniques are required.
I heavily researched all the light meters you mentioned, some I couldn't find for sale in the UK. I eventually bought a sekonic twinmate L208. Advantages to the twinmate - analogue display with a match needle, so you can see immediately all the other combinations for exposure. Greater range of settings, 8000/sec to 30 sec, and iso 25-12500. Single battery operation. Can be used for incident light readings. Price here in the UK £99, (about $120 US). Disadvantages. Its a bit bigger than those you mentioned, and I was concerned about the build quality as it's made of plastic, but I can tell you its pretty solid and a joy to use, very simple and intuitive.
Awesome! Thanks for sharing, I’ll look into that one as well
@@graham_white Just found you, by the way, so enjoying some of your other content today. Looks like a great channel.
@@Revup1 haha, thanks Phil! appreciate it.
Sooooo I just bought one. Thanks, Graham. My G.A.S is so strong it is dangerous.
Haha, join the club!
I, too, got tired of pulling out my phone to check exposure. I decided on the Reveni Labs meter because of the accessories available. I got a mount that lifts it a bit to work on my Leica iii and a side mount that allows it to work on my YaashicaMat 124g.
the accessories available are definitely appealing. How is the navigation through settings?
@@graham_white it's pretty simple. There're power, menu, - and + buttons. You cycle through the menu and use the + or - buttons to set things like ISO and aperture or shutter priority. Once set, just hit the button to take a reading.
I’m happy with my Sekonic and Minolta meters.
they are great for sure, and probably a bit more reliable/precise? but these are nice options for quick street stuff etc when needed.
@@graham_white Thx!
I've got the Doomo and the KEKS EM-01- I like the aperture priority of the KEKS but the DOOMO is just stupid simple- both work great though. Also to note, when shooting with older vintage cameras, one variable no one talks about is whether or not your camera's shutter speeds are accurate. Mechanical cameras tend to lose 1/3 to full stop in the higher range of 125/th to 1000/th of a second. Some with horizontal cloth or metal curtains can be adjusted slightly to bring them back in line, however cameras with the copal shutters are much more difficult. If they are not accurate and you don't know it, then the metering is irrelevant anyway for the 1st roll or two when you observe your slightly overexposed images at the higher shutter speeds.
good to know! thanks for sharing. I believe I mentioned shutter speed variables but yes its almost inevitable depending on the type.
Hi Tim Ryan
You have use the Doomo and Keks metering, compare this 2 band which is the better. So I can get one. Tks you
Nice review. I have a Reveni spot meter on order and should have it soon. I also have a Sekonic L758 and an older Pentax digital spot meter, which I actually prefer of the two...much easier for using the zone method. I'll see how the Reveni stacks up to the Pentax.
I have been using the Keks EM-01 for my Pentax 645N and Minolta X-700. It’s quite accurate and very helpful. If anyone is going to purchase this, lead time is pretty long so order now than later.
The story of the last year. Long lead times on everything 😒😒😒
@@graham_white originally, I was going to get it from my cousin but his dad purchased him one of those expensive light meters. I ended up giving him $100 and keeping the module instead.
Spot on Graham! Gonna grab TTArtisan meter since my attempt to repair my Pentax soldering was failed :')
Glad it was helpful Jim!
Hi Graham, worth looking into, i still use the old sekonic hanging around my neck. Happy New Year!
thanks Tom! I still use my Minolta meter when I want a more precise measurement on a specific spot, but these on camera meters are great for a compact quick setup. If I'm doing studio or anything for sure I am using a handheld.
Very, very good review. Very useful too Thank you. RS. Canada.
thanks Richard! glad it was helpful.
Definitely gonna look into this for my Fed 1 and Bronica. more affordable than keks brand. Thank for the info
glad it was helpful! I haven't seen the keks brand, ill have to look it up. And yes great for those old feds etc
Thanks bro!
Now you can go try out the Sekonic LC-2 from 1958. No battery.
Great option, not quite as easy to read in my opinion but needle accuracy is nice
I've never used a lightmeter, due to only shooting with a Pentax K1000, that has it built in, but I am definitely looking for one as I wanna get more film cameras next year. This video helped a ton. Love your content Graham!
ya if you have a solid body with a reliable meter not a huge need for it but yes definitely helps when you expand the lineup. Thanks Max!
@@graham_white Just bought canon new f-1 with built light meter. Is this enough, right?
An old Gossen LunaPro has never failed. Also an old Director.
Haha, true
Been using this same ttartisan light meter for a few months now and have it permanently attached to my FED 3b. Regarding the small spacer on the battery cover screw, at least from my experience if you don't have it installed along with the screw, the battery cover screw needs to be re-tightened from time to time. I guess the small nudges to the light meter when i pull my camera out and put it back in the bag loosens the screw
haha. I have recently discovered that same thing after a lot of jostling. really wish there was a better solution cause man I have almost lost that thing a dozen times.
@@graham_white great review btw! bought this light meter because of your video. keep putting out quality content!
The small Reveni lightmeter is really accurate, simple to use and the size is really small. If you want another great external meter consider the Reveni spotmeter.
Thanks for the input Erich!
Great video Mr.White. Looking for a light meter for when I get a Fuji GW690iii
Niiiiice, those are fantastic cameras
The TT Artisan is a reflective meter that reads a 45 degree angle. No incident metering, no spot metering, no flash metering. And, because of the set angle of coverage, the percentage of a scene that is metered changes with the focal length of a lens. How accurate could that be while using different lenses or a zoom lens? These shortcomings make these meters unusable to me in the work that I do. The Reveni hotshoe meter suffers from the same deficiencies. While the small (not hotshoe) Reveni spot meter can be used with excellent accuracy it requires metering skills to get the most from it (zone metering). But, still no incident or flash metering. If having your exposure in the ballpark is alright with you, (a very big ballpark) then this might be all that you need. If you are shooting outside, the easy to learn Sunny 16 rule will give you about the same accuracy. But, if you need or want precision in your exposures overall, or if you use flash outside or in a studio, meters like this aren't going to live in your bag for very long.
I need a conclusion! Which one is cheap and works good? Where is the overview?
Perfect timing for this video! I was just looking to get one but didnt really know which one to take...
Hope it helps!
I don't own the KEKS EM-01 (yet), but it does have an optional 3-pack of different sizes of aluminum cold shoe mounts to allow a tight fit on virtually any camera. There are also 3 different mount locations on the base of the meter.
Thanks for sharing! I’ll have to look into it
Helpful revue, a little less hand movement if you dont mind please otherwise grouse.
yes good review , well done dude, it can be quite a dry subject and your presentation was a nice pace, interesting and concise ...
🙏🏻🙏🏻thanks! Glad it wasn’t to dull or drawn out.
I got one ttartisan meter shipped earlier this week, will be pairing it with my QL17(which meter is very suspicious)
Btw, Doomo really seems very close to Ttartisan, but they are different in size, Doomo being smaller.
nice, thanks for sharing! I also noticed doomo has several additional products now as well which is cool.
So the internal meter on my Nikomat is no longer working will this be a great substitute for my camera. Thanks Great Video BTW
Should work fine. There are several options available depending on what you want, this are setup to meter for about a 50mm focal length since the meter has to angle slightly but yeah it worked fine for me
Great video! Subscribed
Thank you!
Just a little discussion, in your opinion, which do you think is more important, ‘subject’ itself inside the photograph or the overall ‘artifact’ inside the frame (whole photograph)…
Or, even including the frame as the total ‘artifact’?
I’m interested in hearing your conception.
hmm. I mean any image needs a subject. The big difference between film and digital is you can't go around shooting wide open at 1.2 and disregard everything but your subject. So when it comes to film the entire "artifact" or image I think is more important. and personally crafting an image with a subject and a cohesive artifact is much more difficult and skilful than just a appealing center framed subject with little need for composition.
@@graham_white Well said. I need study and think about it. Many thx!
Already got the Voigtländer MC Meter for my M4 Leica, to replace my old Leica Meter. The cellenium carbon sensor did not work anymore.
Ya. Very unfortunate with the cellenium cells. My rollei will die eventually I’m sure 😔
Hello Graham! Great video as always! I'm just curious about one thing, do you have any examples of the pictures taken with the TT Artison Meter? It would be nice to see how the exposure is metered in this one in particular. I hope you can get back to me, cheers!
Great video
I have a pentax me which is aperture priority with automatic shutter speed. Which light meter would be suitable for this?
I believe it has a built in meter so you should be fine. If the internal meter is broken I can’t remember if it will work properly. I’f not any meter will really work, just depends in preference.
If wanna go old school, might as well get a Gossen meter using the null method.
haha, very true. this is just a little more convenient since it mounts on camera so its one less moving piece.
I have more cameras than I need, some requiring mercury batteries. The thought of not having to modify and or repair them, AND having to buy ONE battery to meter all of them? twist my arm just a little bit harder.
Agreed, there are several great options for this. It’s a little annoying to have to use an extra accessory but much better than having 10 different battery types etc.
@@graham_white Everything is a compromise of some sort. lr44 batteries are 5 or 6 bucks retail. thanks for the reply
One problem I see with this is doing night time photography which I primarily do. It would be nice to have a digital read out for shutter speed when ss is 2"-30"+ Stuck with my phone and thankfully decent pentax super me in camera meter.
I’m wondering if the digital options might be best for that since they can pack more data into them with out needing it written on top
maybe that spacer you lost is why the wheel is smooth...😂
haha, no the spacer was for securing the battery door, I wish that was the solution.
the only problem, its quite expensive, and my canon 7 doesnt have cold shoe lol, love ur content sir!!
Compared to other brands or handhelds i$65 isn’t bad. Granted not dirt cheap but still worthwhile I think for peace of mind given cost of film. Again depends on how comfortable you are without using one at all.
In terms of gear $65 is super cheap.
How well do these meters handle spot metering? Seems like these would be only good for metering of a whole area.
They are center weighted similar to how any built in camera light meter would be, definitely not a spot meter. the only trick is that the sensor of course has to be angled slightly if that makes sense. so its best with like a 35/50mm and something like a 135 would have very different reading depending on the composition.
@@graham_white Okay, makes sense to me. Seems like an adequate general purpose meter. I had an old shoe mount Sekonic that was always convenient. The selenium cell finally gave up the ghost. This seems novel. If I could only give up my Gossen Luna-Pro! LOL
Nice review!! I have ordered the same meter but still “in shipping” over a month now 😂 Can’t wait to give it a try
Lol not surprised
Which ones better - Voigtlander VC Meter II Better than KEKS EM-01 or Doomo?
Honestly performance wise probably not a noticeable difference. Voigtlander and doomo are both mechanical while the keks is LED display. So really just preference and price
@@graham_white Is this meter better than the meter in camera for Leica M6 TTL and Leica MP?
@@gurugamer8632 personally I think most in camera meters are better simply because they are in camera and setup for that specific camera. I think you are better off with the in camera meter as long as its working properly.
How would I attach any of these meters to a Large Format camera?
You would need some kind of adapter or handle. the RB67 has a handle with a cold shoe and the C330 has a cold shoe on it. it just depends on each cameras accessories and body setup
@@graham_white I have a Crown Graflex large format, so maybe a Velcro sticky would work?
KEKS KM02 best?
I've used the VCII meter for years and love it. I also have the Reveni but haven't actually used it, for some reason. This one looks great. Do you know what the angle of measurement is for this one? I think the various models you discuss have different angles. I think the VCII has a 30-degree measurement, for example. I think the Doomo also has acessories, like a double shoe mount so you can use both the meter and an accessory viewfinder, for example. Great review!
Ya I do like the accessories offered by Doomo and Reveni, but with my setups I don't have a use for those yet so it doesn't make sense for me. of course if I got one I'm sure I could fine a use haha. The TTArtison has a 45 degree not sure about some of the others. Personally if I want to get specific on metering I am going to use my handheld spot meter for those types of shots.
@@graham_white thanks. What spot meter do you recommend?
On the amazon page 50% of the review for the tt artisans says it broke after 3 to 40 mnth is yours still working fine?
really? wow thats bad. Mine still works. The battery life isn't great but it does function. This is a budget option for sure though.
Would it be possible to attach the TT to an RB67?
It is yes. As long as it has a cold show mount which I believe most do
Useless interesting factoid... The first three are simply off-camera versions of the original Nikon FM meter :D
lol I find that very interesting actually. thanks
Dude, ease up on the gesturing too distracting, otherwise this is fine.
If your only criticism is you don’t like my hands… I think I’ll be ok
I'm sure there is a lot of useful info in your video but I could not watch your video to the end as your rapid continuous flicking of your hands threatened to trigger my latent epilepsy. That's something to work on !
TT Artisan is cheap, just because it is a copycat from Chinese company which can make a "good" product without R&D investment.
You sure can talk.
No one asked you to listen
@graham_white Oh, I thought people put videos up with the hope to be seen and listened to. . People move forward with feedback and some have egos that don't allow that. While I'm here I will say apart from excessive waffle, it comes out too fast to hear properly.
No need to thank me for the advice..
Actually TT Artisan is a Chinese company, and the light meter is only $35 in China 🫠
Not surprised. Don’t remember stating where they were from though? If so most of these company’s have a shell in the states though I’m sure.