Flash meters for portraits: Sekonic, Polaris, Gossen or....?

I have looked at the specs of the Sekonic 478 and 358. I'm now wondering if cheaper alternatives exist, hence the question about Gossen or Polaris. What specific features are essential for for portraits with up to 3 strobes and/or ambient? What do you gain/lose between different brands? Are there other brands to look at? I'd much appreciate any comments based on experience.

Don't forget Minolta. I've been using my old Minolta flash meter III for decades. It's fine for a quick ambient or reflected reading, but I still like to click off a frame and chimp the image to verify a image's appearance.

I have a Polaris (it's a '2', but that just adds a screen backlight). It's a good basic reflective or incident flash/ambient meter which is accurate.

It measures to 1/10 th of a stop - it uses 1/10th bars showing more light over an aperture setting - which is fine.

No bells/whistles at all - just the essentials done moderately well for the money. Have you downloaded the instruction manual?

Cheers

ScratchDisk said:

IHave you downloaded the instruction manual?

Cheers

Click to expand...

Not yet - good idea.

Paul,

It is really what you are looking for in features. Are you looking for just a basic meter or one that has the bells and whistles such as accepting a remote chip? Do you want accessories like spot attachments or cine functions?

Polaris has been around for more than 10 years and is a fine working basic meter and both Sekonic and Gossen make very basic meters as well. The sekonic L308 is their very basic meter.

Both are in the $200 to $225 price range.

You can pick up a used Sekonic L358 for roughly the same price that does have a bit more functionality and does take the pocket wizard transmitter chip.

It looks like you can pick up a used Minolta Autometer IVF for about $135 to $150 and that was a popular basic meter as well. I would stay away from Flashmeter III's as fucntional as they are though. The batteries are quite expensive and it goes through them quite easily and they are approaching 20 years old.

LocalHero1953 said:

I have looked at the specs of the Sekonic 478 and 358. I'm now wondering if cheaper alternatives exist, hence the question about Gossen or Polaris. What specific features are essential for for portraits with up to 3 strobes and/or ambient? What do you gain/lose between different brands? Are there other brands to look at? I'd much appreciate any comments based on experience.

Click to expand...

Sekonic and Gossen are well reputed firms for light meters. Personally I am using a Minolta IV, which performs fine. It does however vary what you want in a flash meter, so decide what is important to you. I have seen a Sekonic meter being able to adjust the flash lights remotely (but that have been a special modification, but at least it is possible).

Matt L - Blink Photographic said:

Paul,

It is really what you are looking for in features. Are you looking for just a basic meter or one that has the bells and whistles such as accepting a remote chip? Do you want accessories like spot attachments or cine functions?

Matt LaPointe
Blink Photographic

Click to expand...

I do use Pocketwizards, but triggering them from the meter is not a priority. I would like spot meter functionality. I shoot manual, not TTL, and my lights are not remotely controllable other than triggering. I would not need cine. I'm not sure what other functions are useful or just nice-to-have.

ScratchDisk said:

I have a Polaris (it's a '2', but that just adds a screen backlight). It's a good basic reflective or incident flash/ambient meter which is accurate.

It measures to 1/10 th of a stop - it uses 1/10th bars showing more light over an aperture setting - which is fine.

No bells/whistles at all - just the essentials done moderately well for the money. Have you downloaded the instruction manual?

Cheers

Click to expand...

I have a Polaris (it's a '2', but that just adds a screen backlight).

I`m still using the original, its changed very little in twenty years, as you say they have just added a light to V2.

Either of the entry level Polaris or Seconics will be good.

Paul,

You aren't going to be able to get a spot metering accessory for the Polaris or entry level Gossen and Sekonics.

A used Sekonic L-358 might be your best bet and then find a used 5 degree spot attachment and maybe the triggering chip for pocket wizard and you would be good to go.

Minolta and Gossen also made 5 degree spot accessories for a number of their meters but none offered the triggering.

I loved my L-358 and it was my favorite meter that I have ever used.

I have a Sekonic L-358 and am very happy with it.

The L-358 has three features the L-308 doesn't have. (1) You can adjust the calibration compensation of the meter to match that of your camera. (2) The L-308 only reads in shutter priority for flash or ambient while the L-358 reads in shutter priority for flash but can read ambient light in either shutter or aperture priority. (3) You can add a Pocket Wizard RF module to trigger off-camera hot-shoe flash or strobes.

The L-478 can read ambient in shutter or aperture priority. It also increases the calibration capabilities of the L-358 allowing you to shoot images of a target and use those images to calculate the meter calibration then load that calibration into the meter via an USB connection. You can also remotely control the power of some hot-shoe and studio strobes using certain Pocket Wizard triggers.

The spot meter on the L-358 and L-478 is a 5º spot meter. Check your camera metering - you can probably do spot metering with a similar or smaller spot.

--
Living and loving it in Pattaya, Thailand. Canon 7D - See the gear list for the rest.

Thanks, guys. It sounds like a s/h Sekonic 358 is the way to go for me.