Gossen Pilot II or similar meters

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I am considering getting an incident light meter, primarily for use in shooting 35mm slides in difficult situations outdoors (backlighting, bright wall backgrounds, etc.) I don't need a flash meter. My question(s): is something like the Gossen Pilot II likely to be as accurate (within 1/3 stop) as a fancier digital meter? If a particular sample is not as accurate, is it still likely to be as consistent? Are they fragile things, so that I should be particularly careful buying a used one?

-- Hector Javkin (h.javkin@ieee.org), January 26, 1999

Answers

Hector, I'd guess you'd be quite pleased with the Gossen Pilot II. I bought a Gossen Pilot back in 1964, used it extensively in the 60's with a Rollei TLR, and was always satisfied with its performance. I still have it and it's still going strong. It's light, handy, compact (very pocketable), simple to use, not expensive, and is certainly not fragile. I wouldn't be afraid to buy a used one if you can check it against another meter whose performance is a known quantity. Many photographers actually prefer the readouts of earlier Gossen (and other) analog meters to those of digital meters, finding them more "intuitive" and user-friendly.

-- Dave Kemp (Kempda@worldnet.att.net), January 26, 1999.

Before you invest in an incident meter, you might try using an 18% grey card (less than 10 bucks at your local camera store). Then test drive the Sekonic L-508. It has both a narrow spot-meter and incident/flash meter. I have found that for difficult light situations outdoors, the spot meter is much more helpful than an incident meter. Most of my incident light metering needs can be met with a grey card. Whatever you do, try out the various options before deciding; everyone's needs are different and only you will know what will work best for you. Good luck!

-- Bruce (brideout@sunstroke.sdsu.edu), January 26, 1999.

The Sekonic L-508 is a dandy meter (I have one too), wonderfully versatile, but it's also rather complex and costs $430 (B&H). The Gossen Pilot II is small, simple, and costs $83 (B&H).

-- Dave Kemp (Kempda@worldnet.att.net), January 27, 1999.

Thank you for the answers. I've considered going back to an 18 % gray card, but a handheld meter is more convenient, and I was intrigued by some of the same things that Dave mentions: the Gossen Pilot's small size and low cost. It is very helpful to learn of its performance and toughness. I will think about an L-508, and would definitely rent or borrow before buying one. Thanks again!

-- Hector Javkin (h.javkin@ieee.org), January 27, 1999.

If you're certain you only want/need an incident meter, the 508 has features (and expense) you don't need. Look at the L-418 or others in the line. They're less expensive than the 508 but faster-responding incident meters than the Gossen. I use both. Ask about battery availability before you buy an older meter. Most Sekonics call for AAs, which is handy. And don't screw up exposures by letting your body shade the incident dome. : ) It happens.

-- Josef Brugger (jbrugger@teleport.com), December 23, 1999.


The Gossen Pilot II goes for almost $100 (including tax) at B&H. I have one, and the principal shortcoming is its lack of a low light capability, and its pretty limited incident light metering range (basically outdoors). It is very compact though.

For about $ 30 more, you can get a Calculite XP, which is *much* more sensitive (about 10 EV more of low light measuring capability), quicker, and relatively small for a modern silicon cell, battery powered meter (the smallest of the 'modern' meters).

Check it out at http://www.bhphotovideo.com/

-- Mani Sitaraman (bindumani@pacific.net.sg), December 27, 1999.


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