Was away a few days and missed the question on the most versatile meters. The most 'versatile' meter by far is the Gossen Mastersix. It is digital and does: ambient, flash, flash/ambient, multiple pops of flash. With attachments it does spot, will read off the plane of a large format camera, will read exposure on the base board of an enlarger, and will also read negative densities, as well as color temperature. Also has a built in stop watch and timer. Only problem is the price - I think close to $1000 US now. It literally has everthing but the proverbial kitchen sink.

-- Bob Todrick (bobtodrick@yahoo.com), May 04, 2002

Answers

yeah -- everything but a true, well-baffled 1 degree spot meter, the only meter you really ever need. (o.k. unless you do flash.)

-- roger michel (michel@tcn.org), May 04, 2002.

Sekonic L-508 zoom master or the new one L-608.....1-5 degree spot meter digital and the cine version will read out in lux and footcandles

-- Jason Eitelbach (JEitelbach@aol.com), May 04, 2002.

These answers are both right, IMHO. You need that spot. Thus, I believe the most versatile Do-It-All meter out there is the Sekonic 608. Ambient, flash, mulit-pop flash, so-called flat-field ambient (for flat art) and 1-5 degree zoom spot which is well baffled and accurate. It will measure in EV, time, or f-stops, and can set to 1/2 stops on time (so it goes from 1/8 to 1/10th to 1/15th, etc.) It won't do the darkroom tricks of the Gossen, but it'll make every sort of light measurement you could want for exposing film (with the exeption of the dubiously useful old-style area reflective metering).

It also comes with a slot for installing a chip to fire stobes remotely without wires. Retails for in the neighborhood of $800, I believe. Kitchen sink sold seperately.

-- drew (swordfisher@hotmail.com), May 04, 2002.

Hello Bob.That Mastersix looks mighty versatile,I don't need the kitchen sink but I still swear by my Minolta flashmeter 1V.

-- Sheridan Zantis (albada60@hotmail.com), May 04, 2002.

Have any of you guys tested any of the newer incident/reflected/spot/kitchensink meters for flare?

-- John Hicks (jhicks31@bellsouth.net), May 04, 2002.