I'm jumping into 4x5 this summer and the first thing I want is a meter. I can afford the soligor digital spot, but would be willing to spend extra for the sekonicL-408 for it's ambient and flash functions. The down side would be it's 5 deg spot rather than soligors 1 deg. Any comments on the necessity for B&W landscapes would be appreciated. Thanks Ryan

-- Ryan Olson (ryno@bitstream.net), May 07, 1999

Answers

Ryan, How about waiting just a little bit longer and buy a Seconic L-508. Incident reading(flat and round dome) , zoom spot(10 to 50 with separate reading cell), double sensitivity, flash and continuous. I have one and I've never had a better meter, only small thing the spot lacks reading in the viewer, but at this price, one can forgive a little nuisance. Regards

-- andrea milano (milandro@multiweb.nl), May 07, 1999.

I could not agree more with Andrea, for the price, the Sekonic 508 is the most versatile "one meter does it all" in the market. Also,I find it very accurate. I highly recommend it for LF newcomers, it has the ability to build in compensating factors for filters, bellows compensation, etc. Although a spot meter is necessary for large format landscape work since you are not always in the same light as your scene, I find it quite often that the incident reading can be used. This eliminates another unknown variable in LF spot readings, adjusting for the 18% reflectivity, it sometimes can trick even experienced phtotograpers. If you can only be off +/- .5 stop with slide film, you must get good, or spend a lot of $ bracketing! Other than the inability to view your readings through the view finder, there is not much this meter is not capable of doing. Excellent back lit display, very easy to read large numbers, displayed in 1/10 stops, full flash readings, corded and non corded, two ISO settings, etc. I would wait and get the Sekonic or try to find one used.

-- Bill Glickman (Bglick@pclv.com), May 10, 1999.