Sekonic L-188 Auto Leader Light Meter Reviews

Rating
Reviewed by:

Fielder
( Intermediate)

Review Date
September 3, 2009

Overall Rating
4 of 5

Value Rating
5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Review 1 of 8

Price Paid: $50.00 from Mail order from phot

Summary:

In 20 years of using the L188, never got a bad reading! Of course I usually know what the meter is going to say before consulting it, but when the guess is wrong then I go by the meter meter reading, it is trustworthy. Takes a G13 type battery. Specifically the Energizer EPX76 (silver oxide chemistry) was always my choice. A better lanyard and case than the Sekonic supplied accessories are advisable.

Strengths:

Ease of use.
The scales marked out all the way to extreme values.
Will do Cine f.p.s. speeds.
(See an online manual on the web).
Battery cover stays put if it is screwed all the way, it will not fall off.
Rugged and lightweight.

Weaknesses:

No deluxe features:
1)It won't work on incidence, only reflected light.
2)No auxiliary swing out panel for very low light situations.

Similar Products Used:

None! This gets the job done.

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Rating
Reviewed by:

deframj
( Intermediate)

Review Date
December 31, 2008

Overall Rating
5 of 5

Value Rating
5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
2.50 of 5,
2 votes

Review 2 of 8

Price Paid: $0.00

Summary:

Someone was kind enough to give me this meter because it did not work. I cleaned up the corrosion in the battery compartment and it was as good as new. I use it as a general purpose meter when taking pictures with some of my classic cameras which either do not have meters or the meters in them are untrustworthy or simply do not work. My only problem with it is that I lost the battery cover and I can't replace it. I just bought another one of these on eBay for$29 as a backup.

Strengths:

Very small, flat and light weight. Can easily and comfortably fit into a shirt pocket. Simple and direct to use for general purpose, non professional photography.

Weaknesses:

Battery cover is easy to lose and impossible to replace.

Similar Products Used:

Sekonic Auto Lumi 86 (older selenium meter, a little smaller but thicker and heavier)

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Rating
Reviewed by: Hasegawa Takeshi
(Beginner)

Review Date
January 9, 2003

Overall Rating
5 of 5

Value Rating
5 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5,
1 votes

Review 3 of 8

Price Paid: $85.00 from Mutsumido, Kyoto

Summary:

I have bought it to yield an optimum value for the focus of my 8mm camera. It is very handy, and quite useful for the movie camera.

Strengths:

Compact and easy to use.

Weaknesses:

none

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Rating
Reviewed by: Laura
(Intermediate)

Review Date
July 13, 2002

Overall Rating
3 of 5

Value Rating
5 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Review 4 of 8

Price Paid: $25.00 from ebay

Summary:

For the money, this is a great little meter. I bought it to use with a large format camera and have not had any problems with exposure. Of course, it is not always 100% accurate, but the variance was nothing that couldn't be compensated for in the darkroom. It is extremely lightweight any easy to use, but sometimes I found myself carrying my 35mm camera with a built in meter just to double check the exposure. If you need a meter but don't want to bust the bank, this is a good deal.

Strengths:

size, weight, ease of use, battery life

Weaknesses:

accuracy not always 100%

Customer Service:

never used

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Rating
Reviewed by: Kelly Flanigan
(Professional)

Review Date
June 30, 2002

Overall Rating
5 of 5

Value Rating
5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5,
1 votes

Review 5 of 8

Price Paid: $55.00 from Orange county camera

Summary:

I bought this meter because it meters down to 1/15 @f1.4 with ASA 400 film; is of low cost; and will fit in ones pants pocket........(unlike my main full bore meter; the Gossen luna Pro)...... It only weighs 51 grams...My meter reads with 1/2 stop of my 25 year old Luna Pro; so I am happy......

Strengths:

Battery check still is ok after using the meter since 1996; which is 6 years ago.....I use this meter alot...

Weaknesses:

None; this meter is not a spot meter; its angle of acceptance is about 75 degrees....

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