Sekonic L-508 Zoom Master Light Meters
Sekonic L-508 Zoom Master Light Meters
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[May 05, 2000]
Brian Whittred
Professional
Model Reviewed:
L-508 Light Meter
Strength:
Egronomic,rugged design with many useful features, especailly the cine version which has added features ie shutter angles and ND compensation for cinematography.
Weakness:
Inaccurate readidngs. Incident readigns seldom agree with my other meters which always agree with each other. Spot meter reading from a grey card does not match incident readings under the same light which they should. I find myself not wanting to trust this meter although I have heard of a recall on the early models due to defects. So I have some hope that the problems may be corrected. Right now it is my back up meter. Unless Sekonic has been able to address the reliability issue with regards to the reading accuracy, stay away! Too bad because it is a good design incorporating basic spot and advanced incident all in one. Customer Service I don't know, but I'm about to find out! Similar Products Used: Minolta IVF |
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[Mar 05, 2000]
Geoffrey Wong
Professional
Model Reviewed:
L-508 Light Meter
Strength:
got all the BASIC Function, just the matter of trust.
Weakness:
i dont trust the reading i used the Flashmeter IV for over 10 yrs , going for the sekonic is my wrong move, tho its easy to use , u got every function in ur hand , but the reading is the most important ! Customer Service never try Similar Products Used: Minolta FlashMeter IV , V |
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[Jan 03, 2000]
John Sharpe
Model Reviewed:
L-508 Light Meter
Strength:
Probably THE single most accurate incident light meter I've ever used.
Weakness:
Yes. One biggie. Great, no, REALLY great meter and phenomenal idea. You won't find better: with 1 caveat..... Similar Products Used: Gossen LunaSixF |
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[Mar 06, 2001]
Agnius Griskevicius
Professional
Strength:
All in one wonder
Weakness:
Got "salt water damage" from a simple beach shoot. When the unit works, it's good, but I would not buy another one based on my current experience. Customer Service Quoted $200 for a repair, ridiculous for a product that is supposed to be waterproof. Finally, Mamiya admited that it could be a lemon and is going to replace the unit. So far I have been waiting for 4 weeks, and nothing has been done. Similar Products Used: Seikonics 408 (got stolen) |
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[Mar 17, 2001]
Tim Waters
Professional
Strength:
Very easy to use. Dead on accurate. Love the aperature priority setting.
Weakness:
Just kinda feels like a toy. Not really a gripe though This is a great light meter. Like, I said before, its dead on accurate. A friend of mine uses his for indoor studio shots and the reading is perfect every time. Customer Service never used it Similar Products Used: Various Minolta meters |
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[Mar 19, 2001]
Deon Reynolds Warren, Oregon
Professional
Strength:
Very multi functional, durable, and did I say accurate.
Weakness:
None...maybe it could have a color meter in it too. After minolta did not have parts for my two year old spot meter. I sold all my Minolta meters, and I'm happy I did. Customer Service Never needed. Similar Products Used: Minolta |
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[Aug 20, 2001]
Henry Starver
Intermediate
Strength:
VERY VERSITAL AND MANAGABLE (i HAD IT FIGURED OUT IN A WEEK-i GOT A MANUAL A YEAR LATER) It gives you the option of a quick reading or more caculated readings while in the field.
Weakness:
People like to steal it. I was very satisfied with the ambient meter. everything seemed dead on, but I would like to test the flash meter again, based on other reviews . Customer Service n.a. Similar Products Used: Gossen luna-pro |
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[Nov 15, 1999]
Jonathan Kolstad
Professional
Model Reviewed:
L-508 Light Meter
Strength:
Easy to use and the multiple functions are laid out in an intuitive fashion. All-weather protection a plus.
Weakness:
I returned this meter recently because it could not give accurate flash readings when there was ANY competing ambient light. Major flaw in my book. The manual hints at this by saying that the flash readings may be thrown off if there is a strong ambient light source nearby. I shoot weddings, and to be outdoors and trying to balance fill flash is impossible without accurate readings regardless of ambient light. When I used the meter in flash mode and took a reading, I got one result. If I turned the dial to change shutter speeds, the f-stop reading also changed. Since shutter speed has NO effect on aperture settings when flash is concerned, this made no sense. When I returned the meter I was told that this unit was not defective; this is a flaw in the meter's overall design. Ouch. Even my analog, fifteen-year-old Gossen Luna Pro F gives more consistent readings than this "new," all-purpose meter. Steer clear of this unit if you need to rely on fill-flash metering or flash metering in all but a controlled environment. The meter was accurate otherwise and had many features I liked. I returned this meter for a Minolta Flash Meter V. It does not have the spot metering function, but its flash metering accuracy is exceptional. Customer Service N/A Similar Products Used: Minolta Flash Meter V |
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[Aug 10, 1999]
Russell McGuire
Intermediate
Model Reviewed:
L-508 Light Meter
Strength:
Very easy to use. Facility to change aperture/speed provides useful "food for thought" when considering options
Weakness:
None Has forced me to think more about lighting/exposure issues. I feel i am gaining a better understanding of light and should result in better pictures. Customer Service Not required. purchased mail order at good price. Similar Products Used: Lower tech versions |
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[Aug 01, 1999]
Charles
Expert
Model Reviewed:
L-508 Light Meter
Strength:
Outstanding performance, ease of use and accuracy.
Weakness:
None. Not cheap but makes an outstanding main flash meter. Top notch performance for around $400. Customer Service N/A Similar Products Used: All of them. |