Sekonic L-208 Twin Mate - Analog Incident and Reflected Light Meter

Comments about Sekonic L-208 Twin Mate Meter:

I shoot digital, but find this meter just the ticket for shooting flying birds. I simply take an incident reading, put the camera on manual exposure and fire away. Perfect exposures without worrying about the background the birds fly in front of. Unfortunately it does not do well in low light such as heavy overcast. Also it reads out in half stops, so you have to guesstimate thirds; but that has never been a problem. I have had this for a couple of years and had no problem with durability. I only take two stars off because of the low light problem.

Comments about Sekonic L-208 Twin Mate Meter:

It is very easy to use and nicely designed as far as the handling is concerned. However, I am taking off one star for the build quality and robustness; the device is looking nice but it seems to be rather fragile, especially the flash sliding mount. All is plastic and it is rather the thin kind of plastic.

Comments about Sekonic L-208 Twin Mate Meter:

I use this light meter for my Polaroid 110B conversion. It works great.
No problems at all. I can get quick readings because the numbers are large and easy to read. I like the battery test Indicator, you can tell if you need a new battery at an instant.

Comments about Sekonic L-208 Twin Mate Meter:

I use this for quickly metering for my Pentax KX (broken electronics), Yashica Mat 124 (better than its built in meter), Holga, and various other film cameras.

I was debating between this and a used L398, and, although the 398 is terrific and has been a standard for decades, it wouldn't have been as useful as this tiny 208 is to me. The reason for this is that it is so tiny it slips into my jean pockets and I take it with me everywhere. If I didn't have a light meter with me I would be scared to shoot since I am new to film and with 120 film you can't afford to waste frames! The size and ease of use make this a 5 star product, hands down. I wouldn't be getting half as much use out of a 398 because its too builky to carry around casually.

With a student discount this comes out to under a hundred. Excellent deal!!

Its accurate and has all the features you will use daily on a light meter, don't bother with digital unless you want low-light readings, the dial is too good to give up.

Comments about Sekonic L-208 Twin Mate Meter:

I use this meter as a replacement for the meter on my old Minolta SRT MC II manual camera. I am currently a photography student who is still learning how to use a camera and I must say this meter has done wonders for me. It provides f-stops and shutter speed when pointed at the subject. I like the fact that I can have the camera on a tripod and not move the camera just to get a reading. The light meter appears to be weak, but do not let the appearance fool you. I banged it a few times and it is sturdy.

Comments about Sekonic L-208 Twin Mate Meter:

This is a compact easy to use light meter. I use it primarily for landscapes with a tlr. Highly recommended.

Comments about Sekonic L-208 Twin Mate Meter:

I shoot digital but also classic cameras. No meters on the old ones. I have just purchased my second L-208. Now I have one to mount on a camera and one to use hand held. They are accurate and rugged plus the price is right. Analog lives!

Comments about Sekonic L-208 Twin Mate Meter:

I've been using this for a couple of weeks now and I have had nothing but good experiences with it. It is compact, light weight, accurate, and very easy to use. I haven't dropped it, but it comes with a long lanyard, so I probably won't be dropping it. It fits very well in the hand and in the pocket, and doesn't cost a fortune. It has everything I need for available light metering including a battery test function and nothing extra to confuse or irritate. The display is clear and straightforward. I highly recommend it.

Comments about Sekonic L-208 Twin Mate Meter:

Great meter to use with an old film camera that doesn't have one. If you need a small analog light meter this is a good option. love mine.

Comments about Sekonic L-208 Twin Mate Meter:

I use it for my manual SLR. It works well. Very compact (much smaller than the old analog lightmeter that I have). For the battery case problem, it does fall off very frequently, which is annoying, but I fix it by just a tape, so it is not a problem anymore.

Comments about Sekonic L-208 Twin Mate Meter:

i use the meter with a camera that does not have a working meter. it gets the job done. hand held meters are fun to use. i just do not know how long this 1.5 ounce meter will hold up. it is designed well, and responds to light fast though.

Comments about Sekonic L-208 Twin Mate Meter:

This light meter is, in my opinion, one of the best light meters still manufactured. It is amazingly simple, and increadably accurate!!! I depend on this meter to give the proper exposure that I need at the most critical times and it does so with ease and accuracy. I HIGHLY reccomend this meter. It is also extremely easy to use! Also, believe it or not, this meter has held up to being dropeed a few times and is still in top shape...Even though it is plastic, it was built well!

Comments about Sekonic L-208 Twin Mate Meter:

Small, light, and easy to use. Gives accurate exposures both for incident and reflected light.
The only potential problem I see is that it is so light, I wonder about long-term ruggedness. But so far-- so good.

Comments about Sekonic L-208 Twin Mate Meter:

It does everything it says, and well. I haven't had to change the battery until recently, which has been a good 3 years of use. Not heavy use, but used often more than not.

I've never had any problems with this meter. I haven't had the opportunity to use any other meters for more than an hour, so I can't really compare, but for a totally bare bones meter you can't go wrong.

It's very compact, fits in my pocket easily which is a big plus, I personally don't like it sitting in the hot shoe. It's a little flimsy, but not overly so. It hasn't broken on my yet, but it's all lightweight plastic.

Reads fast.

Comments about Sekonic L-208 Twin Mate Meter:

This meter was recommended to me by a friendly salesperson at my local camera store. I had purchases a Bronica with a non-metered prism, and I missed the convenience of having TTL metering like on my Canon digital. What really sold me was the included hot shoe mount; the little meter just sits there in the hot shoe on my speed grip, ready to take a reliable reading (having it in the hot shoe also orients the meter in the same direction as the lens). I quickly learned the routine: point, press the meter's 'read' button, turn the dial, pick an aperture/speed combination, set the camera and shoot. Sounds like a long process, but it all makes sense and is accomplished quickly after only a few tries. A+ Sekonic!

Comments about Sekonic L-208 Twin Mate Meter:

I bought this meter to use with 120 non metered cameras. It gave reliable readings and was easy to use. However one short drop to the ground from 15 inches and it was toast. I shoot mostly landscape photos so a meter that won't hold up to being out of the studio is not going to work for me. Too bad because the price is certainly right for what you get, but not if you have to constantly replace it.

Comments about Sekonic L-208 Twin Mate Meter:

I absolutly LOVE this meter. It has helped me understand light much better. Manual Exposure rules! I HIGHLY reccomend this meter

Comments about Sekonic L-208 Twin Mate Meter:

At this price range the L-208 is King. Compact and light, it fits any pocket or purse and is ready for use. I found the measurement to be accurate to within 1/2 a stop and ideal for situations where you might use a camera body that does not give facility for electronic metering for non-cpu lenses. In the box is a hot shoe mount handy if you wish you fit this meter to your camera and a neck strap is also included.

Unbeatable price, terrific value

Comments about Sekonic L-208 Twin Mate Meter:

I am a beginner with photography and this item has helped me so much as far as manually metering and getting the correct readings so that my film exposures comes out exactly as I intended it to.

Comments about Sekonic L-208 Twin Mate Meter:

Works fine in daylight or in a studio setting. However, one short drop is all it takes to render it more or less unsable.