Sekonic L-398A Studio Deluxe III Meter

Comments about Sekonic L-398A Studio Deluxe III Meter:

A no-nonsense meter, dependable.

Comments about Sekonic L-398A Studio Deluxe III Meter:

Mine still works, after 35 years. Learn to use it with all kinds of light (except flash, of course) -- high scale, low scale, slice in, slide out, reflective, incident. Remember to "Zero Out" the meter every few months. Use it on different areas of your set. One upon a time, meters could fail inside cameras. I'm sure they still do.

Comments about Sekonic L-398A Studio Deluxe III Meter:

I use it to shoot 16mm Film on a Bolex rex5

I like it because it's simple

I think that overall it's really nice

Comments about Sekonic L-398A Studio Deluxe III Meter:

Any photographer worth their salt knows that an in-camera reflected meter can be fooled. For that one reason alone, a good handheld incident meter can be invaluable. This is the meter that sets the standard. I purchased this meter to replace a very old L-28C2 that was recently stolen. I couldn't be happier. This latest version is so dead on accurate it's not funny, and absolutely consistent. It is, of course, not battery dependent, which in my book in just one more plus to be added to a long list of other pluses. I love it. Back in my LD days, I used the old meter to set light levels for professional video productions. It's good to know such great tool is still available.

Comments about Sekonic L-398A Studio Deluxe III Meter:

Look, forget those fancy digital meters. Why waste money when you can get one that just works?

Comments about Sekonic L-398A Studio Deluxe III Meter:

This meter has performed perfectly. There are no issues using this meter outside ... just remember to look at the instructions ... there are PROPER was to use this in bright sun. Over the years I have used it in all situations. Meters in cameras are amazing now but they still are not perfect. Between this and my 1937 Weston, and my 30 yr old 18% grey card I have all the bases covered.

Comments about Sekonic L-398A Studio Deluxe III Meter:

Meter works great. Accurate and no need to charge or use batteries.

Comments about Sekonic L-398A Studio Deluxe III Meter:

The unit looks and feels classic. However, one would need to calibrate the meter in order for it to work properly, definitely not for beginners. After trying out mine for a few days along with a digital camera, I finally figured the meter was always - 2/3 stop underexposure in most lighting situations, so I had to calibrate it to +2/3 overexposure to compensate the difference. This also made my needle to jump pass the zero marking when I cover the luminsphere with my hand. Also, you might need to take several readings or compare notes with a 15% gray card just to be sure if you are shooting film. Personally, I think the 15% gray card is more reliable and it doesn't cost as much.

Comments about Sekonic L-398A Studio Deluxe III Meter:

I'm new to using a light meter, but am somewhat disappointed with it performance. I do not know why so many people rated this product with such high remarks. You can get better results with a 15% gray card and save yourself [$]. It works fine often in shaded areas (usually off by -2/3 to 1 stop). Never use it in direct sunlight or indoor at night, can be off by - 2 full stops.

Comments about Sekonic L-398A Studio Deluxe III Meter:

Accurate and reliable incident meter, requiring no batteries.

Not suitable for flash, color or very low light metering.

Comments about Sekonic L-398A Studio Deluxe III Meter:

it just looks much cooler than the digital ones.

Comments about Sekonic L-398A Studio Deluxe III Meter:

This is a beautiful product. Takes a second to get used to, but then easy and simple.

Comments about Sekonic L-398A Studio Deluxe III Meter:

I got it for my Film Production 2 course. I've never used a light meter before this and it works great and is easy to learn.

Comments about Sekonic L-398A Studio Deluxe III Meter:

I use this meter to light studios for Live and Live-on-Tape productions; measuring light in foot candles. Lighting experience at a TV station runs the entire gamut. What I like best about this meter is it's simple to use. Plus, this it does what I need at a very reasonable price.

Comments about Sekonic L-398A Studio Deluxe III Meter:

This is a simple, accurate meter, and it's one of the more economical out there. It's also fairly easy to service slight damages (e.g. replacing the lumisphere or light sensor). Would definitely recommend to others.

Comments about Sekonic L-398A Studio Deluxe III Meter:

Great analog meter for reliablilty and accuracy. Easy to use.

Comments about Sekonic L-398A Studio Deluxe III Meter:

I'm a cinema and photography college student and I needed this particular light meter for a production class. My professor suggested this particular one because of it's accuracy and reliability but I was skeptical because I relied so heavily on my digital one. I was wrong. This is by far a better product (cheaper too).

Comments about Sekonic L-398A Studio Deluxe III Meter:

I use it in my Studio for Portraits.I have Soft Box Lighting,and One Hard Light,so it's okay if it doesn't read flashes,Outdoor Portraits,Weddings,Outdoor portraits.No batteries needed,accurate,easy to use,reads ambient and incident lighting perfectly.A great meter at a great price.

Comments about Sekonic L-398A Studio Deluxe III Meter:

Accurate readings for both incident and reflected light. Chip included for very high light situations. Slower to use than the electronic version but also much cheaper and requires no batteries. It meets my needs.

Comments about Sekonic L-398A Studio Deluxe III Meter:

This is a very good meter, well made and reliable. It is accurate and best of all, does not need batteries. If you like manual cameras, you'll love this meter. Once you have set the dial to match the light reading, Exposure Value (EV) is given and a range of shutter and aperture settings are shown.

However, it is not as convenient as modern digital meters. There are two attachments for incident readings and one for reflective. There is also a high slide for brighter conditions such as outdoors. The readout is not digital, so there is a little wiggle-room.

Bottom line is it is a very good meter other than the need for changing attachments or slides. It is reasonably priced and makes a good back-up as well as a primary meter. Don't be afraid to use it while learning photography either.