If you’re still struggling with Sunny 16 when using your old M3, M2 or M4, then an inexpensive bit of salvation is at hand. TT Artisans, well known for budget M lenses, has introduced a lightmeter than looks like a sure-fire winner at under 50 quid.
In fact, it’s so attractive a proposition that the meter is temporarily sold out.
TT Artisans’ Light Meter comes in silver or black and appears to be slightly more compact than the popular Voigtländer device.
From the published images, the design allows a sufficient gap between meter and camera to avoid scratching the top plate.
Neither the TT Artisans Light Meter nor the Voigtländer VC II offer the direct linkage to the camera that was a major feature of the venerable Leica M, MC, MR coupled meters. They are readily available on the used market but there’s no guarantee on accuracy with such old instruments.
For an excellent overview of Leica light meters, which were made for Leica by Megawatt AG of Nuremberg, see this article by Ken Rockwell
The price of $62, plus shipping, is modest, especially when compared with the Voigtländer VC Meter II which costs £206 (plus tax) in the UK and $225 in the USA. Here’s a review of the VC Meter II. One small point if you are ordering the Light Meter is that the battery is not included, so you’ll need a CR2032 button cell in hand.
You can order the TT Artisans Light Meter here
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“..£206 (plus tax) in the UK and $225 in the USA..”..!? I don’t remember my Voigt VC Meter II costing anything near that. I think I bought one online from Stephen Gandy in the $tate$ (..or maybe somewhere else..) for half that price, or less ..and then – because I thought I’d lost it, as it’s so small – I bought another (used, I think) at Map Camera in Japan ..again, at far less than those prices ..at more like the £50 TT price.
Lovely little meters – spot-on readings! ..But then, of course, a second-hand (..what was the name of the man who took photos of peppers? ..Ah, Weston; of course!..) a second-hand Weston with Invercone lets you take ‘incident’ light readings ..that’s to say, readings of the light that’s falling on whatever you’re shooting, and not just reflected off it.. giving a more accurate overall ambience.
But then, no-one really needs that with a digital camera ..these are really just for pre-M5 / CL Leicas, and for the M4-2 and M4-P models, as the M6 onwards have (like the old M5 & CL) their own built-in light meter.
[P.S: Although William says he doesn’t wear a hat, perhaps his socks’ll blow off when I say that I painted out that awful shouty red dot on my M4-P (..as shown in your pic at the top of the page!)]
Those prices were RRP as far as I remember. I’m sure you can buy them cheaper.