Minolta Flash Meter IV Lightmeter
May 21, 2017 19:25:25 #
Any opinions on the Minolta Flash Meter IV Lightmeter. I have a possibility of picking one up in the next few days are they easy to use?
May 21, 2017 19:38:37 #
The flash meter is the better one as compared to the autometer IV F although the autometer also measure flash. In my opinion Minolta meters are easy to use.
May 21, 2017 19:42:04 #
BebuLamar wrote:
The flash meter is the better one as compared to the autometer IV F although the autometer also measure flash. In my opinion Minolta meters are easy to use.
Sounds good I have the chance to pick one up for around $90. They seem to be well regarded but better to hear from someone who's actually used one i thought :) thank you
May 21, 2017 20:35:06 #
blackest wrote:
Any opinions on the Minolta Flash Meter IV Lightmeter. I have a possibility of picking one up in the next few days are they easy to use?
I had one in my professional film days.
go for it. Very accurate and reliable
May 21, 2017 22:00:42 #
PixelStan77 wrote:
I had one in my professional film days.
go for it. Very accurate and reliable
go for it. Very accurate and reliable
I'm still in my film days :) I use 35mm Pentax Film Camera's and lenses as well as Pentax DSLR's. While with the DSLR I can chimp take a photo using flash and look at the histogram and adjust the flash levels with film I need to be right each time. which means i need to be able to meter first.
Something I haven't done yet to be honest even before I had a DSLR i was working with the table on the back of the flashgun and hoping to get it right. With flashes like that you pretty much tried to avoid using flash :)
For me 35mm film gives me a lot of the advantage of full frame dslr but without spending $2000, a film and processing costs me around $5 :)
May 22, 2017 01:23:17 #
blackest wrote:
Any opinions on the Minolta Flash Meter IV Lightmeter. I have a possibility of picking one up in the next few days are they easy to use?
Sorry I'm so late in answering; I spent some time on line refreshing my memory. I gave up my Minolta because it would not measure aperture, only shutter (I bought a Sekonic, but can't remember the model). The Minolta is a good meter, and, at that price, a good buy. The only caveat is that it can tend to drift over the years and should be checked against another meter about once a year; I have heard that it can be recalibrated by the user. But, at that price, who cares. Go for it!
May 22, 2017 07:39:22 #
questor84
Loc: Cadillac, Michigan
I bought one off eBay last year and it is very easy to use. There are manuals available from Butkus. Both an owners manual and a demo manual with lots of instructions. If it needs calibration Quality Light Metric in LA can cal or repair reasonably. Check out Don Giannati for a free video on Udemy. He uses one exclusively
May 22, 2017 08:03:36 #
I have had both the Minolta III and IV for years. I think the IV cost me over $500 when it was new. In the battery compartment is an adjustment screw to calibrate the meter. It takes two batteries, one is a standard AA battery, the other is a specialty battery that can be hard to find if you do not live close to a major centre. Although I would imagine that they would be readily available on Amazon. I just never buy anything from there.
May 22, 2017 08:34:22 #
If it's the same one I have, which i just found after a move, the only thing about it that is difficult is finding a place that carries the battery it uses.
May 22, 2017 09:04:24 #
blackest wrote:
Sounds good I have the chance to pick one up for around $90. They seem to be well regarded but better to hear from someone who's actually used one i thought :) thank you
If it is in working order, that's a steal.
May 22, 2017 09:37:17 #
Minolta exposure meters are excellent. Keep in mind that they were designed to be used with film, not digital cameras.
I own The Autometer IV F which I seldom use. I find that it is not that accurate with digital flash and for ambient light it also falls short.
Are they still useful? Yes, if you watch the histogram after taking a picture.
I own The Autometer IV F which I seldom use. I find that it is not that accurate with digital flash and for ambient light it also falls short.
Are they still useful? Yes, if you watch the histogram after taking a picture.
May 22, 2017 09:43:35 #
BHC wrote:
I gave up my Minolta because it would not measure aperture, only shutter.
I don't understand the above quoted comment. My Minolta Flash Meter IV allows me to set the F number and then displays the correct SS or it allows me to set SS and displays the correct F number.
May 22, 2017 09:48:01 #
camerapapi wrote:
Minolta exposure meters are excellent. Keep in mind that they were designed to be used with film, not digital cameras.
I own The Autometer IV F which I seldom use. I find that it is not that accurate with digital flash and for ambient light it also falls short.
Are they still useful? Yes, if you watch the histogram after taking a picture.
I own The Autometer IV F which I seldom use. I find that it is not that accurate with digital flash and for ambient light it also falls short.
Are they still useful? Yes, if you watch the histogram after taking a picture.
Any exposure meter will work the same with either film or digital. If the meter is accurate, it will display the correct exposure, period. I would be interested in seeing your explanation for why you believe it is not good for digital.
May 22, 2017 09:54:06 #
Rab-Eye wrote:
If it's the same one I have, which i just found after a move, the only thing about it that is difficult is finding a place that carries the battery it uses.
My Minolta Flash Meter IV uses a AA Batery to power the measurement engine. The second battery which I suspect is what you are referring to is not needed to take exposure measurements and is not required to even be present in the meter.
May 22, 2017 10:03:11 #
I had a IVF with several accessories, including a probe that could be used with large format cameras. It was an excellent piece. I gave it to my granddaughter a couple of years ago when she expressed an interest in photography. I kept my Pentax spotmeter tho, in case I ever want to get one of my 4x5's out again.
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