re: [Leica] Sekonic L-508 zoom Master

[Larry Kopitnik <kopitnil@mra-inc.com>]

> Is there a LUGer willing to share is experience with the new
> Sekonic L-508 zoom Master ?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Lucien
> BELGIUM

Lucien,

I've been using the Sekonic L-508 for a couple months now. It's not small
but has some excellent features. The large incident dome retracts for
contrast readings. It will store and average up to 3 readings in each mode.
And it includes more ambient and flash reading modes than I'll ever need.
You change settings by turning a wheel rather than with little buttons,
which I find an extremely nice touch. It even has a tripod socket for
studio use.

The LCD panel automatically lights in low light, but I consider that
feature to be of questionable value; if there's not enough light to read
the meter, there's probably not enough light to take a photo.

And the reflected spot meter zooms from a tight 1 degree to a 4 degree spot
(I just keep mine set at 1 degree). There's no information in the spot
finder; you need to look at the meter's LCD.

But that reflected spot meter, at least on my L-508, has one fatal flaw:
It's not accurate.

I tested mine just last week, comparing the L-508's incident readings to an
L-308B's readings to a Nikon F4's spot reading off a grey card to the
L-508's spot reading off a grey card. The L-508 incident and L-308B
matched, and the F4 was within 1/3 stop. The L-508's spot readings differed
by up to a stop. I've read that the L-508's reflected meter is calibrated
to something other than 18% grey but I hadn't given those reports much
credence, because that would be stupid. Now I'm wondering if Sekonic's done
something stupid.

I've posted my concerns to the Sekonic forum at Mamiya's web site, a forum
reguarly monitored by and responded to by Mamiya USA (which distributes
Sekonic in the US). But so far they haven't responded.

At the moment, I'd say my L-508 is a large but terrific incident meter, but
useless as a spot meter.

Larry