probably need a light meter

[Guest]

i recently got a canon 814 off ebay, the motor works nice, but the light meter seems dead. i can still control the aperture though.

i was wondering what moderately priced meter would be suited for me, who is pretty much a beginner.

[skyy38]

Go to:

http://www.sekonic.com

Recommended maker of light meters

[pheboglobi]

The Sekonic Studio Deluxe II L-398M is a very good model. I bought mine new about 6 years ago for $175 USD. I think they sell new for about $150 or less now. I can't remember if there was a non-cine version or not, but if there is, make sure you get the cine version - the main difference is that the cine version has the common shutter speeds marked on it in addition to the usual still photography shutter speeds. It's very simple - doesn't even need batteries, and it is all manual, which IMHO is best for a beginner. I've seen plenty of experienced people misuse their digital meters by forgetting to change the shutter angle in the device, filter, etc... Plus the digitals are several hundred more in cost.

[super8man]

The L-558Cine DualMaster features a rectangular 1° parallax-free spot viewfinder. In dim or bright light situations, the L-558Cine’s spot viewfinder displays shutter speeds, aperture and more. The built-in spot meter measures both reflected ambient, flash or combined lighting. The optical finder also features an eyepiece with an adjustable diopter.

Shutter Angle
Settings are available from 5° to 270° + 144° and 172°

Cine Speeds
1 thru 1000 f.p.s. (frames per second)



I like this one!

[al77]

Guest wrote:

light meter seems dead

Are you sure it doesn't need an extra button cell battery for the light meter on the camera to work? This is the case for some super 8 cameras i'm not sure if the the 814 is one of them.
Good luck,