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> Weston Master V Light Meter |
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#1
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Weston Master V Light Meter
Hi everyone,
I wondered if anyone might be able to help me on something. I have a Weston Master V Light Meter which I love. However, I'm getting inconsistent results between the baffle being open and closed. When it's closed (high light scale), the readings match my digital app almost exactly. But when it's open (low light scale) it's 2 marks too low, resulting in overexposure. Does anyone know if this can be corrected, or if it's possible to have these repaired/recalibrated? Thanks, Rob |
#2
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A brief search online turns up this website:
http://www.westonmeter.org.uk/Manualsandrepairs.html It provides these links to this UK repair service: https://ian-partridge.com/ https://ian-partridge.com/westonrepair.html I tried the links and found they still work. When using any Weston be sure to avoid casting its shadow on the surface being measured close up. Also, if the low level meter reading is consistently low by the same amount, you can always make the mental adjustment to close down the f/stop accordingly. Age is definitely a factor, though. My Master IV that I bought new in the '60s eventually gave up the ghost, forcing me to get a spot meter that I always wanted anyway. Last edited by Jerry Bodine; 14th December 2017 at 05:36 PM. |
#3
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I have 3 westons a naster 5,and 2 euromasters which, with the high scale match my Sekonic to within half a stop, but the low light scales are, according to my Sekonic, way off, but when used in practical terms, not as a test against the Sekonic, they always give me well exposed negatives, remember that any selimium cell meter will struggle with low light, in tests, but in use should give good results, I have rarely used anything else but Westons, over 55 years of photography, and never had a problem, the 5 my be an olde meter, but I have always found themto be trouble free, I panicked when I tested them against the sekonic, which I bought for the flash metering, but even with the difference in readings under test I have no problems with using the Weston's for accuracy, try it, if it is way out then you know that it needs a repair by Ian Partridge, but 99% of thE 4/5/euromasters arfe fine, the only thing to check is the zeroing, put the meter face down on a card, excluding light, and press the nesure button and if it is zeroing then fine, if not adjust the zero button on the back, with the cell excluding light
, and set the zero also look on the Butkess site as he has a manual for the weston 5 there, worth a look for any camera manual, sorry I don't have a link but orphan cameras should get you there Richard
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jerseyinblackandwhite.blogspot.com |
#4
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Got cut off by the Edit Timer, but wanted to add this:
However I couldn't help noting this statement he made: "Up to the Master IV the scale is foot candles, now known as lumens." Actually the scale is candela/square foot for reflection readings (w/o the Invercone). Foot candles are a measure of illuminance (light falling on the subject) and is read with the Invercone in place. Lastly, foot candles are not lumens; they are lumens per unit of area, e.g., lumen/square foot. Here's the link to the manual for Weston V on the Butkus site that Richard mentioned: http://www.cameramanuals.org/flashes...n_master_v.pdf Last edited by Jerry Bodine; 14th December 2017 at 06:20 PM. |
#5
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Is this anomaly present with the invercone fitted or only without. If they are the same so long as the needle is calibrated (set to zero) I am at a loss to see how they can differ.
Can I suggest that you check using reflected light from grey card used outside when the light is bright and see what the readings are them. If they differ it is possible that a good service will see if there is anything amiss. Incidentally are the readings obtained when the baffle is in place quite accurate? The grey card does not have to be actually grey but a neutral colour would be best. A cheapskate way of getting a grey card is from the inside of a cornflake packer. Last edited by John King; 14th December 2017 at 06:58 PM. |
#6
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Green grass is about the same as a grey card, also, check the actual readings against your app, how far out is the actual exposure, if it perhaps a stop out and you are checking it indoors, then the readings re low light baffle will be different, could be up to 11/2 stop difference, and remember that the master 5 measures more accurately then most modern meter apps in that the master 5 will, for instance give a time for 1/25 as well as the more common 1/30 or 1/50 as well as 1/60, using a weston is a different experiance to a modern meter, another for instance is that with most modern the sell is small enough to not worry about the sky, a Weston's cell needs to be tilted down enough to exclude the sky to get a correct reading, I tend to tilt it down so the the meaure button is just below my line of sight, that can make a huge difference to the reading you get,
Richard
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jerseyinblackandwhite.blogspot.com |
#7
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I will go along with Richard Gould. I too have a Weston 5 and checked it indoors and there are at least 1.5 stops difference with the baffle open or closed. Any meter apart from a spot meter needs to be pointed aray from the brightest source, in other words pointed down at the ground slightly,
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#8
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Thanks again for all your replies and links from Jerry, really helpful.
John, I haven't actually tested the results with the invercone, just the baffle open and closed. I might do that. Richard, zero-ing is spot on in both modes. I hadn't considered being inside affecting the results. I will try outside and see what happens. Interestingly, I too have always had well exposed negatives using the meter. Maybe my OCD is just getting carried away Thanks again |
#9
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I have CDO; it's like OCD but is alphabetically correct.
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