Topic: Just got a new lightmetre

[Kelly]

Hey everybody, my mom found an old prinzlite V lightmetre for cheap at an rummage shop, or a garage sale, or something similar.  The thing is, I don't know how to work the thing!  Has anybody had any experience with these? 

I'd love to know how to use it, it's pretty simple, but the whole EV thing is throwing me off.

To tell you the truth, I've only ever used a light metre when I've been setting up shots for moving film  , and they were all the super fancy new digital sekonic ones.

[LT]

Hi Kelly

you COULD buy a reprint manual from here http://www.oldtimercameras.com/stock/Model.asp?Model=3016&ModelPage=true

but - from what I can see, it seems like a pretty standard hand held meter.  There should be a place where you set your film speed.  When you've done that, take a reading and note the ev number.  there should then be an dial where you set this ev number and the shutter speed/ aperture nubers line up along the bottom of the circle.  You can then pick any of the shutter/f-stop combinations (Say f5.6 and 1/125, which is also f 8 and 1/60, which is also f4 and 1/250 etc) depending upon whether your priority is shutter speed or depth of field.

What I tend to do is read the EV of the area I want to be important, then use this handy free exposure dial http://www.largeformatphotography.info/articles/ZoneDial.pdf WIth this one, I can easily see where I'm going to place the reading I took (Shadow, mid or highlight) and then see where all the other readings of the scene fall if I were to use that exposure.  I do use a spot meter though, but I think it would still be handy for you.

hope that helps

[Kelly]

Thanks Leon - that did help quite a bit!

I've been fiddling around with it more and more, I had to callibrate the thing, I don't think it had been done in years!

[LT]

glad it helped kelly --- it's a selenium cell isnt it?  they do tend to lose effectiveness as they age, but as you say, as long as you know how far out it is and calibrate it accordingly, you'll be fine.

[Kelly]

It is selenium, fortunately I have my trusty pentax to compare it to, so I can make sure it's relatively close if not spot on .

[Francois]

I don't know if yours is the same but I have a very old meter that has a calibration screw on the bottom... it is usually a recessed plastic trim potentiometer that you adjust using a slotted screwdriver.

[Kelly]

I don't know if yours is the same but I have a very old meter that has a calibration screw on the bottom... it is usually a recessed plastic trim potentiometer that you adjust using a slotted screwdriver.

Yep, mine too!  Except it's on the back .