I just shot my first roll of film ever and my light meter is broken so I had to use an app on my phone. It's was so annoying to pull out the phone, read, and put away. It would make me miss those split second moments. This product is definitely going on my wish list. I love that it's mounted on the camera.
Finally! I have been sitting on this for months but I will finally make the purchase. With the days getting darker as winter approaches having one will help encourage more shooting on my part with less than ideal light
Great job on this king, I have a 3F and a vintage meter that sits on top of the hard shoe which recently died so something like this would be a good alternative. one thing I do like about the old school meters is you're able to look at all the shutter speed and aperture combinations at once and that's something digital ones is missing.
Anyone looking for a meter like this should also look into the Reveni Labs light meter, which is pretty functionally comparable, and slightly cheaper (bc it is Canadian $), tho if you're big on the "look" it is certainly more functional/less "slick" looking than this. I definitely was interested in this one but since I want to use it on an old rangefinder with an external viewfinder (for different lenses) the Reveni made more sense (I also have a million LR44 batteries already) because it has some extra accessories available, namely a double shoe mount so I can mount both it and my external viewfinder.
I received mine for Reveni Labs a couple of weeks ago, as part of the original Kickstarter campaign and I am very happy with it. It now mainly stays on my Canon L1, attached via the double shoe mount :) :)
Definitely an amazing meter! Wasn’t a big fan of the plastic hot shoe. Wish it had a bit more resistance. Using a layer or 2 of masking tape helped a lot .
I would like to buy that meter, but they make it hard. $108 plus $8 more if you want aluminum shoe mount. Plus $25 DHL shipping only. So now you are at $141 delivered. But even then it's a 1 month preorder. Meanwhile, in the world if modern commerce, eBay has very similar Chinese versions for 50 bucks and 4 day free delivery.
It's a little cool metter, a shame it does only reflective light. Keep in mind I looked up the price and it's $112 which is not bad, but I would spend the extra $14 to get a Sekonic L-208 Twin Mate which doses both incident and reflected light. Yeah, it's not as cool and modern looking as an EM-01, but you get more options with it, at least I think so.
Thanks. I just got one of these external cold-shoe meters, the ZB-m08, which sells for about $35. Unfortunately, the instructions are not clear and there's no information I can find online that explains how to use it. It's similar to the one you describe here in that it has an LED display, and I've been able to puzzle it out using your explanation here. I don't know about others, but this one has a 45 degree measuring angle and can do reflected or incident light measurements. With a few old film cameras, one without any meter at all, a Pentax SV, this does seem to be just what the doctor ordered. I should probably add that it can be used for aperture priority or shutter priority.
I was just getting ready to get the Voightlander model. After seeing this, I sprang for the Keks! Thanks for the great review - it will be great with my Leica IIIf!!!
I've had mine for a few months now and I love it. Love how it works and also love how it looks on the classic chrome Leicas #aesthetics (like my M4). But JP... CHANGE YOUR DAMN SMOKE ALARM BATTERY.
I have this light meter and it is well worth it. That said, I think your comparison of it against other lightmeters (esp sekonics) are biased towards street photographers who use mostly ambient light and do not need spot metering. For instance, in a studio setting using strobe, this light meter is not going to be useful at all. Whereas a sekonic l308 will be both as useful outdoor and in studio and has a comparable price tag used. Afterall it all depends on what kind of photography you are doing.
Don't wanna wait that long? On Kek's dealer page (www.kekscameras.com/dealers.html#/) I was able to order one sooner from a dealer site camerafilmphoto.com/. Comes with a plastic mount like in the video instead of the new aluminum mount if you pre-ordered. Happy shooting y'all.
I picked up a Raveni Labs meter that is similar at same price. It is actually smaller, uses replaceable batteries, and easy to carry a backup battery in case of battery drain when needing a reading on location Still to use it, though. Had great service and communication with the makers, they are from Canada, and very quick shipping response. Lots of attachment options with theirs as well. The on you have looks great too.
I bought the keks light meter because of this video. I do agree, it's annoying to hold down the button to have dynamic light metering. Aside from that, I would say keks light meter is as great as my voigtlander.
received this Doomo meter today, a copy of the voigtlander one. i like it because it takes batteries that every drug store, no little buttons and dials are easy to read.
The Keks KM02 that I bought works well on a Canonet QL17, it does not fit on four of my other rangefinders, however, even if I reconfigure the position of the cold shoe connector at the bottom of the unit.
Better still, if you are buying a meter, get an incident meter and get an accurate reading of the light falling on the subject (which reading will never change regardless of the reflectance of the subject) rather than a 'reflected-light meter' and know that unless the subject you are metering is middle-grey, the reading is almost surely wrong -ie. when you meter white snow and is massively under-exposed.
Or don't, because you want something smaller and more convenient that just fits on your camera... like this or the Reveni Labs one or even the Voitglander VC.
Great review, I’ve been waiting for a compact on camera digital light meter for my m3 & think I’ve found one. I see you still have the trusty 35 ‘cron!
I might would use this small meter hand held with my Hasselblad. Because when using the waist finder on the street it doesn't have a flash shoe. Maybe glue a neck strap to it :)
I just ordered a DOOMO meter which is similar to the one here, slightly smaller I think. From the photo on the website, it should fit flash to Leica M-4 and probably other Leicas.
25 ISO would be good. The addition of spot metering even better but I don't know how you would be able to implement it. As said, there seem to be various versions of this, some cheaper. Some might also have different specs and abilities. It's neat though.
Nearly at 2 months since placing my pre-order, and @keks keeps saying “1 month or more” for expected ship date. Might want to make sure this company actually follows through on their commitments before promoting them on your great channel.
Do you still use this or its newer models? I have not seen any updates on it from you. Thinking of getting one for my manual cameras and a backup for my Leica M5.
@@ellijahsmith4445 i did wait a while but i ended up getting 2 because i complained so they sent another one which arrived earlier and now i have 2 haha but it is very accurate great product
I think it's still on the pricey side, 100 is not what I'd usually pay for such a small accessory - I'd happily use a plastic version from China. Still, I really like it, fits perfectly on vintage cameras... just that those cameras cost me a quarter of the price and I still have an old but professional Gossen handmeter I got for 40€ too. Maybe once they go into mass production it'll be a real "no brainer". Until then I wish them luck. :)
Also, if you're worried about over or underexposure when you simply point the meter at the scene, point the meter at the highlights or shadows and meter accordingly. You don't have to only point it at your subject. Look at the light, know what you want, and use your noodle! 🙌🏻
This product lessens my hesitation into trying other film cameras since many of the cameras for sale work fine but come with a broken meter. Broken meters would be a non issue by then.
An in camera meter is nice, and external is also nice but I really think it boils down to how you like to shoot. I always over expose by 1-2 stops on all my film so the app on my phone does everything I need and its free but it would be nice to have one of these on something like your daily walk around camera or maybe a camera that you want to use for client work but the meter is broken OR if you only shoot in aperture priority then I guess these make a lot of sense.
@@MarvinBoydCo i agree! Light meter apps are nice but may sometimes annoy you that you're carrying two gadgets especially when doing photowalks (maybe not much if you're in one location). I'm thinking also that this product isn't for those who use telephoto lenses. I bet it can't meter for something (correctly) when you're using a lens farther than 50 or 85mm. Nonetheless, it's a great tool for most types of film photography.
myles maata definitely agree on the tele side of metering. At that point I would just realistically guess and over expose as best you can since the film can take it. I usually always have my phone and the way I get around not pulling it out everything I take a photo, I take two measurements before i start my walk, one if my subject is totally in the shadows and one if it’s totally in the highlights and I just remember the two settings. After that it’s just remembering where my subject is and where the light is. I may get this for my M4 and M3 and it could just live on one of the cameras.
@@MarvinBoydCo right! So wildlife/sports film photographers arent really gonna look into this (i guess). Are there still wildlife/sports film photographers though? 😅 That method is actually pretty clever. For me, using a smartphone takes away a bit of the analog feel, if that makes sense. So metering first and then just remembering those settings is a good move. This product sits well with rangefinders especially that rangefinders arent typically shot with telephoto lenses. Definitely a great accessory to your M3 or M4! And i think it looks cool! :)
Cody Allen Copy that. I suppose they should change their website verbiage to more accurately reflect delays. “Pre-order” makes it seem as though they haven’t actually shipped yet. I’ve been mulling over buying one, but because there is no ETA for delivery I haven’t. Perhaps later this year I might do so.
If you have enough experience, there is actually no need for an extra meter. For tricky situations a meter app for the smartphone will do the job. If you want to be 100 percent accurate a dedicated spotmeter is essential anyways.
While I do the same thing, it's one more thing to have to carry around and constantly pull out of my pocket, I'm also concerned about killing my battery while out shooting. I definitely hear you though!
Bro, you must be an iPhone user. That port looks like a usbc port. You know, the same port that is in your mac and just about everything else on earth except iphones....
I was just getting ready to get the Voightlander model. After seeing this, I sprang for the Keks! Thanks for the great review - it will be great with my Leica IIIf!!!
I just shot my first roll of film ever and my light meter is broken so I had to use an app on my phone. It's was so annoying to pull out the phone, read, and put away. It would make me miss those split second moments. This product is definitely going on my wish list. I love that it's mounted on the camera.
😂 How are you still living with that beeping smoke detector? ...... thanks for the review man!
Finally! I have been sitting on this for months but I will finally make the purchase. With the days getting darker as winter approaches having one will help encourage more shooting on my part with less than ideal light
Great job on this king, I have a 3F and a vintage meter that sits on top of the hard shoe which recently died so something like this would be a good alternative. one thing I do like about the old school meters is you're able to look at all the shutter speed and aperture combinations at once and that's something digital ones is missing.
Anyone looking for a meter like this should also look into the Reveni Labs light meter, which is pretty functionally comparable, and slightly cheaper (bc it is Canadian $), tho if you're big on the "look" it is certainly more functional/less "slick" looking than this. I definitely was interested in this one but since I want to use it on an old rangefinder with an external viewfinder (for different lenses) the Reveni made more sense (I also have a million LR44 batteries already) because it has some extra accessories available, namely a double shoe mount so I can mount both it and my external viewfinder.
Plus he’s a great guy who makes them
@@JS52ATS He does seem like a nice guy! Nice to be able to get some sense of who you're supporting.
I can feel there's going to be quite a market full of different shoe mounted light meters.
I kno I saw other light meters that are way cheaper in price and are actually the same product different name for some odd reason $$$$$$
I received mine for Reveni Labs a couple of weeks ago, as part of the original Kickstarter campaign and I am very happy with it. It now mainly stays on my Canon L1, attached via the double shoe mount :) :)
The charging port is USB-C! non apple users can use their go-to phone charging cable.
i mean iphone 11 pro has a usb-c cable, atleast on one side. turn it around and you have your cable for this
Thing thing last like forever man. No worries
ALSO look into the Reveni labs light meter, really great guy and it’s half the size of this thing. Plus it only takes LR44 batteries.
It's fugly though
Just the video I was looking for!
Nice video, you've just answered all my questions. Keep it up!
Great review. I preordered one about a month ago, when they said it would ship in two months. Looking forward to using this on my Leica M4!
This can solve the problem of not having the correct batteries for my older Canon FTb's.
Definitely an amazing meter! Wasn’t a big fan of the plastic hot shoe. Wish it had a bit more resistance. Using a layer or 2 of masking tape helped a lot .
I would like to buy that meter, but they make it hard. $108 plus $8 more if you want aluminum shoe mount. Plus $25 DHL shipping only. So now you are at $141 delivered. But even then it's a 1 month preorder. Meanwhile, in the world if modern commerce, eBay has very similar Chinese versions for 50 bucks and 4 day free delivery.
It's a little cool metter, a shame it does only reflective light. Keep in mind I looked up the price and it's $112 which is not bad, but I would spend the extra $14 to get a Sekonic L-208 Twin Mate which doses both incident and reflected light. Yeah, it's not as cool and modern looking as an EM-01, but you get more options with it, at least I think so.
Sold me. I like the fact that you read the metering from the back instead of the top of the light meter.
Thanks. I just got one of these external cold-shoe meters, the ZB-m08, which sells for about $35. Unfortunately, the instructions are not clear and there's no information I can find online that explains how to use it. It's similar to the one you describe here in that it has an LED display, and I've been able to puzzle it out using your explanation here. I don't know about others, but this one has a 45 degree measuring angle and can do reflected or incident light measurements. With a few old film cameras, one without any meter at all, a Pentax SV, this does seem to be just what the doctor ordered. I should probably add that it can be used for aperture priority or shutter priority.
Is the audio really low or is it just me?
I was just getting ready to get the Voightlander model. After seeing this, I sprang for the Keks! Thanks for the great review - it will be great with my Leica IIIf!!!
I've had mine for a few months now and I love it. Love how it works and also love how it looks on the classic chrome Leicas #aesthetics (like my M4).
But JP... CHANGE YOUR DAMN SMOKE ALARM BATTERY.
😂😂😂😂 LMAO DUDE I WILL
KingJvpes Do I need to ship you a 9 volt? 🤣🤣🤣
California is all smoke rn atm.
Crazy that you uploaded this today, I was just looking into getting a physical light meter
I have this light meter and it is well worth it. That said, I think your comparison of it against other lightmeters (esp sekonics) are biased towards street photographers who use mostly ambient light and do not need spot metering. For instance, in a studio setting using strobe, this light meter is not going to be useful at all. Whereas a sekonic l308 will be both as useful outdoor and in studio and has a comparable price tag used. Afterall it all depends on what kind of photography you are doing.
Reached out to Kek yesterday and the estimated ship time is 2-3 months.
Just a heads up for everyone!
Don't wanna wait that long? On Kek's dealer page (www.kekscameras.com/dealers.html#/) I was able to order one sooner from a dealer site camerafilmphoto.com/. Comes with a plastic mount like in the video instead of the new aluminum mount if you pre-ordered. Happy shooting y'all.
I picked up a Raveni Labs meter that is similar at same price. It is actually smaller, uses replaceable batteries, and easy to carry a backup battery in case of battery drain when needing a reading on location
Still to use it, though. Had great service and communication with the makers, they are from Canada, and very quick shipping response.
Lots of attachment options with theirs as well.
The on you have looks great too.
Voigtlander makes a pretty good one
This one is better and half the cost.
It’s just hella expensive
Cosina Voigtlander think we're made of money but it doesn't mean that other meters had to be pricey too. I just want one for $50.
Been using the Voigtlander meter for years now, and it works perfectly. Somehow adding a “digital display” to my Leica M2 does not apeal to me..
The display shuts off very quickly. I find myself constantly turning it back on.
I bought the keks light meter because of this video. I do agree, it's annoying to hold down the button to have dynamic light metering. Aside from that, I would say keks light meter is as great as my voigtlander.
Try the REVENI!! I think if you have a leica , the keks on looks better. But the Reveni is sooooo small.
The slide into Squarespace was ridiculously smooth my word. Great review man!
i ordered 2 of 'em !! thanx for your review, looking forward for your next videos, Minolta Gang!
Will certainly be picking one of these up for my medium format.
received this Doomo meter today, a copy of the voigtlander one. i like it because it takes batteries that every drug store, no little buttons and dials are easy to read.
The Keks KM02 that I bought works well on a Canonet QL17, it does not fit on four of my other rangefinders, however, even if I reconfigure the position of the cold shoe connector at the bottom of the unit.
Thank you for this honest, detail, and great review on this light meter. I'm was getting annoyed with using my smartphone app as a metering tool.
Better still, if you are buying a meter, get an incident meter and get an accurate reading of the light falling on the subject (which reading will never change regardless of the reflectance of the subject) rather than a 'reflected-light meter' and know that unless the subject you are metering is middle-grey, the reading is almost surely wrong -ie. when you meter white snow and is massively under-exposed.
Or don't, because you want something smaller and more convenient that just fits on your camera... like this or the Reveni Labs one or even the Voitglander VC.
@@ChristopherVisser Or do, because you want an accurate reading to get an optimal negative.
I dig that it shows the EV and Lux readings, too.
Great review, I’ve been waiting for a compact on camera digital light meter for my m3 & think I’ve found one. I see you still have the trusty 35 ‘cron!
I might would use this small meter hand held with my Hasselblad. Because when using the waist finder on the street it doesn't have a flash shoe. Maybe glue a neck strap to it :)
I just ordered a DOOMO meter which is similar to the one here, slightly smaller I think. From the photo on the website, it should fit flash to Leica M-4 and probably other Leicas.
Bought one, but there is a "two or more months" delivery delay. Bought it in August, not expected until November or December. :(
Have you received it?
@@avatarlove824 yes, got it early November.
Just started to shoot Man U got me into shooting 35mm film good stuff
25 ISO would be good. The addition of spot metering even better but I don't know how you would be able to implement it. As said, there seem to be various versions of this, some cheaper. Some might also have different specs and abilities. It's neat though.
Better than Voigtlander VC Meter II?
Might snag one for my Nikon F
Maybe someday I could make a video about my diy lightmeter. Hot shoe mount, EV compensation and Waist level viewing for 120 camera
What’s your professional opinion on hot shoe mounted meters when it comes to night time photography? Is it worth it?
Lost the screws for mount 😅 dots anyone know what size they are or where to get replacment screw?
Nearly at 2 months since placing my pre-order, and @keks keeps saying “1 month or more” for expected ship date. Might want to make sure this company actually follows through on their commitments before promoting them on your great channel.
They’re just backordered, i got mine off eBay. $30 up charge got it same day
Do you still use this or its newer models? I have not seen any updates on it from you. Thinking of getting one for my manual cameras and a backup for my Leica M5.
Q: Would this mark the top plate of the Leica
This looks really really nice
USBC for the win
i just ordered it :) excited to use it with my mamiya super and mamiya rz67 :)
Hope you like waiting. Ordered mine Jan 22nd and still waiting.
@@ellijahsmith4445 i did wait a while but i ended up getting 2 because i complained so they sent another one which arrived earlier and now i have 2 haha but it is very accurate great product
I bought both n gave 1 to my friend
Squarespace URL is wrong in Description
can I use it as a necklace
Can it give an E value? That would be sweet for Minolta rangefinders that havs e-value -display in the lens
would you say that KEKS lightmeter is much easier to use when compared to the leicameter mr-4?
Greetings from Texas!
Wallet is sad*
If you wanna use a light meter, why not get a camera with a built-in light meter? This seems like a fashion accessory to me.
Will this meter work for the black and white film?
does this measure for middle gray? so if i hold it towards a dark area do i have to underexpose to make it seem that dark?
Would you recommend this LM for a medium format camera?
When does the keks release
I think it's still on the pricey side, 100 is not what I'd usually pay for such a small accessory - I'd happily use a plastic version from China. Still, I really like it, fits perfectly on vintage cameras... just that those cameras cost me a quarter of the price and I still have an old but professional Gossen handmeter I got for 40€ too. Maybe once they go into mass production it'll be a real "no brainer". Until then I wish them luck. :)
$100 USD is reasonable for this device, especially when compared to the Voigtlander which is double the cost.
I use an old handheld selenium meter and it works fine in daylight for only $5. Not too bad.
Reveni Light Meter is much smaller!
Also, if you're worried about over or underexposure when you simply point the meter at the scene, point the meter at the highlights or shadows and meter accordingly. You don't have to only point it at your subject. Look at the light, know what you want, and use your noodle! 🙌🏻
In N.Ireland keks are underpants
This product lessens my hesitation into trying other film cameras since many of the cameras for sale work fine but come with a broken meter. Broken meters would be a non issue by then.
An in camera meter is nice, and external is also nice but I really think it boils down to how you like to shoot. I always over expose by 1-2 stops on all my film so the app on my phone does everything I need and its free but it would be nice to have one of these on something like your daily walk around camera or maybe a camera that you want to use for client work but the meter is broken OR if you only shoot in aperture priority then I guess these make a lot of sense.
@@MarvinBoydCo i agree! Light meter apps are nice but may sometimes annoy you that you're carrying two gadgets especially when doing photowalks (maybe not much if you're in one location). I'm thinking also that this product isn't for those who use telephoto lenses. I bet it can't meter for something (correctly) when you're using a lens farther than 50 or 85mm. Nonetheless, it's a great tool for most types of film photography.
myles maata definitely agree on the tele side of metering. At that point I would just realistically guess and over expose as best you can since the film can take it. I usually always have my phone and the way I get around not pulling it out everything I take a photo, I take two measurements before i start my walk, one if my subject is totally in the shadows and one if it’s totally in the highlights and I just remember the two settings. After that it’s just remembering where my subject is and where the light is. I may get this for my M4 and M3 and it could just live on one of the cameras.
@@MarvinBoydCo right! So wildlife/sports film photographers arent really gonna look into this (i guess). Are there still wildlife/sports film photographers though? 😅
That method is actually pretty clever. For me, using a smartphone takes away a bit of the analog feel, if that makes sense. So metering first and then just remembering those settings is a good move.
This product sits well with rangefinders especially that rangefinders arent typically shot with telephoto lenses. Definitely a great accessory to your M3 or M4! And i think it looks cool! :)
Why is this KEKS meter on perpetual “Pre Order” only? It’s been a year, and their website doesn’t mention future availability.
Ordered mine aug 4, with covid timing, they said another few weeks to ship probably
Cody Allen Copy that. I suppose they should change their website verbiage to more accurately reflect delays. “Pre-order” makes it seem as though they haven’t actually shipped yet. I’ve been mulling over buying one, but because there is no ETA for delivery I haven’t. Perhaps later this year I might do so.
Idk. The cinestill looks like it was under exposed.
I thought so too, but it depends on his ISO and what he metered for
If you have enough experience, there is actually no need for an extra meter. For tricky situations a meter app for the smartphone will do the job. If you want to be 100 percent accurate a dedicated spotmeter is essential anyways.
Anyone know anything about the minolta qtsi maxxum?
the 3 shoes are of different sizes.
That smoke detector still going off
this is a nice review and a really cool product, But 100% disagree with the title. In NO way is this any kind of must have item.
This specialized charging port.
Actually just usb-c lmao
USB-C cable
I still try to understand what is a game changer here ?
I'm sorry but this looks more like a paid advertisement than an independent review :/
Meh, will just use a free app... meter with my phone intermittently and guesstimate in between readings. Hasn't failed me so far.
While I do the same thing, it's one more thing to have to carry around and constantly pull out of my pocket, I'm also concerned about killing my battery while out shooting. I definitely hear you though!
I thought about buying an old smartphone just for this purpose and it can also double as a notepad to record aperture/shutter speeds for exposures.
that is OLED screen
Bro, you must be an iPhone user. That port looks like a usbc port. You know, the same port that is in your mac and just about everything else on earth except iphones....
LMAO im not sure what that charching port is.. its the most popular type of usb... haha apple schill
Even apple uses usb-c now in laptops and ipads lol
Did you lose weight? Good job buddy
Looking good, seems like you lost weight
peenotbuttersandwich Loosing that baby fat. Lol 😂 I noticed too.
I believe it was during quarantine. I pray it‘s intended and not something else 🙏🏾
Reveni does it better
it’s expensive... i don’t need it.......... ADD TO CART
Have you lost weight?
Listen mate you got digital light meter on top of a iconic camera come on lad handmade
The audio is not so good in this video.
I was just getting ready to get the Voightlander model. After seeing this, I sprang for the Keks! Thanks for the great review - it will be great with my Leica IIIf!!!