Thanks so much. I just found an old Weston V given to my wife by her grandfather, and I can't wait to try it out with my Pentax K1000. This video was solid gold!
This is so incredibly helpful. I have a Weston Master V and it's my first time using a film camera without an inbuilt exposure meter. Thankyou for explaining how to use the dome thing. My photos would probably be terribly exposed if I hadn't watched this. Thankyou
I am getting a Euro-master II with a film camera and this video is most helpful having never used a meter before. The camera I am getting is a Mamiya RB67 completely manual, exciting times! Thanks again Ken
Absolutely enjoyed this post was spellbound,they say you learn something new every day,well another string to the bow.Thank you for posting this Peter .
Peter Elgar Thanks for this very interesting resume. I have a Master V which I have not used for very many (30+?) years. The needle hovers around the zero reading. Is there any way I can bring it back to life? Thanks, Stephen
Stephen Singer Stephen : It looks as if the Selenium Cell on your meter may be corroded -- there is some info on this site :ian-partridge.com/westonrepair.html He is very expensive though -- I remember when a NEW Weston could be bought for just over £10-00 !
I have one of these (the oldest one you are showing - mark 2). It seems to works well, I can confirm by comparing it to the metering on my modern digital camera. It is awesome that it would still work after all this time! However it does not appear to be suited for night photography. Thank you very much for this informative and helpful video.
Hi Peter, Great video with informative knowledge. The light meter is under exposing on my Yashica Mat 124g, and was recommended the Weston Master V. Very helpful guide.
Hi Peter - I just checked my Weston Master III and its marked made in Newark, New Jersey, USA. ASA constant = 1.0 The print is block instead of script, white letters on a black background. Still works!
Thanks for viewing and comment -- well, be careful you do not press the GLASS on the Westons as I have had to take the Model II, III and a V apart after reading how to get into them on a Forum, and re-stick the glass, which was pressing on the needle and stopping it from working -- after so many years the GLUE used deteriorated.
Very nice video. I use a DSLR, and I don't really need a light meter, but I'm attracted to these older ones, because they bring you closer to original film photography.
You do need a separate light meter if you want to take better than average pictures. DSLR metering cannot cope with some lighting situations. You also need to learn the Zone System. I am amazed how many don't know this basic piece of information. Once you get it, your photo quality will increase by light years. Happy snapping.
@@davidmanser4193 This is it. I have been getting more into photography of late and although I have a DSLR I found a Olympus XA2 point and shoot and fell in love with film again, brought a Pentax Super A with 50mm 1.4 lens and slowly starting to learn more than I ever did with the digital. So now understand things like what people mean by "stops of light" and so on but nailing exposures is still a thing that I need to perfect. I know the Sunny 16 rule but need to get better at reading the light and can still rely on the camera meter too much which usually tends to under expose in difficult lighting conditions (center weighted) I'm going to invest in one of these meters as they are very affordable and look like fun to use.
Peter. You have made the only video I can find that shows the incident light attachment. The reading you took was identical to the grey card one. Perfect. You haven't got an old Leningrad Russian meter to demonstrate the same. Most videos showing the Leningrad don't even take the white diffuser out of the lid of the case. Keep up the good work. Lots of great information from the past.
Very good light meters, I most use them with invercone for incident light metering :) The Weston light meters was an american company from the start, Sangamo Weston. The last Weston light meter was the Weston Euro-Master, but other companies made them fx a Euro-Master by East Kilbride and later Euro-Master II by Megatron. Be sure not to drop a Weston light meter, the very sensative needle can jump out and result in an expensive repair.
I bought my first Weston in 1972 with a Pentax S1a. Subsequently I owned a Weston V and a Euromaster ... I still have last two and they still work perfectly. I switched to digital cameras about 10 years ago and currently use a Canon SX60HS - but I still really enjoy using the Weston or Euromaster alongside full manual settings on the Canon. I don't do that all the time, of course, but there's something much more personal, creative and satisfying about working out all the settings for yourself for any special images that you want to capture or create. For anyone who is unsure about the link between ASA and the more common, current use of ISO ... don't confuse yourselves. For all but the truly finicky, an ASA of 400 = ISO 400 and so on. It's a throwback to when we thought about the sensitivity and grain of film as opposed to digital sensors. But the two concepts, although physically different actually lead to almost identical results. Lower ISO, like lower ASA leads towards less 'digital noise' which equates to smaller film grain, and higher ISO leads to increased digital 'noise' which equates to larger film grain and therefore less sharp images. Modern cameras can use higher and higher ISO values with less and less evidence of noise. It's fun to use Westons or other lightmeters with displays of high ASA values that would generally have been frowned upon (or downright insane) when using film. You can still find these old exposure meters (and other makes) on Ebay, in many specialist shops and at collectable sales .... but do try to test them first as they can be damaged if handled badly. I once dropped my first Weston down a cliff and it survived. Later on I dropped it on the beach at Lyme Regis and it was wrecked!!!
Prior to '72 I was using another lightmeter - can't recall the brand but it was Russian and worked OK until it went tipsy-over-the-edge of a cliff and disintegrated on the rocks below. (That's what I got for trying a few shots of seagulls along the cliff edge. That's two lightmeters I wrecked in that way.). Since I posted the previous comment, I've switched from the SX60 which I just didn't like, to a Lumix FZ330 which is spot-on for my needs. Also since the previous comment, I've given the Euromaster to a friend but I've retained the Weston V which is as familiar as an old friend. I still keep up the skills by switching to fully manual mode with the Lumix, or when I use an older FZ30 or Fuji S7000. (As you might guess, I have strong retro tendencies).
Really well explained. I have a gossen Luna six and I really hate it. My grandfather had a Weston. I struggle with the gossen due to the placement of the meter. Makes for clumsy inaccurate readings. I will try and get a Weston on eBay.
This reminds me of the Sekonic L-28C that I used after the GE Selenium cell meter finally died. I've seen Weston light meters from time to time, so it's nice to know how well they worked as the CdS and Silicon cell light meters began to replace them. (Some of the Si cell units could read electronic flash pulses, which led me to a Minolta Flash Meter IV.)
Thanks Peter, I have just asked a yashica TLR with no meter and was struggling to understand how my Weston light meter worked. You explained it very clearly so I will know how to use it next time. Tried to buy you a coffee but couldn't find you on the website.
Thank you for your Tuturial ,I manged to get hold of 574/715 date 1939/45 ?works perfect I do find them very very good yes they are bulky but well made
Thanks for the video but got a question. I have a Master II, when zeroing the needle what is the correct way of holding it? For example with no light upright or on a flat surface it can read at zero if you tilt it to it's side as per the instructions the needle goes to .4 lumens and if you flip it the other way with the display pointing to the right the needle dips below zero.
Thanks for viewing -- well when I 'Zero' the needle I hold it upright so I can access the back screw with my hand covering the photo cell so no light gets to it .
I'm having the same issue. Glad to see that it is normal. I guess, basically (what Peter Elgar is saying), you hold it like you normally would, cover the photo cell at the back so no light gets through, use the screw at the back to calibrate the needle so that it shows zero. Then just try to hold it in the same manner always. If you hold it in a different manner (for example pointing it downwards) I guess you have to account for the needle drift in your calculations.
Thank you! I just stripped down my meter and re-fixed the glass with the help of "Jesito" The meter is made all on metal, strong building. The opening zone is on the bottom side, under a small plate fixed by two supposed rivets. They are just screws with no groove? on the screw head. (I don't know the english word for this). To remove them, small pliers and a lot of care: (I used my fingernails). Do not touch the center screw, it's only for adjustment and has nothing to do with the disassembly process. Under the metal lid there are two more screws, sealed under wax. It's necessary to remove it to get to the screw head. (My meter has more screws into which the previous ones are screwed). Once these screws out, the back cover goes out under pressure, from the bottom up (At 30 to 45 degrees to slide out 2 retaining pins) - (some retainers in the top side). Below they appear the remaining screws. Be careful with the two springs that handle the scale change. (Be aware of the pin and tiny spring near the rope loop). The last screw on top, again under wax seal: Once the screws removed everything is handy. The meter cover goes out easily. Be careful with the meter needle. At this point I was too concentrated in fixing it that I forgot to take more pictures, but essentially was a general cleanup, specially on the glass area, cementing again the glass on it's base, disassembling the selenium cell and cleaning the contact area with a dry Scotch Brite (quite abrasive). From then on, the needle was responsive to the light changes, so I finally could build it all again in reverse order. (I scraped away all the old adhesive and paint to expose the metal underneath that is inside the cover and will not be visible once reassembled. I very carefully used UNIBOND CRYSTAL, an industrial building adhesive. Tissues, cotton buds and white spirit / turps to clean up before the adhesive set!).
@@theoldfilmbloke The "Screws" holding the plate on the back have "Hex" heads although I do not have a socket small enough, I managed with fingernails!
Hello Peter, thank you for your brilliant little video. Could you advice me about getting into my old WM 5, safely?. I have the moving glass panel issue that you mention, below. Kind regards, Graeme.
forum.mflenses.com/notes-on-repairing-weston-master-iii-light-meter-t16996,highlight,%2Bweston.html Graeme : Have a look at THIS 'Link' -- it is where I read about 'getting into' a Weston Meter -- Regards -- Peter
Peter Elgar Thank you! My father left several electronic things and I had to open them to take out the batteries. Some were already deteriorated. Thanks again! Ah! The photometer works perfectly!
The cell in these will with time die, or at least give a greatly reduced light value. I'd love to use my Master V but its reading is not sensitive or linear anymore. Have you had any of your meters rebuilt? When I called around I was told nobody made the cell anymore.
Jesper : have been very ILL in HOSPITAL with a Liver cancer operation so could not reply i have a 1956-59 Rolleiflex 2.8 e Xenotar with 'EV' settings and a 1966 ' Werramatic' but have never used the 'EV' values. I had a look at my Weston Master V -- so for and ASA of say 100 EV 12 gives a selection of exposure settings, up yo YOU which one to set according to if you want a faster shutter speed to stop action and camera shake OR to have a slower speed BUT more Depth of Field for greater sharpness through the subject. I got settings of : 1/250 th @ f4 or 1/15th @ f16 for example
Hi, thanks for the tutorial it was just what I needed. Im looking for a light meter to use with my newly aquired mamiya c330 and I think I'll go with the weston vi meter. Cheers, jon
actualy it would be very helpful a video of how to use these positions U the 2 black small squares under the exposure value window than the position A1/2 the C2 the big black squar and last the O position
Hei. What does the area With the needle read on the V? I dont really get it...how i use it for still kameras. Say i set my aparture to f8...how does it read the speed then?
I have a box of Weston's in the shed, time to bring them to life again after watching this video.Found seven in a box, the iv,v & vi work the II's do not. What do you think of the "6" ?
I have never heard of a 'Weston 6' ! They only went up to a 'EuroMaster' as far as I know . Mu 'original ;Master II which my Dad 'smuggled ' into England Tax Free from Jersey is still working after I managed to free up the glass which had 'sunk' onto the needle. BUT most of the painted NUMBERS have worn off !
I'm puzzled as to why you measure light falling on the subject (flash sun) and not light reflected from the subject, as that is what your camera will be taking a picture of. As a landscape photographer, I would be exposing for the sun all the time instead of the landscape? This doesn't make sense to me
Yes -- Built-in meters in cameras DO measure reflected light BUT it is not accurate all the time and you have to recognise the occasions and use 'Exposure Compensation + or - '-- The 'incident Light Method' is easier if you have a separate meter with the white baffle especially for YOU -- a Landscape Shooter, as it is not influenced by large areas of white Snow or sun on White Sand OR if you are in Wales photographing dark toned slate quarries !
reflected light will be different depending on the color/reflectiveness of the object you measure, so a black object would give a lower reading than a white object even if they are in the same light. The incident light falling on a subject will be the same regardless of the color (assume your lighting doesn't change), so the reading would more accurately depict how much light is in the scene. And you are not exposing for the sun (using incident measurement), you are exposing for the amount of light from the sun that is hitting the meter. If you used a reflected measurement and point at the sun, then you would be exposing for the sun. That is where the white cover becomes important, it causes less light to hit the selenium cell.
Hello, I'm sorry if this question is a wee bit daft but how would you use this for landscape photography? I plan to do a tour of a lot of the lochs in the highland of Scotland (I'm a lowlander myself haha) and I want to take my favourite film camera, however, sadly enough the camera's light meter is died, so I need a light meter and I really like these old fashioned light meters, but I'm totally clueless on it myself haha. Thanks.
Thanks for your query -- well, I use these meters with MY Old Film Cameras BUT I have to warn you they are over 50 years old and the Selenium Cell may be damaged with damp, rust etc and age and NOT be working . I have several now ( all given) and i have to test them before using them. Some no longer give a reading. If you get a GOOD one then if you have the White 'Invercone' for 'Incident Light' readings that is best for 'landscape photography' . You have to turn round to face the light FALLING ONTO the scene and point the side with the white Invercone to that light and get a reading. OR if NO Invercone then point it down to the GROUND and get a 'reflected light' reading -- do not get any 'bright Sky' in the reading just the ground. Keep Snapping ---- Peter
+Peter Elgar oh I will keep that in mind, I read somewhere that can get these things repaired so if I get s faulty one I will just send it off. Also thank you very much for explaining that to me I really do appreciate it and to spend the time to reply. :)
Hi Peter, can you do a specific tutorial on the Weston V please? Just that I have recently obtained one. But without instructions. I do alot of outdoor photography. And get the aperture settings wrong. So spend more time processing the pictures I'm Lightroom. As the sky is either too gray or washed out. And there is no definition in the clouds.
Polariser might help you. Also if you constantly find this problem, you can take a few shots with the aperture changed on each shot. Just until you nail the problem. Good luck.
Perfectly good. I use my Sangamo Weston Master V to measure incident light, something my EOS 80D cannot do. I bought the Master V in 1966 with my Yashica JP, a totally manual film camera. It is very useful with modern digitals especially in portrait work. It doesn't need batteries either!
Yeah, right. A video of endless blahs. But this guy does a wonderful job explaining the minutiae that you had to master. I bought a Master II 5 or 6 years after he did - in about 1960. Remarkably, it works now exactly as it did then - some 60 years later. That is, it is still fairly useless and pretty inaccurate. To fully understand things, you had to understand the difference between the Weston scale and ASA, DIN, Lumen - weird stuff like that. Knowledge of the gray scale helped too. I had an ancient Ziess Super Ikonta 538 back then, and photography has never gotten any better than that. But with my then perfect vision, it was very difficult to read the tiny numbers on this thing, and turning the rings was a nightmare. I still have it. Not quite heavy enough to make a good paperweight. You can buy one on eBay but don't pay more than 5 bucks - which is WAAYYY more than it is worth. But COOL!! Pull it out when you want to pass yourself off as an expert. Fun stuff for PhotoNerds.
At the Time in the 1950's they cost a 'bomb' compared with my Pocket Money as an Impoverished Schoolboy as there was so much 'Purchase TAX' on anything 'Photographic' !
James -- do you mean when you set an early Weston Master to '650' Weston Speed ? in 'ASA ratings' that would be '800 ASA' --If you mean a Weston Master '650' i believe it was a very early one late 1930's- 40's and I do not know anything about very early models.
Hi @@theoldfilmbloke, Its called Weston Emulsion speed 650, cant get it to do anything, think its about 1935, I know nothing about cameras someone just gave it to me
@@signal99uk That is 2 years before I was born and I'm pretty ancient now ! You must do a 'Google Search' maybe on that model -- I'm no expert on computer searching.
Thanks. I have my late father's Weston Master III and his Microcord. Now I know how to use the meter - great!
I got the Weston 5 after seeing this video, and I have been using it a couple of years now. Very nice equipment to use. Thanks for the information!
Thanks so much. I just found an old Weston V given to my wife by her grandfather, and I can't wait to try it out with my Pentax K1000. This video was solid gold!
GREAT !
This is so incredibly helpful. I have a Weston Master V and it's my first time using a film camera without an inbuilt exposure meter. Thankyou for explaining how to use the dome thing. My photos would probably be terribly exposed if I hadn't watched this. Thankyou
Better than the instruction booklet as you actually showed us how to use these meters. I'll be using mine more often now. Thank you.
I am getting a Euro-master II with a film camera and this video is most helpful having never used a meter before. The camera I am getting is a Mamiya RB67 completely manual, exciting times! Thanks again Ken
+Ken Holt : Thanks Ken -- hope you enjoy the RB 67 -- keep snapping !!
Absolutely enjoyed this post was spellbound,they say you learn something new every day,well another string to the bow.Thank you for posting this Peter .
Thanks for putting this up
Very intuitive and well presented
Invaluable for me
Thanks for kind comment -- I used my Weston Master III and the V recently and they both agreed and gave good results , with the Invercones .
Peter Elgar Thanks for this very interesting resume.
I have a Master V which I have not used for very many (30+?) years.
The needle hovers around the zero reading.
Is there any way I can bring it back to life?
Thanks,
Stephen
Stephen Singer
Stephen : It looks as if the Selenium Cell on your meter may be corroded -- there is some info on this site :ian-partridge.com/westonrepair.html
He is very expensive though -- I remember when a NEW Weston could be bought for just over £10-00 !
Peter Elgar Thanks, would seem to be a bit of an indulgence, as I have no need to use it.
Stephen
Thank you for that Peter. I've got a small collection of Weston meters so it's always good to learn new tips about them.
Nicely presented; clear, concise and very helpful!
I have one of these (the oldest one you are showing - mark 2).
It seems to works well, I can confirm by comparing it to the metering on my modern digital camera. It is awesome that it would still work after all this time!
However it does not appear to be suited for night photography.
Thank you very much for this informative and helpful video.
Hi Peter, Great video with informative knowledge. The light meter is under exposing on my Yashica Mat 124g, and was recommended the Weston Master V. Very helpful guide.
Hi Peter - I just checked my Weston Master III and its marked made in Newark, New Jersey, USA. ASA constant = 1.0
The print is block instead of script, white letters on a black background. Still works!
Thanks for viewing and comment -- well, be careful you do not press the GLASS on the Westons as I have had to take the Model II, III and a V apart after reading how to get into them on a Forum, and re-stick the glass, which was pressing on the needle and stopping it from working -- after so many years the GLUE used deteriorated.
Thank you for the very informative video. Highly appreciated.
Very nice video.
I use a DSLR, and I don't really need a light meter, but I'm attracted to these older ones, because they bring you closer to original film photography.
You do need a separate light meter if you want to take better than average pictures. DSLR metering cannot cope with some lighting situations. You also need to learn the Zone System. I am amazed how many don't know this basic piece of information. Once you get it, your photo quality will increase by light years. Happy snapping.
@@davidmanser4193 This is it. I have been getting more into photography of late and although I have a DSLR I found a Olympus XA2 point and shoot and fell in love with film again, brought a Pentax Super A with 50mm 1.4 lens and slowly starting to learn more than I ever did with the digital. So now understand things like what people mean by "stops of light" and so on but nailing exposures is still a thing that I need to perfect. I know the Sunny 16 rule but need to get better at reading the light and can still rely on the camera meter too much which usually tends to under expose in difficult lighting conditions (center weighted) I'm going to invest in one of these meters as they are very affordable and look like fun to use.
Peter. You have made the only video I can find that shows the incident light attachment. The reading you took was identical to the grey card one.
Perfect.
You haven't got an old Leningrad Russian meter to demonstrate the same.
Most videos showing the Leningrad don't even take the white diffuser out of the lid of the case. Keep up the good work. Lots of great information from the past.
Thanks for making this video, it was very informative! Subscribed!
i just got a weston master v and i'm just getting used to working out the readings . you make it sound easy .
They were made in America too, in Newark NJ. The US-made Weston Master II has a black meter instead of a white one but is functionally identical.
A very clear explanation. Thank you.
Very good light meters, I most use them with invercone for incident light metering :)
The Weston light meters was an american company from the start, Sangamo Weston.
The last Weston light meter was the Weston Euro-Master, but other companies made them fx a Euro-Master by East Kilbride and later Euro-Master II by Megatron.
Be sure not to drop a Weston light meter, the very sensative needle can jump out and result in an expensive repair.
Have just bought a Master III from a charity shop in Redhill in excellent condition for £15. Will be using it with a Russian Zorki 4 rangefinder.
Excellent video very informative.
I bought my first Weston in 1972 with a Pentax S1a. Subsequently I owned a Weston V and a Euromaster ... I still have last two and they still work perfectly. I switched to digital cameras about 10 years ago and currently use a Canon SX60HS - but I still really enjoy using the Weston or Euromaster alongside full manual settings on the Canon. I don't do that all the time, of course, but there's something much more personal, creative and satisfying about working out all the settings for yourself for any special images that you want to capture or create.
For anyone who is unsure about the link between ASA and the more common, current use of ISO ... don't confuse yourselves. For all but the truly finicky, an ASA of 400 = ISO 400 and so on. It's a throwback to when we thought about the sensitivity and grain of film as opposed to digital sensors. But the two concepts, although physically different actually lead to almost identical results. Lower ISO, like lower ASA leads towards less 'digital noise' which equates to smaller film grain, and higher ISO leads to increased digital 'noise' which equates to larger film grain and therefore less sharp images. Modern cameras can use higher and higher ISO values with less and less evidence of noise. It's fun to use Westons or other lightmeters with displays of high ASA values that would generally have been frowned upon (or downright insane) when using film.
You can still find these old exposure meters (and other makes) on Ebay, in many specialist shops and at collectable sales .... but do try to test them first as they can be damaged if handled badly. I once dropped my first Weston down a cliff and it survived. Later on I dropped it on the beach at Lyme Regis and it was wrecked!!!
Prior to '72 I was using another lightmeter - can't recall the brand but it was Russian and worked OK until it went tipsy-over-the-edge of a cliff and disintegrated on the rocks below. (That's what I got for trying a few shots of seagulls along the cliff edge. That's two lightmeters I wrecked in that way.). Since I posted the previous comment, I've switched from the SX60 which I just didn't like, to a Lumix FZ330 which is spot-on for my needs. Also since the previous comment, I've given the Euromaster to a friend but I've retained the Weston V which is as familiar as an old friend. I still keep up the skills by switching to fully manual mode with the Lumix, or when I use an older FZ30 or Fuji S7000. (As you might guess, I have strong retro tendencies).
Really well explained. I have a gossen Luna six and I really hate it. My grandfather had a Weston. I struggle with the gossen due to the placement of the meter. Makes for clumsy inaccurate readings. I will try and get a Weston on eBay.
Very useful information. Thank you!
This reminds me of the Sekonic L-28C that I used after the GE Selenium cell meter finally died. I've seen Weston light meters from time to time, so it's nice to know how well they worked as the CdS and Silicon cell light meters began to replace them. (Some of the Si cell units could read electronic flash pulses, which led me to a Minolta Flash Meter IV.)
Thanks very much sir, that was very helpful.
Nice explanation - looking for one on ebay at the moment so your guide will be useful if I should be successful!
Thanks Peter, I have just asked a yashica TLR with no meter and was struggling to understand how my Weston light meter worked. You explained it very clearly so I will know how to use it next time. Tried to buy you a coffee but couldn't find you on the website.
YO !! Great you got your WESTON working - here I am on BuyMeaCoffee-
www.buymeacoffee.com/pentaxpete
@@theoldfilmbloke Perfect, I have sent. Thanks again.
Brilliant help thanks you!
Great video thanks helped with my memory .
Thank you for your Tuturial ,I manged to get hold of 574/715 date 1939/45 ?works perfect I do find them very very good yes they are bulky but well made
Excellent video
Nice work Peter.
Thanks for the video but got a question. I have a Master II, when zeroing the needle what is the correct way of holding it? For example with no light upright or on a flat surface it can read at zero if you tilt it to it's side as per the instructions the needle goes to .4 lumens and if you flip it the other way with the display pointing to the right the needle dips below zero.
Thanks for viewing -- well when I 'Zero' the needle I hold it upright so I can access the back screw with my hand covering the photo cell so no light gets to it .
I'm having the same issue. Glad to see that it is normal. I guess, basically (what Peter Elgar is saying), you hold it like you normally would, cover the photo cell at the back so no light gets through, use the screw at the back to calibrate the needle so that it shows zero.
Then just try to hold it in the same manner always.
If you hold it in a different manner (for example pointing it downwards) I guess you have to account for the needle drift in your calculations.
Thank you! I just stripped down my meter and re-fixed the glass with the help of "Jesito" The meter is made all on metal, strong building. The opening zone is on the bottom side, under a small plate fixed by two supposed rivets. They are just screws with no groove? on the screw head. (I don't know the english word for this).
To remove them, small pliers and a lot of care: (I used my fingernails).
Do not touch the center screw, it's only for adjustment and has nothing to do with the disassembly process.
Under the metal lid there are two more screws, sealed under wax. It's necessary to remove it to get to the screw head.
(My meter has more screws into which the previous ones are screwed).
Once these screws out, the back cover goes out under pressure, from the bottom up (At 30 to 45 degrees to slide out 2 retaining pins) - (some retainers in the top side). Below they appear the remaining screws. Be careful with the two springs that handle the scale change.
(Be aware of the pin and tiny spring near the rope loop).
The last screw on top, again under wax seal:
Once the screws removed everything is handy. The meter cover goes out easily. Be careful with the meter needle.
At this point I was too concentrated in fixing it that I forgot to take more pictures, but essentially was a general cleanup, specially on the glass area, cementing again the glass on it's base, disassembling the selenium cell and cleaning the contact area with a dry Scotch Brite (quite abrasive). From then on, the needle was responsive to the light changes, so I finally could build it all again in reverse order.
(I scraped away all the old adhesive and paint to expose the metal underneath that is inside the cover and will not be visible once reassembled. I very carefully used UNIBOND CRYSTAL, an industrial building adhesive. Tissues, cotton buds and white spirit / turps to clean up before the adhesive set!).
Tom -- thanks for your Contribution an d a successful renovation of your Weston Meter!!
@@theoldfilmbloke The "Screws" holding the plate on the back have "Hex" heads although I do not have a socket small enough, I managed with fingernails!
Hello Peter, thank you for your brilliant little video. Could you advice me about getting into my old WM 5, safely?. I have the moving glass panel issue that you mention, below. Kind regards, Graeme.
forum.mflenses.com/notes-on-repairing-weston-master-iii-light-meter-t16996,highlight,%2Bweston.html
Graeme : Have a look at THIS 'Link' -- it is where I read about 'getting into' a Weston Meter -- Regards -- Peter
My father left a Weston Master I photometer as an inheritance. Does this photometer have a battery? how to change it?
Weston Meters do NOT HAVE ANY BATTERY ! Only meters using CDs cells need battery - Weston has a SELENIUM Cell .
Peter Elgar Thank you! My father left several electronic things and I had to open them to take out the batteries. Some were already deteriorated. Thanks again! Ah! The photometer works perfectly!
I have a black Weston 111.
No invercone though
Really helpful, thank you.
Glad to hear it!
The cell in these will with time die, or at least give a greatly reduced light value. I'd love to use my Master V but its reading is not sensitive or linear anymore. Have you had any of your meters rebuilt? When I called around I was told nobody made the cell anymore.
No not had any rebuilt
thanks really nice
How do one set the ev value of 12 on the camera?
Jesper : have been very ILL in HOSPITAL with a Liver cancer operation so could not reply i have a 1956-59 Rolleiflex 2.8 e Xenotar with 'EV' settings and a 1966 ' Werramatic' but have never used the 'EV' values. I had a look at my Weston Master V -- so for and ASA of say 100 EV 12 gives a selection of exposure settings, up yo YOU which one to set according to if you want a faster shutter speed to stop action and camera shake OR to have a slower speed BUT more Depth of Field for greater sharpness through the subject. I got settings of : 1/250 th @ f4 or 1/15th @ f16 for example
Peter Elgar thanx peter. I do hope you are improving...take care.
Hi, thanks for the tutorial it was just what I needed. Im looking for a light meter to use with my newly aquired mamiya c330 and I think I'll go with the weston vi meter. Cheers, jon
actualy it would be very helpful a video of how to use these positions U the 2 black small squares under the exposure value window than the position A1/2 the C2 the big black squar and last the O position
Hei. What does the area With the needle read on the V? I dont really get it...how i use it for still kameras. Say i set my aparture to f8...how does it read the speed then?
can you tell us about the A and C position also the black sqouer position ? thank you
Thank you. Now to find a light meter that I know how to use and not need a bank loan
I have a box of Weston's in the shed, time to bring them to life again after watching this video.Found seven in a box, the iv,v & vi work the II's do not. What do you think of the "6" ?
I have never heard of a 'Weston 6' ! They only went up to a 'EuroMaster' as far as I know . Mu 'original ;Master II which my Dad 'smuggled ' into England Tax Free from Jersey is still working after I managed to free up the glass which had 'sunk' onto the needle. BUT most of the painted NUMBERS have worn off !
I actually have a Weston Master 6 Model 560 ( made in Japan ) I have a couple of II's as well but they appear to be dead.
I'm puzzled as to why you measure light falling on the subject (flash sun) and not light reflected from the subject, as that is what your camera will be taking a picture of. As a landscape photographer, I would be exposing for the sun all the time instead of the landscape? This doesn't make sense to me
Yes -- Built-in meters in cameras DO measure reflected light BUT it is not accurate all the time and you have to recognise the occasions and use 'Exposure Compensation + or - '-- The 'incident Light Method' is easier if you have a separate meter with the white baffle especially for YOU -- a Landscape Shooter, as it is not influenced by large areas of white Snow or sun on White Sand OR if you are in Wales photographing dark toned slate quarries !
reflected light will be different depending on the color/reflectiveness of the object you measure, so a black object would give a lower reading than a white object even if they are in the same light. The incident light falling on a subject will be the same regardless of the color (assume your lighting doesn't change), so the reading would more accurately depict how much light is in the scene. And you are not exposing for the sun (using incident measurement), you are exposing for the amount of light from the sun that is hitting the meter. If you used a reflected measurement and point at the sun, then you would be exposing for the sun. That is where the white cover becomes important, it causes less light to hit the selenium cell.
Hello, I'm sorry if this question is a wee bit daft but how would you use this for landscape photography? I plan to do a tour of a lot of the lochs in the highland of Scotland (I'm a lowlander myself haha) and I want to take my favourite film camera, however, sadly enough the camera's light meter is died, so I need a light meter and I really like these old fashioned light meters, but I'm totally clueless on it myself haha. Thanks.
Thanks for your query -- well, I use these meters with MY Old Film Cameras BUT I have to warn you they are over 50 years old and the Selenium Cell may be damaged with damp, rust etc and age and NOT be working . I have several now ( all given) and i have to test them before using them. Some no longer give a reading. If you get a GOOD one then if you have the White 'Invercone' for 'Incident Light' readings that is best for 'landscape photography' . You have to turn round to face the light FALLING ONTO the scene and point the side with the white Invercone to that light and get a reading. OR if NO Invercone then point it down to the GROUND and get a 'reflected light' reading -- do not get any 'bright Sky' in the reading just the ground. Keep Snapping ---- Peter
+Peter Elgar oh I will keep that in mind, I read somewhere that can get these things repaired so if I get s faulty one I will just send it off. Also thank you very much for explaining that to me I really do appreciate it and to spend the time to reply. :)
Hi Peter, can you do a specific tutorial on the Weston V please? Just that I have recently obtained one. But without instructions. I do alot of outdoor photography. And get the aperture settings wrong. So spend more time processing the pictures I'm Lightroom. As the sky is either too gray or washed out. And there is no definition in the clouds.
Lee -- there is the Instruction book ONLINE easy to find --- i give you a 'Link' here :
scruss.com/enterprise.net/weston/
Polariser might help you. Also if you constantly find this problem, you can take a few shots with the aperture changed on each shot. Just until you nail the problem.
Good luck.
Dont drop the invercone.....
Ha Ha !!! Too late -- I dropped one in the 1990's in Gibraltar while doing a job for the TA and it chipped but luckily I have spares !
Peter, I have an American made Weston Master III Model 737, does the meter reading represent Waston Rating or ASA in the U.S made model? Thanks!
BEN -- I think the ratings on that model are 'Weston' NOT ASA-- I think they changed to ASA on Mark IV
Thank you, Peter!
Are these still practical for modern digital cameras?
Luis : No not really useful with 'modern Digital' but very useful for older FILM cameras as i use a lot !
Thanks!
Perfectly good. I use my Sangamo Weston Master V to measure incident light, something my EOS 80D cannot do. I bought the Master V in 1966 with my Yashica JP, a totally manual film camera. It is very useful with modern digitals especially in portrait work. It doesn't need batteries either!
Yeah, right. A video of endless blahs. But this guy does a wonderful job explaining the minutiae that you had to master. I bought a Master II 5 or 6 years after he did - in about 1960. Remarkably, it works now exactly as it did then - some 60 years later. That is, it is still fairly useless and pretty inaccurate. To fully understand things, you had to understand the difference between the Weston scale and ASA, DIN, Lumen - weird stuff like that. Knowledge of the gray scale helped too. I had an ancient Ziess Super Ikonta 538 back then, and photography has never gotten any better than that. But with my then perfect vision, it was very difficult to read the tiny numbers on this thing, and turning the rings was a nightmare. I still have it. Not quite heavy enough to make a good paperweight. You can buy one on eBay but don't pay more than 5 bucks - which is WAAYYY more than it is worth. But COOL!! Pull it out when you want to pass yourself off as an expert. Fun stuff for PhotoNerds.
At the Time in the 1950's they cost a 'bomb' compared with my Pocket Money as an Impoverished Schoolboy as there was so much 'Purchase TAX' on anything 'Photographic' !
Do youknow anything about the weston emulsion speeds 650
James -- do you mean when you set an early Weston Master to '650' Weston Speed ? in 'ASA ratings' that would be '800 ASA' --If you mean a Weston Master '650' i believe it was a very early one late 1930's- 40's and I do not know anything about very early models.
Hi @@theoldfilmbloke, Its called Weston Emulsion speed 650, cant get it to do anything, think its about 1935, I know nothing about cameras someone just gave it to me
@@signal99uk That is 2 years before I was born and I'm pretty ancient now ! You must do a 'Google Search' maybe on that model -- I'm no expert on computer searching.
Thanks for great videos! 👍🏻 DIN = Deutsches Institut für Normung. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deutsches_Institut_f%C3%BCr_Normung