What light meter?

[Polar Bear]

I seem to have acquired a Bronica ETRSi medium format camera.  I'll be needing a light meter methinks. 

Does anybody have any recommendations or even something gathering dust in a box which they might be willing to part with for an appropriate wodge please?

[Paul H]

There's an app for that.  I had one on an iPhone but haven't had a need for it since changing to Android a couple of years ago, I'm sure there's an equivalent, it was a couple of quid and called something obvious.  Serious photography reviewers rated the apps as good as mid price dedicated meters, I've never used one to compare.

[Salvatore]

There are numerous light meter apps for smartphones. I'd try one (or a few) and see if they're any good before parting with money. I can't comment on them because I have a Sekonic 608 which works fine but is phenomenally expensive (just going on ebay prices).

[perpetual dan]

I know your sight isn’t 100% but don’t recall the details - will some sorts of metering or meter be more or less usable? Eg a a look-through spot meter, or a mechanical needle meter with small labelled text, or an app, or a different camera.

[Pickled Onion]

I seem to have acquired a Bronica ETRSi medium format camera.  I'll be needing a light meter methinks. 

Does anybody have any recommendations or even something gathering dust in a box which they might be willing to part with for an appropriate wodge please?

Nice!

Unless you're shooting slide film, which you won't be on a medium format, back in the day it was quite normal to use the little slip of paper that came in the film box with recommended settings for sunny, cloudy, overcast, snowy. Negative film has quite a latitude as long as you err on the over-expose side. This is the opposite of digital which you should avoid over-exposing at all costs.

I've not seen the apps mentioned, but if they do spot-metering then you could go all Ansel Adams with the zone system for fantastic results. If you have the patience.

I have a Weston Master III, but I'm not sure it tells me any more than the rule of thumb approach. Apart from indoors. But if you're going to shoot indoors use your phone. (Or a flash)

[Polar Bear]

I'm likely to consider an app but I have never purchased an app before and I don't really want to give Mr. Google my financials.  I also wonder how an app can be properly calibrated when it will be operated through the diverse concoctions of hundreds if not thousands of sensor and lens combinations.  Not great for ultimate accuracy in my mind.  Am I missing something here?

I am happy to spend to buy on the basis that this sort of kit seems to be holding value quite well at the moment but also that my youngest son will inherit the equipment sooner or later and would no doubt appreciate it.

As for my extremely limited sight: suggest to a person with a disability that they cannot do something and they invariably strive to prove otherwise.

[Paul H]

I also wonder how an app can be properly calibrated when it will be operated through the diverse concoctions of hundreds if not thousands of sensor and lens combinations.

I think it's a reasonable assumption that the apps will use the same features as the phone's camera.  How are the exposures using that? If they seem accurate, then I see no reason why the metering wouldn't be. I don't have to consider how, or if, it's capable of doing that when I can already check it's accuracy.  Quick google shows there's several free apps available. You could possibly even use the phone without an app, on mine you can set the ISO and it displays aperture and shutter speed, it wouldn't take much to work that backwards and test they match.
 

[bikepacker]

Weston. Either the Master 5 or the Euromaster. Both are excellent I used them for many years. http://www.westonmeter.org.uk

[Polar Bear]

A lovely old selenium meter like a Weston would be very nice but iirc the selenium and the coils inside degrade over time and they need to be repaired.

A quick Google found a chap over in Colchester who repairs Weston meters for £175 plus p+p.

The question now is, do I go down the nostalgia route.  Hmmm.   

Photography is a very expensive hobby.

[bikepacker]

Nice hobby to have though. I never did it as a hobby to me it was a job.

[ppg]

Weston. Either the Master 5 or the Euromaster. Both are excellent I used them for many years. http://www.westonmeter.org.uk

Ha, modern stuff!
Sadly my Weston Master 3 died, didn't quite make retirement age 😭

[Polar Bear]

Weston. Either the Master 5 or the Euromaster. Both are excellent I used them for many years. http://www.westonmeter.org.uk

I have purchased a fully rebuilt Weston Euro Master.  Expensive but I know that my younger son will enjoy it when he gets his mitts on it in time.

Thanks for reminding me of Weston.  I am sure that they were the weapon of choice amongst the family photographers of yore.  Things of beauty too.

[Pickled Onion]

Hopefully it came with an intact invercone. Use that in preference to reflected light mode wherever possible.

Have fun.

[FifeingEejit]

I seem to have acquired a Bronica ETRSi medium format camera.  I'll be needing a light meter methinks. 

Does anybody have any recommendations or even something gathering dust in a box which they might be willing to part with for an appropriate wodge please?

Nice!

Unless you're shooting slide film, which you won't be on a medium format, back in the day it was quite normal to use the little slip of paper that came in the film box with recommended settings for sunny, cloudy, overcast, snowy. Negative film has quite a latitude as long as you err on the over-expose side. This is the opposite of digital which you should avoid over-exposing at all costs.

I've not seen the apps mentioned, but if they do spot-metering then you could go all Ansel Adams with the zone system for fantastic results. If you have the patience.

I have a Weston Master III, but I'm not sure it tells me any more than the rule of thumb approach. Apart from indoors. But if you're going to shoot indoors use your phone. (Or a flash)

Most of my Medium Format Colour is on Slide film.

I've got a Gosen
https://gossen-photo.de/en/digisix-2/

and a Zeiss
https://mycameracabinet.wordpress.com/2011/06/30/zeiss-ikon-ikophot-rapid/

For when I'm shooting on my Isolette, but when I'm using the box camera Sunny 16 and Overcast 11 at ~1/60th work fine if it's 50/100 (which is still faster film than they were designed for)

[Polar Bear]

Hopefully it came with an intact invercone. Use that in preference to reflected light mode wherever possible.

Have fun.

Oops, Sory.  Missed your reply.

It did indeed come with an intact invercone.  I have been playing with the meter for a while and trying to see if I can predict both reflective and incident light.  I am a bit hit and miss but I shall carefully document my first few rolls of film frame by frame in the hope that I will learn from the experience.

[Pickled Onion]

Most of my Medium Format Colour is on Slide film.

Ah yes you're right I missed a "probably" out of that sentence. The last time I shot transparency was 5x4" sheet film.

And thinking further on it, without a darkroom, shooting on tranny and scanning is certainly a very good idea!