My $60 light meter from eBay turned out to be a dud

I bought a used Sekonic light meter off eBay for about $60 thinking it would help me get better exposures with my old Pentax. Turns out the thing is off by two stops in low light, so all my night shots came out completely black. Has anyone else had luck calibrating old meters yourself or should I just save up for a new one?

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2 Comments

emma_hart3mo ago

I've had this same thing happen with an old Gossen meter from a thrift store. You can try finding the calibration screw inside the battery compartment, it's usually a tiny pot that adjusts the needle or digital readout. Set it up next to a phone light meter app or a known good camera at the same ISO and aperture, then adjust until they match. Worked for me on a couple of old meters, but your mileage may vary with that Sekonic. If the adjustment pot is seized up or missing, I'd just save for a new one since $60 is what you'd sink into a repair.

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henry_hernandez3mo ago

Those calibration screws are a myth half the time. I cracked open a Sekonic once and found a tiny pot inside, turned it a hair, and suddenly my meter thought it was a compass. Two stops off in low light is rough though. Your night shots came out black? That's just a happy accident for "moody" photos nobody asked for. I say keep it as a paperweight and let it remind you why eBay deals feel like a scam every time. $60 down the drain, but at least you got a story out of it.

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