Old Analog Meter: Any Value ??
 

I have an old Gossen Super Pilot light meter that appears to be in very good
physical condition. I'm a casual user of a digital SLR and have never used
a light meter of any kind. Surprisingly, there are several of these
available on e-Bay, one claiming that it is a useful device, the other
considering it a collectable at best.

It's pretty cool looking so I won't toss it in any case, but does it have
any practical usefulness in today's world?

- Magnusfarce

Old Analog Meter: Any Value ??
 

"Magnusfarce" wrote in message
...
I have an old Gossen Super Pilot light meter that appears to be in very
good physical condition. I'm a casual user of a digital SLR and have never
used a light meter of any kind. Surprisingly, there are several of these
available on e-Bay, one claiming that it is a useful device, the other
considering it a collectable at best.

It's pretty cool looking so I won't toss it in any case, but does it have
any practical usefulness in today's world?

Incident metering is the best way to determine the technically accurate
exposure, assuming even lighting, and the Super Pilot should do that nicely.
If you know how to use spot metering, then you can use your in-camera (spot
or partial) metering to take artistic control of your exposures, even in
situations where incident metering would be inconvenient or impossible.

Inversely, averaging (what the Super Pilot does in it's normal mode), center
weighted, matrix and the like are heuristic techniques that occasionally
happen to come up with acceptable exposures.

David J. Littleboy
Tokyo, Japan

Old Analog Meter: Any Value ??
 

"Magnusfarce" wrote

I have an old Gossen Super Pilot light meter that appears to be in very
good
physical condition. I'm a casual user of a digital SLR and have never
used
a light meter of any kind. Surprisingly, there are several of these
available on e-Bay, one claiming that it is a useful device, the other
considering it a collectable at best.

It's pretty cool looking so I won't toss it in any case, but does it have
any practical usefulness in today's world?

I've still got my old Weston Master V, complete with its little leather case
and 'Invacone' but I must confess I haven't used it since I had a twin-lens
Rolliecord back in the 1970s. It also looks cool (it is certainly well made)
but with modern cameras I'd say their usefulness was limited to studio work.

They go pretty cheap on eBay, so their value as collectables is probably
limited - so far. Give it another 20 years?

Paul

Old Analog Meter: Any Value ??
 

On Jun 30, 9:25 pm, "Magnusfarce"
wrote:
I have an old Gossen Super Pilot light meter that appears to be in very good
physical condition. I'm a casual user of a digital SLR and have never used
a light meter of any kind. Surprisingly, there are several of these
available on e-Bay, one claiming that it is a useful device, the other
considering it a collectable at best.

It's pretty cool looking so I won't toss it in any case, but does it have
any practical usefulness in today's world?

- Magnusfarce

About the only big factor in newer meters is ease of use. If someone
is comfortable using those old meters, they work as well as anything
made today.

Old Analog Meter: Any Value ??
 

On Jun 30, 9:25 pm, "Magnusfarce"
wrote:
I have an old Gossen Super Pilot light meter that appears to be in very
good
physical condition.
....
"Don Stauffer in Minnesota" wrote in message
oups.com...
About the only big factor in newer meters is ease of use. If someone
is comfortable using those old meters, they work as well as anything
made today.

Gossen's in particular are beautifully made, though the economic value as
such is minimal.
--
Mike Russell - www.curvemeister.com

Old Analog Meter: Any Value ??
 

Magnusfarce wrote:
I have an old Gossen Super Pilot light meter that appears to be in very good
physical condition. I'm a casual user of a digital SLR and have never used
a light meter of any kind. Surprisingly, there are several of these
available on e-Bay, one claiming that it is a useful device, the other
considering it a collectable at best.

It's pretty cool looking so I won't toss it in any case, but does it have
any practical usefulness in today's world?

- Magnusfarce



Put it away somewhere nice and safe together with your slide rule etc.
You never know when these things might come back into fashion.
Dave Cohen

Old Analog Meter: Any Value ??
 

Dave Cohen wrote:
Magnusfarce wrote:
I have an old Gossen Super Pilot light meter that appears to be in
very good physical condition. I'm a casual user of a digital SLR and
have never used a light meter of any kind. Surprisingly, there are
several of these available on e-Bay, one claiming that it is a useful
device, the other considering it a collectable at best.

It's pretty cool looking so I won't toss it in any case, but does it
have any practical usefulness in today's world?

- Magnusfarce



Put it away somewhere nice and safe together with your slide rule etc.
You never know when these things might come back into fashion.
Dave Cohen
My old Weston is nestled down between my K&E slide rule and my Dietzgen
drafting instruments--the start of a museum for my grandchildren.
Allen

Old Analog Meter: Any Value ??
 

Allen wrote:
[]
My old Weston is nestled down between my K&E slide rule and my
Dietzgen drafting instruments--the start of a museum for my
grandchildren. Allen

Be careful no well-meaning person throws them out as scrap....

David

Old Analog Meter: Any Value ??
 

On Jul 1, 8:24 pm, Allen wrote:
Dave Cohen wrote:
Magnusfarce wrote:
I have an old Gossen Super Pilot light meter that appears to be in
very good physical condition. I'm a casual user of a digital SLR and
have never used a light meter of any kind. Surprisingly, there are
several of these available on e-Bay, one claiming that it is a useful
device, the other considering it a collectable at best.

It's pretty cool looking so I won't toss it in any case, but does it
have any practical usefulness in today's world?

- Magnusfarce

Put it away somewhere nice and safe together with your slide rule etc.
You never know when these things might come back into fashion.
Dave Cohen

My old Weston is nestled down between my K&E slide rule and my Dietzgen
drafting instruments--the start of a museum for my grandchildren.
Allen

We still have a Gossen Luna Pro, and I use it when I use one of our
old film cameras without a meter. Too good to retire it to the
ancient artifacts shelf!

Old Analog Meter: Any Value ??
 

David J Taylor wrote:
Allen wrote:
[]
My old Weston is nestled down between my K&E slide rule and my
Dietzgen drafting instruments--the start of a museum for my
grandchildren. Allen

Be careful no well-meaning person throws them out as scrap....

David


In today's world, that well-meaning person would have a point--unless he
worked for the Smithsonian. Thank goodness, back in the ancient days,
when I needed more accuracy than one could achieve with a slide rule, I
would just _rent_ a Monroe or Friden calculator rather than buy one; one
of those things would require a bigger dead-storage space than my slide
rule. So much for the good old days.
Allen