A LIGHT METER FILTER

A LIGHT METER FILTER

PHOTO GOSSEN PRO FILTERS

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WHY
-- A way to bring your meter in correspondence with your camera.

WHAT

-- I’m one of those who keeps forgetting something.

-- To flip the film holder around or forget to bring back the aperture opening after having gotten my shot framed and focused.

-- One of the things that’s on that list, real close to the top, is to remember to adjust for the coloured filter on my camera.

-- With most 35mm cameras these days the problem is solved automatically. But there are a lot of cameras around these days where you do have to do the mental gymnastics.
-- Sometimes even my Minolta or my F2 on their bad days..

-- My spot meter has some very nice threads on the lens which means I can apply the appropriate filter to the meter.

-- Problem solved

-- BUT there were no handy little filter adapter or threads on my Luna –Pro (All of mine are SBC’s but I assume any of the meters with the same body may work.)

-- At first I thought I’d apply a small circular filter over the lens and why this would work it would be a bit fussy and probably I'd end up having to adjust the exposure in the opposite direction when I wanted to use s ND or UV filter…..  Probably too much fussing. (Or paying attention to.)

-- Then I thought that I could use a strip of filter gel and have the diffuser “dome” hold it down..
-- Still a bit fussy.

-- Then I looked of the recessed “tracks” that the little dome slides in.

And I discovered that sliding a piece of gel filter that way seems to work quite nicely.

-- I can slide either the filter or the “dome’ out of the way or apply either.

-- With two fingernails I can remove my little square of filter gel and replace it easily with a different piece.

-- The Rosco people (http://us.rosco.com/en/products/family/filters-and-diffusions) make a Roscolene swatch book for about $3 and will give you enough materialfor 6 or so mini filters and in just about any colour you want,  Rosco’s information will actually allow you to tune their gels very closely to the photo gels or glass filters.  (Don’t use theater gels on your camera lens however.)

-- You can also use developed film (fog) base to provide you with various ND filter material.

-- What I did with these little “mystery” filters was to hold a filter over the lens of the meter and then do the same with the gel. You can take a very fine indelible pen to write info in the corner(s).

-- There are other methods including using Rosco’s paperwork or using Kodak gels but buying the second solution, even “used”, you can probably buy a couple of swatch books.

HOW

-- I measured out the width and depth of the filter and added on 3/32 on each side for the tab on each side as it shows.  These tabs keep the filter from sliding around and also hold it tightly agents the meter body and keeps light from leaking around the edges.

-- Just on the inside of the ¾ inch folding lines I score with a not quite sharp tool.  I use a metal nail file end.

-- Then I fold the little tabs up.

-- That’s basically it.

-- And, by the way, the red “filter” above is not one but is rather a piece of paper that I made so that one would show up in the picture…