CalcuLite XP meter - still the low light leader?

CasperMarly

Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2021
Messages
33
Location
Idaho
Format
Multi Format
Have and use Calculite XP light meters. They can meter under moonlight. I think the ads said "under a quarter moon" and when I got mine I tried it. It actually worked though I still had to deal with recipocity for the film I was using.

Are there other meters that are as sensitive in low light conditions?

Not going to get one, just interested. The XP meters work fine and the accessories allow ground glass exposure measuring which helps a lot with close work using the View Camera.
 

Dan Fromm

Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2005
Messages
6,794
Format
Multi Format
How did you calibrate y'r XP for direct off the gg reading?
 
OP
OP

CasperMarly

Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2021
Messages
33
Location
Idaho
Format
Multi Format
Dan Fromm said:
How did you calibrate y'r XP for direct off the gg reading?
Click to expand...
Was pretty simple.
I took a reading direcly over the camera at a grey card and then off the ground glass. Nothing changed in lighting or focus. Counted the difference in exposure and applied that for the photos.
Did it a few times in sun, shade and some bounce lighting areas and it held true.
Got lucky on eBay some time ago and got a full set of the probes and a meter for almost nothing. Nice wooden case and everything.
The meters are small and lightweight and have been working now for decades.
 
OP
OP

CasperMarly

Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2021
Messages
33
Location
Idaho
Format
Multi Format
The book on the XP says EV minus 7.
At the time it was the lowest light reading of a commercial product. Don't know if anything since that reads lower.
 
  • AgX
  • Deleted

AgX

Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2007
Messages
29,990
Location
Germany
Format
Multi Format
The manufacturers must got something very wrong.


Sensitivity:

Calculite XP : EV-7 resp. 0.0015fc

Gossen Profisix : EV-4 resp. 0.0016 fc

Thus concerning the one unit they got identical sensitivity, concerning the other they are 3 stops off !




(The data sheet for Gossen says 0.17lux and I used the lux/fc conversion factor of 10.76)
 
Last edited:

AgX

Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2007
Messages
29,990
Location
Germany
Format
Multi Format
I very much think that someone at Calcu-Light mixed up:

"Sensitivity in EV" with "min. EV value on scale"



And you guys got fooled by that...


By the way, the min. EV value on scale for the Profisix is -8
 

AgX

Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2007
Messages
29,990
Location
Germany
Format
Multi Format
Anon Ymous said:
The Gossen Lunasix 3 can meter down to EV -5. That's crescent moon.
Click to expand...

I got the Lunasix at hand, which is basically the same meter. And that got a sensitivity of EV-4.

Actually do not even know a meter that goes below EV-4. But to establish that is the topic of this thread.
 

Arvee

Member
Joined
Aug 23, 2006
Messages
976
Location
Great Basin
Format
Multi Format
According to an online chart: EV -7 = .0015fc where EV-4 = .016fc. Perhaps Gossen missed the boat.
 
  • AgX
  • Deleted

Steve Goldstein

Subscriber
Joined
Jul 8, 2007
Messages
1,735
Location
Northeastern US
Format
Multi Format

I think you got the decimal point wrong. 0.17/10.76 = 0.0158 fc, rounding to 0.016. The Calculite is 10 times more sensitive at 0.0015.
 

AgX

Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2007
Messages
29,990
Location
Germany
Format
Multi Format
I stand corrected:

I calculated right, but then made a typo, and did not realize this, though for the safety I even put the figures in the post!

Gossen Profisix : EV-4 resp. 0.016 fc




(This is a typical case of "proving that something cannot be true" which then results in such typos that fit ones expectations...)
 
Last edited:

AgX

Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2007
Messages
29,990
Location
Germany
Format
Multi Format
Yes, the figures for the Calcu-Light XP then are right.

(Though the error about mixing up the EV values I hinted at is common and I repeatedly saw it at catalogs.)


What really puzzles me is the extreme high sensitivity. I did not know this meter up to now, it does not show up in my archive (in contrast to other Calcu meters) and even if I overlooked it in some catalog or so, I sure would not have overlooked a statement of such high sensitivity. I guess I shall have to look into my catalogs again...
 

chriscrawfordphoto

Member
Joined
Mar 12, 2007
Messages
1,882
Location
Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA
Format
Medium Format
Sekonic L-858 goes to ev -5 in incident mode, which is better than the Gossen meters. In 1 degree spot mode, the Sekonic goes to ev -1, which is the best low light sensitivity of any one degree spotmeter. Unfortunately, it has an awful touch screen display. I have the older Sekonic L-758DR and I love it. The 858 has a lot better lowlight capability, but I find the touchscreen to be slow and hard to use in the field.
 

Anon Ymous

Member
Joined
Feb 7, 2008
Messages
3,661
Location
Greece
Format
35mm
AgX said:
I got the Lunasix at hand, which is basically the same meter. And that got a sensitivity of EV-4.

Actually do not even know a meter that goes below EV-4. But to establish that is the topic of this thread.
Click to expand...
Correct, it goes down to -4, not -5.
 

RalphLambrecht

Subscriber
Joined
Sep 19, 2003
Messages
14,551
Location
K,Germany
Format
Medium Format
the GossenLuna-Star F2 meters meastres below EV0.
 

AgX

Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2007
Messages
29,990
Location
Germany
Format
Multi Format
I am still puzzled...

I checked out my archive and looked through all the catalogs and stuff, and in the early 90's a sensitivity of EV-4 by far was extreme.

But I also found one dubblesided photocopy out of some magazin or catalog, I dated as 1993. And it contains (without importer or manufacturer stated) an ad for Calcu flashes.
For the models Flash S, Flash II, Light X and Light XP.
The title says "Digital Precision for an utmost advantageous Price"
There are hints at metering in the dark, but no wording of any kind that I would expect for a meter that is by one magnitude more sensitive than even the two or three most extremely sensitive competitors.
That likely was the reason that I read what was given at the small-letters section not as sensitivity but as min. value on scale, as an error of the translator.


I filed that Calcu photocopy at the far back of my lightmeter register where the obscure or no-name ones sit. And funny enough just the next filed item is a page out of the catalog of a german dealer/importer of obscure stuff who got the sensitivity of the Polaris meter wrong by 5 stops!
Just the usual error concerning what I explained above.



Thus can you confirm that the Calcu Light XP actually is that much more sensitive as stated?
(Best tested against competitors.)
 
Last edited:

AgX

Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2007
Messages
29,990
Location
Germany
Format
Multi Format
I went down to the bottom of my archive and checked everything including wholesaler catalogs, except for some magazines, but these are few anyway: No trace. I also have been a visitor to Photokina in those years, putting my head into the most tiny booth.

If that meter would really be as great as it seems now (at least concerning sensitivity), why did it not come to my attention as it should? (I hope this does not come over as arrogant.)
Was is well known in the USA?

Furthermore, to those who used it: Was it in practice usefull at the lowest levels of intensity? I mean here the Schwazschild-factor already comes into play and such metering likely only makes sense after testing each film type for this, unless data is given.
 

RalphLambrecht

Subscriber
Joined
Sep 19, 2003
Messages
14,551
Location
K,Germany
Format
Medium Format
the most sensitive meter I own is the RhDesigns darkroom meter on my Timer2 but I have no idea how to use it as an image-taking exposuremeter. it reads light coming through cracks in a darkened room at night!
 

AgX

Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2007
Messages
29,990
Location
Germany
Format
Multi Format
AgX said:
I am still puzzled...


Thus can you confirm that the Calcu Light XP actually is that much more sensitive as stated?
(Best tested against competitors.)
Click to expand...


So the Calculite XP is presented here the most senstive lightmeter there was, but nobody actually can confirm this.
 
OP
OP

CasperMarly

Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2021
Messages
33
Location
Idaho
Format
Multi Format
The meters were never really popular. No sure why. First time I saw one was working at a Camera store & the rep came in, had us gather around and then threw the meter against a wall about 12 feet away. Told us "we'll guarantee it 100%" to be working right. Solid State was a big thing at that time.
The X was not as sensitive as the XP. Both worked well. Have had both and ended up keeping the XP, mainly for its lower light sensitivity.
 

irivlin

Member
Joined
Sep 22, 2009
Messages
13
Format
35mm

The Gossen Luna Pro SBC (silicon blue cell) performs about the same as a Lunasix 3. I've recently bought a Calculight XP and I'll be doing some comparison tests. As another member has mentioned, low light levels run into problems with reciprocity. I have a couple of Nikon FE cameras and in the darkest of nights (set to automatic) the cameras will give exposures of a number of minutes (sic). The results are more often good than bad.
I find FP4 suffers from reciprocity issues less than Tri-X or Ilford HP5. Kodak T-Max 3200 does surprisingly well at low light levels, rated at approx 1000 asa. The Nikon F2as has very good performance in low light. There are many inexpensive Lux meters that do well, if you can be bothered dealing FC to EV.
 

ic-racer

Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2007
Messages
16,480
Location
USA
Format
Multi Format
Anyone have a picture. Google image search does not show an example.
 

MattKing

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Apr 24, 2005
Messages
51,866
Location
Delta, BC Canada
Format
Medium Format
Of the meter?

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn more…