Hasselblad 201 Metered Prism or Sekonic 758DR Spot meter?

Congrats on the 201. I think they are the best Hasselblad bodies (at least the affordable ones) ever made.

The Hasselblad meters are more convenient, but the Sekonic is more accurate. It would also depend on the type of photography you do, lighting situations, and what type of film you shoot.

I just use an old PM finder on my 201's and use a hand held meter.

John

I'd put my money on the Sekonic (I do own two Hasselblad prism finders, one metered, one not). It's okay for accuracy, but the Sekonic is built specifically for the job of measuring light. I also don't use my prism finders much because I shoot fashion and more controlled lighting scenes where I can use a meter, plus they add so dang much weight to the camera (especially since I mainly use EL/Ms).

If you plan on using a prism anyway, I would just get a pme 45 or pme 90. They can be had for a lot less than they used to cost (which was A LOT!), and it will give you the prism, a spot meter and an incident meter. They are still quite expensive, but so is the Sekonic meter you mention. Any difference in accuracy is probably not worth the hassle of carrying around an extra meter. If you can find one, the best advice might be to sell your 201F and get a 203FE or 205FE/TCC -- both give you an internal meter that is extremely accurate, as well as an extra stop of shutter speed at the high end, AE operation, automatic ISO transfer from the magazine to the body and so on. Deals can be had if you are patient -- you might find that you can get a 203FE for less than the price of your 201F plus that sekonic meter or a pme 45/90.

Re prism meter accuracy: nothing to worry about. They are as accurate as the best of the handheld meters.

Thanks for all the answers. I am new to Hasselblad and just starting to build my system. I already own the Sekonic 758DR and yes it was expensive. I do understand that having a spot meter built in the camera can less of a hassle of carrying around the extra meter and that is one reason I was considering a metered prism. From what I understand, the 203FE has centered weighted metering and the 205FE/TCC gives you the spot metering. At this point, the least expensive 203FE that I have seen on ebay is around $1800 and of course the 205 is certainly going for more. Even so I do keep watching for these models daily. Although I am watching them, I almost think if I decide to add a metered prism to my 201F I might be better off than to get one of the other two models mentioned. My reasoning and concern is that the built in meters can fail, or a circuit board can go bad inside the camera. The 201F does not have that issue and if a metered prism fails I can separate it from the camera body and replace or repair. Most likely that will be for less money than having to replace a circuit board or repair the meter in the 203 or 205 bodies.

I am quite aware that both the 203 and 205 models have their advantages over the 201F. They are both fine camera bodies. I also know that the FE lenses with the electrical contacts are more costly than the C, CF, or F lenses.

In my opinion, a couple of advantages of using the Sekonic 758DR is that it does not add to the weight of the camera body and it can be used with other cameras.

I wouild think that the hand held Sekonic 758DR, would be much more accurate than any meter built in the camera.

Jason

While it is marginally more convenient to use the prism rather than a separate meter, I prefer the meter (Sekonic L-508). I use a 45 degree prism, but a non-metered variety, and a 205TCC which has a built-in spot meter.

A meter is only as accurate as the way you use it. You have to manually transfer readings from either a metered prism or handheld meter to the camera. You must also enter the maximum aperture in the PME each time you change lenses. Once I have set up a shot I check the exposure several places with a spot meter. If I were to use the camera I would have to point it throughout the scene, which is decidely less convenient. I use the incident feature of the L-508 for closeups, portraits and anything using remote flash. The latest PME prisms have an incident light dome, but I'm not sure how practical it is to use, and it has no flash reading capability.

Its more a question of how either fits with your workflow. I have both a metered prism and a metered prism for my Bronicas. I use the former almost exclusively, though I have no reason to doubt the accuracy of the prism, and I even had it recalibrated when I started using Maxwell screens some years ago.

For me, moving a tripod-mounted camera around a scene collecting spot meter readings from different parts of the subject is a pain, and much easier with a hand-held that allows me to de-couple framing and metering completely. Further I can take readings from a scene I'm considering without setting up a camera.

I use the in-camera meter primarily as a sense -check on the results of my spot-metering deliberations, but I have to say that if I'd had the Sekonic first, or if my unmetered prism weighed less, I would almost certainly not have bought the metered version at all.

Sorry-should say

I have a Sekonic hand held spotmeter and a metered prism for my Bronicas. I use the former almost exclusively.

Once again, Thanks for all your answers. I think I am going to go with an NC-2 45 degree non metered prism and use the Sekonic 758DR.

One of the reasons I decided to go back to shooting some film was to slow myself down again and start thinking more about my composition as well as getting back to the roots of my photography and improve my technique as well.

I certainly agree that it is a fact that a meter is only as good as the person using it and of course the outcome is dependent on their experience. I can understand where it would be a pain to have to move a camera around what you are attempting to frame when using spot metering. This would be especially true if you are waiting for just the right lighting situation, or you have limited time to compose your image.

Does anyone have any comments in regard to my choice of the NC-2 45 degree non metered prism vs a 90 degree?

I also have the choice of using the waist level viewfinder that came with my camera and I am used to that from the TLR Rollei's that I shot many years ago. Since I have not gotten out in the field with my new Hassy 201F( well new to me), I do not know yet how practical the Waist level Viewfinder would be. I do know the balance of the Hassy is different from the TLR Rollei. Can anyone give the pro's and con's of shooting with the NC-2 and PM 90 vs shooting with the Waist level?

Thanks in advance,

Jason

45 degree prisms tend to have higher magnification than 90 degree prisms. I have a PM-5 which is 3x (and useable on a 205TCC). They can also be used comfortably from (nearly) eye level to ground level without doing contortions. A 90 degree prism is mainly used for eye level shooting with a grip, like at events and weddings.

It's hard to see the entire screen with a waist level finder. It is too small and dim without the magnifier and hard to see the corners with the magnifier at eye level. However my hood has higher magnification, which makes it much easier to focus, and deserves a place in my travel kit. It takes a little practice to follow a moving subject with the image reversed left to right.