AstrHori Redesigns Its Compact and Affordable Light Meter
Light meters remain essential for many film photographers, and AstrHori’s offerings have long been a popular choice. The Chinese company is back with a new model, the XH-2, which sports a revised appearance and promises improved photometric measurements.
The XH-2 light meter, not to be confused with the Fujifilm X-H2 interchangeable lens mirrorless camera, replaces the older AH-M1 released last year. The new XH-2 has a rounder shape and is longer, whereas the AH-M1 has a broader design when viewed from the front of the camera.
Like the AH-M1, the XH-2 includes a 0.66-inch OLED to display real-time exposure parameters, including exposure value, exposure compensation, aperture value, shutter speed, ISO, battery level, priority mode, and more.
The XH-2 includes a metering hole with an anti-reflective design, an adjustment dial, and an on/off switch. On the bottom is a cold shoe mount and a USB Type-C port. The USB-C port charges the device, which takes about half an hour to fully charge. Regarding the cold shoe, AstrHori says that a revised design makes the light meter compatible with a broader range of cameras.
Users can select from a wide range of shutter speeds, ranging from a second to 1/8,000s. Supported aperture values range from f/1 to f/32, and ISO goes from just 5 up to 6,400. Settings are controlled with the adjustment dial and main button, which can be pressed rapidly or long-pressed to perform various functions.
The AstrHori XH-2 offers average metering over a 30-degree field of view and can meter in about half a second. The device weighs just 63 grams (2.2 ounces) and is constructed primarily from brass. It comes in black and silver color options and is available to order now from Pergear for $79. While the product page shows the AH-M1 in the URL, Pergear has entirely replaced that unit with the XH-2 in its catalog, and the light meter is available to ship today.
With film photography experiencing a resurgence, many new light meters are popping up on the market. Just last year, aside from the AstrHori AH-M1, there were also similar products announced by TTArtisan and Reflx Lab.
Image credits: AstrHori
