Weston
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| Weston Master II with incident light invercone |
Sangamo Weston was a company that made light meters, among much other electrical equipment. It is particularly known for the Weston Master series of selenium meters.
Weston was founded by Edward Weston, who held many patents for electrical inventions, from permanent magnets through cellulose manufacturing, dynamos, arc & filament lights and the magnetic-drag speedometer to electrical measurement instruments (and even US 895218 - a fruit box!)[1] Weston's son, Edward Faraday Weston, applied for a U.S. patent on the first Weston Exposure meter, granted as No.2016469 in October 1935.[2] This was a cylindrical case with an electrical meter at one end, and an iris at the other; an adjustable scale around the meter opened and closed the iris, and showed the exposure.
Sangamo was originally "Sangamo Electric Co.", in Springfield, Illinois, and set up a British subsidiary in 1921. Sangamo acquired the Weston Electrical Instrument Co. in 1936. [3]
Since Weston were an early player in the light meter game - before film speeds were standardised, there are Weston film speed scales.
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| Weston Master V |
At some time, Weston products were distributed by Ilford in the UK.
The company was bought out by Schlumberger in 1976, but still exists making electrical timers and switchgear.
The EuroMaster light meter is now being made by a company called Megatron.
- ↑ Edward Weston short Biography
- ↑ Letter from Weston employee and the Western Photographic Historical Society Photographica Digest, vol.XII no.12 has an article on the Westons and a copy of the patent. See also FreePatentsOnline: US 2016469 Exposure Meter
- ↑ Sangamo History
Links
- Weston Master article by David Haardt
- Weston meter manuals at www.orphancameras.com
- Weston Master V instruction manual on Mike Butkus' site
- Megatron - current manufacturers of EuroMaster
