James's Light Meter Collection: GM Labs Skan
GM Labs Skan meter USAClick for Manual
Maker: G-M Labs
Model: Skan
Circa: 1946
Price (new): $14.95
Designer: Archie McMaster
US Patent: 2,308,469
Cell type: Selenium
Measure type: Reflecting/Averaging

click for larger adclick or larger imageThis one came as part of a kit when I bought my Century Graphic at an antique store, (along with the GE Guardian meter).

This is just a post-war updating of GM's original "Standard" model. They came up with the new name and the man with the top hat logo, and ran with it. According to the "new product" blub in an issue of Minicam Photography, which was typically just taken directly from the company's press release, the guts of the meter were improved and reworked. I don't know how true that is--some day I'll open them both up for a direct comparison. But the fact is that the outside case is the same except for the cover plate.

One of the simplest meters I have, just a photocell and a needle. You read the number, flip it over and look it up on the calculator dial on the back of the unit.

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