James's Light Meter Collection: GM Labs Skan Quick
GM Labs Skan Quick exposure meter USA

Maker: G-M Labs
Model: Skan SM-3 Quick
Circa: 1959
Price (new): $17.50
Designer: Archie McMaster
US Patent: 2,823,858
Cell type: Selenium
Measure type: Reflecting/Averaging

Frankly I think this is better than the Deluxe. This one has a nice, easy to read face (at least in the middle of the scale) and a fairly clean and easy calculator dial on back. It lacks that dumb "view-finder" that really doesn't add any value, and they're both about the same size and weight.

This one has a gimmick of its own, though. Under the meter face there's a panel that says (in this photo) "ASA 100" and a scale of values underneath. This is for direct reading. If you're using ASA 100 film, you read the meter reading (in this case, say it's around 3.3), then you go down that front panel and there are your combinations: 1/25th at around ƒ5.6, 1/50th at ƒ4, 1/100th at ƒ2.8. G-M had four of those little ASA slide-panels, all stacked up inside. The four I have are for ASAs 10, 12, 40 and 100. I don't know if they made more.

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