The Master 1

The first of the Weston Master series, the type 715 (and 720 cine variant), this meter was produced at Newark NJ in 1939 and then in the UK by Sangamo Weston in Enfield, Middlesex after the war in 1947. It is the first of the Master series and the first Weston to have an "upright" format.

The photos show meter No F7165, in beautiful condition,bought at a boot fair in Essex UK for £20. It is in an ever-ready case of a type which continued to be used for many years. E2865 was bought at a market in Norfolk for £6 and has a thick leather top-opening case. Both meters work perfectly and are accurate. Note that there is a 715a and a 715b - only the dials are slightly different. f stop range is 1.5 to 32, speeds 100sec to 1/1200 and the dial readings are 0.2 to 50 baffle open or 25 to 1600 closed. The 720 is the cine variant with 0-800 film speed, 6-96 fps or high speed, f stops 1-22 and dials calibrated 0-17 and 12-27

These meters are large and heavy by modern standards with a dial that is complex to use. Just compare the dial to that of the Euromasters.

Simon Spaans has some nice pictures of various 715 models here - including the rare Bolex version, and the cine version here.

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