ZoneVI Pentax spotmeter availability & ramblings

I was in the market for new spotmeter, and have been wanting to try

one of the Zone VI modified Pentax meters for a while.

Unfortunately, Calumet's website said they were out of stock but

that were expecting them soon.

 

I checked back later, and was surprised to see that suddenly the

meters were not listed on their site at all. They still advertised

the un-modified Pentax digital spotmeters, but not the Zone VI

versions. Of course I was bummed, so I gave them a call to see what

was up. The guy checked and said that they were going to stop

selling the Zone VI meters altogether. I asked if he could see if

they had any left, and luckily he found that they still had a few at

a couple of their locations. So I ordered one and just received

it. I think I'll be happy with it. I guess it was one of the last

ones, but maybe someone else has some more information about this.

 

Of course, I believe Richard Pritter is still in business, so the

option remains to buy an unmodified meter and send it to him. I

don't know how much he charges (it might even be cheaper than the

Calumet pre-modified ones were). I guess if you were thinking about

getting one, I wouldn't wait.

 

What really disappoints me, though, is that it's another sign that

the art of traditional B&W film processes is being pushed aside by

digital. Nothing against digital. I shoot both medium format B&W

film and a digital SLR. I'm still relatively new to B&W photography

(about 1 year now). But I feel like I've just gotten into this

wonderful new hobby and am just starting to get reasonably

good/consistent results -- but now the tools and resources to pursue

this hobby are getting increasingly hard to find. I get much more

satisfaction when I come out of a wet darkroom after several hours

with some good prints, than I do after sitting in front of Photoshop

and getting something out of an inkjet printer. Not that the

digital results are bad, but they are certainly different. I

(personal opinion) just like the results that I get from film and

traditional processes better. B&W film has a character that digital

doesn't. Plus, I feel like I've invested a good deal of

time/energy/money learning the processes. When I see products (Zone

VI stuff, film emulsions, film cameras, or whatever) come off the

market, it concerns me a bit. It's already difficult for me to find

access to a good darkroom. If I had the space, I might set up my

own, but I feel like I'm being "pressured" into going digital. I've

already started experimenting with scanning my negatives and

printing digitally. I havent' given up the wet darkroom yet though.

I know film will be around for a long while. I just hope the

industry doesn't make it too difficult for us.

 

I know I've deviated far from the subject of the Zone VI

spotmeters. I apologize for the rambling.

 

Cheers!

No quarrel with your comments on the decline of traditional materials. However... I have a Zone V1 modified pentax and a neighbor has an unmodified pentax spot meter. We've done a lot of comparing and I have to tell you there wasn't much disagreement on values, irrespective of the color of the target. When you factor in the latitude of most negative films, a 1/3 stop variance does not represent a significant quality difference in the finished print. I'd bet most users of modified meters in fact make decision errors of what "zone" to place a particular light value that exceed the improved accuracy of the modification.

Calumet sells a Zone VI sticker ($3) for the Pentax Spotmeter. What is different about the "Zone modified" Pentax spotmeter they sell for another $100 extra?

Here�s what I recall from the Zone VI newsletters (going by memory so this might not be exactly right). First, the modified meters supposedly give an accurate reading through colored filters (this would imply that the stock meters do not). Second, they�re all adjusted to within very tight tolerances, and there might have been some problems with linearity at the ends of the scale.

 

I think that�s right. Funny, I can remember this junk even though I haven�t seen it in years, and yet I sometimes lose my car in the parking lot. Oh well.

So let's see here: Time spent lamenting the uncontrollable comings and goings of consumer products,...or doing maybe one day's worth of some very simple film density testing with the "grey" meter, and set of filters that you will be using over and over.

 

Remember, these tech objects that we all slober over, certainly makes the production of mediocre photographs so much easier, for many more people, than ever before.

 

But the brilliant images that were created over 100 years ago, came about mainly due to one reason, which still applies today; namely superior and flexible Wetware skills, i.e. the soft grey matter between the ears. It ultimately has so little to do with these endlessly improving technical objects.

 

Will you take the blue pill or the red pill?

Hi Patrick -

My "lament" was not so much over the loss of a spotmeter. That would be pathetic.

 

I've used both my 35mm camera and a (now lost) Sekonic 408 to meter with good results. I totally realize that with proper testing and consistent processes, you can get excellent results with almost any kind of equipment.

 

However, the gear can make a personal difference in the ease or speed of one's workflow. Less choices means possibly being forced into a less than optimal workflow. That's all I'm saying. And it's all subjective, depending on what each individual wants to achieve and how he/she wants gets there.

 

Example... I prefer cranking out prints in a traditional darkroom, but there aren't many available (I know a few around here that have closed down recently), and I don't have the space to set up my own. Those that are around are expensive to rent and/or have limited scheduling availability. Therefore, I'm doing more stuff digitally. Yes it's exciting in it's own way, but I'd rather be working under the safelights.

BTW - Photography is just a hobby for me. Yes I have devoted much time and energy to it. But I also have a normal job and life outside of photography. I'm not a Steigletz or Watkins or Adams or Kertesz or....

Dear Bob,

 

No space? Not even for a Nova tent? 42 inches square and 2 metres high?

 

But the Zone VI meter, if it is gone,is no great loss. Why do you suppose Pentax didn't incorporate all those brilliant modifications? Because they were a waste of time! It's a classic example of looking for a precision that isn't there. I have 4 spotmeters and have used 3 others for extended periods so I am not completely ignorant about the things.

 

Today I heard that the Yasuhara camera has been discontinued. He blamed it on digital. I'd be more inclined to blame it on Hirofumi Kobayashi and the better designed, better looking, more versatile Voigtlander series. Yasuhara is a nice guy and would have had a chance otherwise. But it was silver killed him, not digital.

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

<i> No space? Not even for a Nova tent? 42 inches square and 2 metres high?

</i><p>

 

Name one shop that has any new, and 3 that have any used. ;-)

Check the Nova web-site. They *might* even have a used one. Dunno, though.

does anyone have information on reaching Richard Pritter? I've got a modified Zone VI that needs to be looked at.

 

Thanks

Mike

By GOD, until I got into this website I would never dreamed there were so many people that really knew this much about photography...Jim