Dedicated spot meter

Between the in-camera options (matrix, centerweighted) and my Minolta AutoIV

incident meter, I've got things pretty well covered, but there are times when a

spot meter would be a good addition to my kit. I see lots of choices on eBay,

mostly for gear that probably hasn't been made in years. Fortunately, I suspect

most of it hasn't been used in years either, and probably wasn't used heavily

when it was.

 

The ones I'm seeing are sort of like a tiny rangefinder perched on a pistol

grip, offering 1-degree angle of view or thereabouts. I see Pentax, Minolta,

Gossen, and Soligor with dedicated instruments, and spot viewfinders for

Minolta, Gossen, and Sekonic.

 

So, what's your experience with spot meters? I'm willing to spend most of a

C-note to add one, and though it's not going to be a crucial part of my shooting

I don't want to buy garbage.

 

Van

My first was a Minolta, which didn't last long (I suspect because of build quality, or lack thereof). I own 2 Pentax spots: a V which analog and I bought for Zone system work, and a digital model that I use very little because it's a little small for my hands. I also like the Sekonic 558 a lot. I like the analog one because it uses the same batteries as my Nikon film cameras, which has come in very handy. Gossen makes great stuff, but it's pretty expensive. I think your best bet might be the Pentax V, but they're getting fairly old. Most of a C-note is not a lot for a good meter.

I don't have experience with many, but I really like my Pentax Spotmeter V. It's got a very sturdy feel to it, and it's very useful. I would say that a spot meter is a 'must-have' for landscape work and just handy to have around any other time.

 

The Spotmeter V can still be gotten from places like KEH in very good condition for a reasonable price. Sometimes I wish I had the digital version (mostly when I'm trying to cram all of my gear into the case I use for traveling) because of its smaller size, but from a functionality standpoint, the analog meter is fine. It runs on three of those MS-76/LR-44 batteries, which is handy since most of my MF gear also uses those batteries; these batteries have lasted quite well in the meter.

 

The Pentax is definitely not 'garbage'. Go for it. :)

 

--George

I also liked the Pentax Spotmeter V. Very nice analog spotmeter with a great viewfinder. You'll spend roughly $125-150 for a decent used one.

 

The other option is to sell your current meter and replace it with a Sekonic L508 (~$250 used) or a Sekonic L558 ($400 new), both of which have a spotmeter built in. I went that route, sold my Pentax Spot and Gossen Ultra Pro and got the L558 - one heck of a nice meter that does everything I'll ever need it to.

I also use a Spotmeter V. Before that I had a very inexpensive Soligor that was smaller and just fine except that it used batteries that became difficult to get.

A spot meter is essential for landscapes, but not particularly useful for other applications. A Sekonic L-508 (which I have) or L-558 is a 1 degree spot meter, incident meter and flash meter in one package - and does very well in all modes. It is a bit more than $100, but something I couldn't do without. The optional radio remote in the L-558 would be very useful for setting flash for groups and interiors.

i use the new Samsung pro815. wonderful spot metering!

The event that first pushed me toward finding a spot meter was a session I spent working on a sunset. I knew I should start with a reading of the sky near the sun, but not including the sun, so I'd whip off the 35mm, put a 90mm on to meter, then switch back to the 35mm. Well, standing on a windswept rock at the water's edge, with fingers getting cold, this wasn't exactly swift, so I didn't do it as often as I really should have, and didn't get nearly as many good shots as I should have.

 

It sounds like the overall favorite is the Pentax Spotmeter V. Will models that are setup for the Zone System cause me any problem? IOW, should I look for one without that feature or can I just ignore it?

 

Van

I wouldn't worry about paying extra for the Zone VI modified meter. General consensus is that it's not really that different. You can, however, buy a $3 sticker from Calumet photo that gives you a graphic representation of the Zone system on the metering dial. I would highly recommend that as a worthwhile purchase.