Favorite Spot Meter

[Spyderman]

My favorite spot meter is in my Olympus OM-4Ti. It does multi-spot metering and it averages all metered spots but still shows all on an analogue scale. It has hilight button (+2 correction) and shadow button (-2 2/3 correction) which I rarely use. I preferto use it in manual mode and set exposure so that particular spot falls into particular zone.

And it takes pictures as well 😀

 

[Igor.Burshteyn]

What Ondrej said :>
I have Pentax Digital 1 degree spot, as well. Use it occasionally with meterless kiev. My other cameras all have spot meter builtin.

 

[RObert Budding]

I agree with Roger - skip the Zone VI mods:

http://www.butzi.net/articles/zone VI worth it.htm

http://www.butzi.net/articles/zone VI reprise.htm

I personally like the digital Pentax the best. I borrowed one from a friend for a week. So, eventually, I'll retire my Soligor digital spot meter and buy a Pentax.

 

[Philippe D.]

Since about 20 years i use the Minolta Spotmeter F and i like it.

 

[nickdando]

I have a Pentax Spotmeter V, which I've had for 25 years, and I've always trusted it. I put a sticky label on the dial to indicate with the different Zones should be placed. But because it is big and bulky, I bought a Minolta spotmeter. This couldn't cope with the Zone System, so I sold it on again. I then bought a Pentax Digital spotmeter off eBay, but the readings for the brighter areas differ quite a lot from old faithful - anything up to 2/3 of a stop. I don't have much faith in it. Can anyone recommend a good place to get it checked over and calibrated in the UK? I suppose I could send it back to Pentax UK, but that would cost a lot. I found that out when the PCB failed on old faithful.

Nick

 

[Joerg]

thank you all for your input!

Ciao & Happy Holidays


joerg

 

[ruben]

Spot meters are rather big and attention attracting. I own one of the smallest among them the Sekonic 408, digital, bigger than a cell phone. Another excellent piece of gear slipping in my closet.

The day I wear back my vest, back pack, two cameras pending from my shoulders, long lenses etc - then I will use again my jewel.

Cheers,
Ruben

 

[Vincenzo Maielli]

I use a very good Gossen Starlite, realiable and accurate.
Ciao.
Vincenzo

 

[tlitody]

I have a minolta spot meter F and it's great. But it depends what you want it for because really for landscape work the non F version would better as the F gives you aperture having set speed when for landscape you really want speed given for set aperture. But you can adjust with buttons up or down.
Where it shines for zone system is that you can point at shadow and take reading and then holding trigger down you scan subject looking for brightest part and it gives you a constant readout through viewfinder of stops difference from original metered value.

However they don't make em anymore. If I were buying new now I'd probably get a sekonic as they have weather sealing.

The minolta spot M or spot F is quite small for a spot meter.

If you want flash then it has to be a spot F but I think you would get wireless metering with newer sekonics. You won't with a minolta unless you use additional gizmos.