Gossen variosix F info wanted

[seany65]

Sorry mods, I wasn't sure where to put this. It's partly about a piece of equipment and partly about metering.

Anyway, I've got a Gossen variosix F with incident dome and a 5 degree 'spot' attachment.

What I'd like to ask is:

1) Is there a difference between the spot attachment for an F and an F2?

2) Did any other Gossen meters have spot attachments that could fit onto an F?

3) If a reflected reading of an almost uniformly gray sky gives f22 at 1/250 for 400 asa, what reading would you expect the spot attachment to give?

4) If a reflected reading gives f11 at 1/125 for 400 asa for a path that is green in the middle and brown at the sides, with green and straw coloured fields either side, a big dark green conifer and a white house at the end of the path, with part of the path being in shadow and the fields and house being in bright sunshine, would you expect the spot attachment to give f4 at 1/125 at 400 asa for the white house in bright sunshine when said house fills the circle in the attachment's finder?

Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Sorry mods, I wasn't sure where to put this. It's partly about a piece of equipment and partly about metering.

Anyway, I've got a Gossen variosix F with incident dome and a 5 degree 'spot' attachment.

What I'd like to ask is:

1) Is there a difference between the spot attachment for an F and an F2?

2) Did any other Gossen meters have spot attachments that could fit onto an F?

No, and No.

3) If a reflected reading of an almost uniformly gray sky gives f22 at 1/250 for 400 asa, what reading would you expect the spot attachment to give?

Should be the same, but in practice it may not be. The sky is rarely as uniform as it looks to us, so the reflected reading without the spot attachment may be averaging lighter and darker areas of sky, thus giving a different reading than with the spot.

4) If a reflected reading gives f11 at 1/125 for 400 asa for a path that is green in the middle and brown at the sides, with green and straw coloured fields either side, a big dark green conifer and a white house at the end of the path, with part of the path being in shadow and the fields and house being in bright sunshine, would you expect the spot attachment to give f4 at 1/125 at 400 asa for the white house in bright sunshine when said house fills the circle in the attachment's finder?

Any help would be much appreciated.

A white building in bright sunlight with 400 speed film will probably give a reading around 1/500 at f32. green grass, also in bright sun, would read around 1/500 at f16. You actual results will likely not be exactly the same, depends on just how bright the sun is and how white the building really is. If you're getting readings way off from this, however, your meter probably needs serviced.

 

[seany65]

Thanks for the reply and the info Christopher.

The sky in question 3 basically looked fairly uniform. I'd say no more than 2 stops difference in the 'light' and 'dark' areas.

"A white building in bright sunlight with 400 speed film will probably give a reading around 1/500 at f32..."

S*d it. the spot attachment gave f4 at 1/125 for 400 asa, for a white house in bright sun while the average gave f11 and a bit at 1/125 for 400 asa, although quite a bit of the area was in shadow.

Is it possible to incorrectly fit the spot attachment and so have a much lower level of light reach the meter than would normally be the case?

Have you got any idea how big the hole that the spot attachment has for the meter to read through, is supposed to be? I'm hoping that maybe mine has a slightly smaller hole than usual, otherwise I'll have to balance the cost of a service with the cost of getting another s/h light meter.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Thanks for the reply and the info Christopher.

The sky in question 3 basically looked fairly uniform. I'd say no more than 2 stops difference in the 'light' and 'dark' areas.

"A white building in bright sunlight with 400 speed film will probably give a reading around 1/500 at f32..."

S*d it. the spot attachment gave f4 at 1/125 for 400 asa, for a white house in bright sun while the average gave f11 and a bit at 1/125 for 400 asa, although quite a bit of the area was in shadow.

Is it possible to incorrectly fit the spot attachment and so have a much lower level of light reach the meter than would normally be the case?

Have you got any idea how big the hole that the spot attachment has for the meter to read through, is supposed to be? I'm hoping that maybe mine has a slightly smaller hole than usual, otherwise I'll have to balance the cost of a service with the cost of getting another s/h light meter.

Some Gossen meters required you to use a modified exposure when using atachments.The original Luna Pro, for example, overexposes 3 stops with the 7.5 degree spot attachment made for it. To compensate, you give 3 stops less exposure than the meter indicates.

Your meter likely also needs an exposure correction with your spot attachment, though I do not know how much. You need to check the instructions for that.

 

[seany65]

Thanks for the reply Chris.

I've just looked through the manual and I can't see any mention of how to use the spot attachment, although it does tell me that they exist!

I've also just done a quick google and that ain't been much help. I do notice though, that inside the attachment, there is a metal arrangement around the hole in the attachment and there are four bits that stick up at nearly 90 degrees, and that there is a tiny gap in the 'thread' bit on the meter that has a bit of metal in it.

I wonder if one of the 90 degree bits of metal should be contacting this tiny bit of metal?

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Thanks for the reply Chris.

I've just looked through the manual and I can't see any mention of how to use the spot attachment, although it does tell me that they exist!

I've also just done a quick google and that ain't been much help. I do notice though, that inside the attachment, there is a metal arrangement around the hole in the attachment and there are four bits that stick up at nearly 90 degrees, and that there is a tiny gap in the 'thread' bit on the meter that has a bit of metal in it.

I wonder if one of the 90 degree bits of metal should be contacting this tiny bit of metal?

It could be a switch that tells the meter the attachment is on the meter and sets the compensation. I know that Minolta meters, which I own several of, have such an arrangement. Attaching the Minolta spot attachments (there is a 10 degree and a 5 degree version) automatically sets the compensation needed.

 

[seany65]

That's what I was beginning to think too. I'd seen a post on some forum or other (after I did a search about using the spot attachment), which was written in answer to a similar question that was about a variosix F, and it mentioned a 'link' between the two to tell the meter the attachment was being used, but I couldn't see any way for that to happen until I noticed the metal bit on the meter.

I did wonder why there would be any metal in the attachement. The assistant in a shop I took it too to ask for an opinion about the 'problem' I was having didn't mention it. I'll have to take it back and ask again. maybe hope for a different assistant, lol.

 

[seany65]

I've been able to have someone compare the readings given by my F with spot attachment with a 'top of the range' meter form another company and I was told the attachemnt was giving readings that are about 5 stops out. It was also put on a different Gossen meter and got the same '5 stops out' meaurement, so there is something wrong the attachment.

A few years ago I had an F2 with spot and didn't see this sort of difference.

I'm just wondering how 'mad' an idea it would be to get a small drill bit and 'drill' out the hole in the attachment until it gives a reading much closer to the one given when it's not in use...