why do the Pentax Digital Spot Meters go for a small fortune on Ebay?

Simplicity.

Maybe not the best, but almost idiot proof and the dial provides visibility of the various aperture/speed options.
 
If Nikon made spot meters, I'm sure somebody would have chimed in on how much better and cheaper they are by now...


I tried a Pentax digital spot meter and really thought it was just nice. I would have kept it if I had done B&W large format photography just as much as I use my M8. It's just a very different style of photographing.

The only "handheld" meter I've kept is my small digital Gossen. True beauty. But cannot possibly compare. Unless, of course, by the "who cares!"-ists.
 
A Pentax Spot Meter V with case auction just ended (Non-Digital Version)...
It sold for just under $95 shipping included...
 
nikon_sam said:
A Pentax Spot Meter V with case auction just ended (Non-Digital Version)...
It sold for just under $95 shipping included...
Click to expand...

That's not the model we're discussing. We're talking about the Pentax DIGITAL Spotmeter. Its a lot smaller than the Spotmeter V and has a digital readout rather than moving needle. Sells for a lot more than a Spotmeter V.
 
Still, if a spotmeter is desired, and if a non-digital version is acceptable, it is good to know that there exist less costly alternatives.

The digital version costs a lot of money.
 
Chriscrawfordphoto said:
That's not the model we're discussing. We're talking about the Pentax DIGITAL Spotmeter. Its a lot smaller than the Spotmeter V and has a digital readout rather than moving needle. Sells for a lot more than a Spotmeter V.
Click to expand...

The Spotmeter V is far from cheap for what it does, though, and sought after as well. $95 with shipping is very low and probably due to some oddity (e.g. a regional restriction to a small market or a spelling error) that also prevents me from finding that ended auction. The V sales I can see start at around 150€ (about $200).
 
I'm glad to see you are still using yours, Raid. I expect I'll be using mine as long as I have flm. I was lucky to buy mine (on ebay) for $190, several years ago. Before that I had the analog version, bigger and heavier, as Chris C stated, but with the clearest and brightest viewfinder. Watching that analog meter dial swing smoothly and precisely across the values in the scene gave immense confidence.

Here's an example of where I should have used the spot meter, but I didn't have it with me. I should have taken a reading from the rocks at lower left where I wanted to retain some detail, then closed down two stops (zone three placement). Live and learn! I'll have to try printing this with the split-grade technique and see if I can find a bit more detail.


Bawley Point by Another Chris, on Flickr
 
The ebay prices seem reasonable - they were never cheap : I'm sure my Zone VI version cost at least £400/$600 when new some 15 years ago.
 
sevo said:
The Spotmeter V is far from cheap for what it does, though, and sought after as well. $95 with shipping is very low and probably due to some oddity (e.g. a regional restriction to a small market or a spelling error) that also prevents me from finding that ended auction. The V sales I can see start at around 150€ (about $200).
Click to expand...

Very good...it was a spelling error in the main title...:D:eek:
 
I've got the Gossen spot-master. Great meter, though I haven't used it much. I find that I normally bring my Sekonic l-558 because it's more versatile. I also don't like that the spot-master is so bulky.

Can anyone comment on the difference in size between the Pentax and the Gossen? The Pentax seems to be much smaller, which is a huge plus for me.

Also, I find the Gossen has a lot of functions I don't use, which seems to overcomplicate things.
 
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