[davecody]

Hey,

Old photographer, but Spotmeter newbie. I am trying to figure out how to use the old Digital Spotmeter I purchased off eBay a few years ago and at the same time learn to use the Zone System. So my spotmeter seems to work fine but I am confused by getting a reading of 6 when pointing towards an 18% gray card. I would have thought that would lead to a reading of 5.

Also, the reading I get would then indicate a stop different than both my Nikon F100 and my D780 (both on spot metering). Would this indicate that my spotmeter needs calibration?

Thanks

[tuco]

The amount of light on the grey card affects your EV reading. For example, take the grey card outside in the shade or sun vs inside the house. You will get different EV readings.

The one-degree spot meter tells you the middle grey for whatever it is pointed at. You then need to 'place' that tonal value on the Zone System scale. For instance, say you meter a white wall. The spotmeter gives you the Zone 5 (middle grey) for that white wall. To make that wall 'white', you would need to place it at, say, Zone 8 by adding 3 stops more exposure. Similarly with the blacks but in reverse.

But an accurate Zone System metering and placement means you also conduct a speed test if your developer and say slow leaf shutter lens is off from box speed enough. Plus you need to establish a Zone 8 developing time. That is, after your speed test, you place say a grey card at Zone 8 and start tweaking your development time until that Zone 8 density measures between 1.25-1.35 for a diffusion enlarger and 1.15-1.25 for a condenser enlarger. For scanning, you can be anywhere between 1.15 and 1.35.

And if you don't have a densitometer to measure film density, you can still practice the zone system of metering anyway through trial-and-error tempered with an experienced eye for what your highlights should look like. You can visually see the beginning of Zone 1 density on a light table because it is just where your image fades into the base + fog density of the film.

[davecody]

Thanks Tuco.

That explains a lot. I am just starting to get back into film after a few years in the digital world and really enjoying it. Your response helps a lot.

[stevebrot]

The manual for your meter is available on the Butkus site (suggested donation if found helpful):

Pentax Digital Spotmeter instruction manual, user manual, PDF manual, free manuals

It may help clear out some of the cobwebs. (Don't get hung up on the IRE stuff in the manual...intended for other than still camera work.)

As noted above and as illustrated in the manual, you can do spot readings from various parts of your subject as well as from a gray card. The readings you make can be used to "place exposure" to that area of the subject. (Intelligent placement of exposure is the intent of the Zone System.)

Have fun!


Steve

(...often wanted a Digital Spotmeter...)

[davecody]

The manual for your meter is available on the Butkus site (suggested donation if found helpful):

Pentax Digital Spotmeter instruction manual, user manual, PDF manual, free manuals

It may help clear out some of the cobwebs. (Don't get hung up on the IRE stuff in the manual...intended for other than still camera work.)

As noted above and as illustrated in the manual, you can do spot readings from various parts of your subject as well as from a gray card. The readings you make can be used to "place exposure" to that area of the subject. (Intelligent placement of exposure is the intent of the Zone System.)

Have fun!


Steve

(...often wanted a Digital Spotmeter...)

Thanks stevebrot… I do have the manual, but it wasn’t terribly clear. I think it’s all starting to get a little less fuzzy now. I think it’s showing me the best part of going back to film from digital. I have to stop and think about the process more than with digital.

[stevebrot]

Thanks stevebrot… I do have the manual, but it wasn’t terribly clear. I think it’s all starting to get a little less fuzzy now. I think it’s showing me the best part of going back to film from digital. I have to stop and think about the process more than with digital.

The first thing to remember is that it is a meter like any other meter except that it meters a very narrow view of the subject. The second thing to remember is that the readout is numeric rather than a centered needle with a calculator dial. The numbers are in EV (exposure value) units normalized to ISO/ASA 100 film speed. Each EV step corresponds to 2X difference in exposure (i.e. one "stop" of exposure) and is reported in 1/3 "stop" increments. The calculator parts are all those dials on the front of the meter which allows for conversion of EV(100) to shutter speed and aperture setting at the ISO/ASA speed of the film you are using.

The Zone System tie-in is that the "zones" are full increments of EV. (This is where we all, eventually, say AHA!)

As a complete aside, I have a couple of cameras that allow setting manual exposure by EV. I will also note that both my hand-held meters feature EV as part of their calculator dial read-out.

Trivia note: EV 0 = 1 second exposure at f/1.0 -or- 2 seconds at f/1.4*


Steve

* You can infer this relationship by setting the ASA dial on the front of the meter to 100 and seeing where the shutter speeds and aperture values line up for EV 1. EV 0 is twice that exposure. There is a table in the Wikipedia that presents EV in terms of camera setting combinations (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exposure_value#EV_as_an_indicator_of_camera_settings). It may prove helpful.

[niels hansen]

"davecody
This refers only to b w films
In the past I used my spotmeter a lot, today I use my dslr as an exposuremeter. The old rule is,: exposure for the shadows and develop for the highlights
Make a digital photo of the motive
Examine the shadows carefully, are the details satisfying? if yes use the values from dslr and develop "normal"
If not make manual corections,mostly plus exposure
If this fails change the development time, mostly more
If the highlights are blown and they are important for your story, shorten development time

I have tried to calculate exposure using a grey card and then use the settings manually on the dslr, just to exercize my skills . when the final result is bw negatives the the result is best when the displays shows sligtly overexposure. BUT that depends on the motive and your "tonal intensions"
Be sure you need to compensate for shutter variations etc
I digitalize my negatives by placing the negative in backlighted illumination, covered by glass to make the negative flat, and then use a macro lens. My canon 8800 flatbed is not good enough
Home developing is a must, the equipment is cheap

Developing yourselg is a must