Originally posted by asaru First post: hello, everyone. I've been a happy M-body series weekend shooter for going on 30 years, but recently I got infected by ancient-body curiosity and obtained a Pentax SL...
Does anyone know whether the SV/S1-2-3 clip-on light-meters fit the Spotmatic/SL/K-series body top? I ask because every clip-on meter I've seen on the market has been for the pre-Spotmatic bodies.
The clip-on meters for the SV and SL are not the same. The shutter speed dial on the Spotmatic/SL is about 1/8 inch further away from the prism than on the SV.
Originally posted by kcobain1992 If I have a Spotmatic with a dead meter, is there any clip-on external meter I could attach to it? Sorry if somebody said that before, it's kinda late here and I'm tired so I didn't find the answer obvious.
A genuine SL meter would fit, but the Spotmatic's shutter speed dial lacks the notch for the meter to lock into. If you are really clever, you might be able to cut the notch yourself.
Someone pointed out a Sekonic meter that fits into a hotshoe. You could get the cold accessory show adapter for the Spotmatic and put the meter on that, but it would not be coupled to the shutter speed. On top of that, the meter was $126.
Genuine SL meters are pretty rare. In ten years of watching Pentax cameras and accessories on ebay, I think I've only seen two or three. I've seen quite a few SL cameras, but very, very few meters. They're even rarer than Spotmatic motor drive units. I see a couple of those every year.
I wonder how many SL meters Pentax really sold? If you wanted a meter, why not buy a Spotmatic in the first place? The SL was introduced as a low-cost alternative to the Spotmatic and Spotmatic F. I imagine it also appealed to old-school photographers who didn't see the advantage of an in-camera meter.
Your best bet would be any decent handheld light meter. There are tons of those on ebay, all the time. Decide how much you want to pay and take your pick.