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A Steal: Pentax spotmeter
Posted By: aoeu, 10-10-2014, 03:31 PM

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Asahi Pentax Spotmeter V with Case | eBay

I have one.
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10-10-2014, 05:19 PM   #2
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That is a good deal. I wonder what the other side of the meter looks like?


Steve
10-11-2014, 06:38 AM   #3
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What would you use it for? Aren't you able to get similar or better metering info from modern dslrs?
10-15-2014, 10:30 PM   #4
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Battery for this is no longer available. A better deal is the $200 Pentax Digital Spotmeter on sale right now in the Marketplace: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/24-photographic-equipment-sale/273458-sal...ree-meter.html. And no, you cannot get the same results from a DSLR meter; they are nowhere near 1 degree. It's really easy to get good exposures with a handheld spot meter; for digital, simply meter the brightest spot where you want detail, and add two stops. This is not just for the zone system, although the system I just mentioned is a decent start, for digital.

10-25-2014, 12:41 PM - 1 Like   #5
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QuoteOriginally posted by asharpe Quote
Battery for this is no longer available
The Pentax Spotmeter V uses the same 1.5 volt batteries (three of them) as any Pentax camera from that period.

A couple are Energizer EPX76 or Duracell 76S silver oxide batteries, which are available at any drugstore.

I use the EPX 76 batteries in my spotmeter.

Phil.
10-25-2014, 12:47 PM   #6
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QuoteOriginally posted by gofour3 Quote
I use the EPX 76 batteries in my spotmeter.
Concur. My Number 2 kit includes it.
10-25-2014, 12:59 PM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by asharpe Quote
And no, you cannot get the same results from a DSLR meter; they are nowhere near 1 degree.
It is really hard to explain to someone what the use case is until they have actually seen one in action. For certain types of shooting, they are wonderful.


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10-25-2014, 01:31 PM   #8
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Aim at the corners.
10-27-2014, 02:54 PM   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by stevebrot Quote
It is really hard to explain to someone what the use case is until they have actually seen one in action. For certain types of shooting, they are wonderful.
I have used them in the long distant past, on film. But I haven't read anything that describes where you might want to employ them in modern DSLR shooting. I'm curious where to go to get more information.
10-27-2014, 07:29 PM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by bradshea Quote
But I haven't read anything that describes where you might want to employ them in modern DSLR shooting.
You use them the same on a dSLR as on a film SLR. A camera is a camera and the rules of exposure are the same as well. With a spot meter you measure the range of values for the subject and place your exposure based on that range. With digital you don't have the option of modifying development to expand/contract dynamic range*, but aside from that the usage is the same.


Steve

* You can contract digital in PP, but the native dynamic range of the sensor is what it is and it is generally adequate as long as the highlights are not blown.
11-04-2014, 05:51 PM   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by asharpe Quote
Battery for this is no longer available. A better deal is the $200 Pentax Digital Spotmeter on sale right now in the Marketplace: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/24-photographic-equipment-sale/273458-sal...ree-meter.html. And no, you cannot get the same results from a DSLR meter; they are nowhere near 1 degree. It's really easy to get good exposures with a handheld spot meter; for digital, simply meter the brightest spot where you want detail, and add two stops. This is not just for the zone system, although the system I just mentioned is a decent start, for digital.
asharpe: What do you mean by "add two stops"? Open up two stops or close down two stops?
11-04-2014, 11:33 PM - 1 Like   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by CJC Quote
asharpe: What do you mean by "add two stops"? Open up two stops or close down two stops?
Open up two stops. When you meter the lightest value you want detail in, the meter will give you a reading for that area to be at zone V, i.e. middle grey. For that area to be white, with detail, you have to make it brighter, so you open up two stops from that reading. Basically, I put a paper zone scale on my meter, and whatever I meter for the highlights, I put on zone VII (7), which is two stops above middle grey.
11-04-2014, 11:46 PM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by asharpe Quote
Open up two stops. When you meter the lightest value you want detail in, the meter will give you a reading for that area to be at zone V, i.e. middle grey. For that area to be white, with detail, you have to make it brighter, so you open up two stops from that reading.
With any luck this is "where the lights go on" in people's minds when they realize that the meter is not doing what they think it is doing and that "correct" exposure is something that the photographer is to decide, not the camera. That is where the spotmeter comes into its own.


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11-06-2014, 09:17 AM   #14
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Thank you for the excellent insight. I questioned the original post because I am paranoid about overexposure in digital so now I understand your reasoning. Underexposure is preferable to overexposure. In wedding photography, I am constantly seeking to balance the detail in an expensive gown with the skin tones of the bride. Question: If I point the meter at the brightest spot on a white gown, that then is middle grey and I still will open up two stops exposing that perfectly? Skin tones will then be somewhat underexposed in that scenario. Correct?
11-06-2014, 04:49 PM - 1 Like   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by CJC Quote
I still will open up two stops exposing that perfectly?
You might have to go 3 stops over for bright white such as a wedding dress depending on lighting. Zone VIII (3 stops above zone V) is nominally bright white where detail is retained. Whether this is true depends on the dynamic range of the media (sensor or film/development), but it is the conventional definition.


Steve
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