Some very good points in this thread, and I wish I'd read them before making my choices! I bought the Nikon F80 (N80) on the grounds that it was the same price/cheaper than a real spotmeter, but found that many times I'd check out a scene with this before setting up the 5x4 and end up just taking a 35mm shot. Absolutely nothing wrong with this of course, but it tended to undermine the idea of having a 5x4 in the first place, especially if the shot suited the 3:2 ratio.
I eventually bought the Gossen Spotmaster and it is a serious piece of kit, including zone scales if you want to use them. Regardless of your lens size, your chosen filter can be readily held over the Spotmaster's small sensor before fitting it, so a bit of time saved there. I'd say carry on using the 35mm meantime, but plan ahead for a good spotmeter.
I eventually bought the Gossen Spotmaster and it is a serious piece of kit, including zone scales if you want to use them. Regardless of your lens size, your chosen filter can be readily held over the Spotmaster's small sensor before fitting it, so a bit of time saved there. I'd say carry on using the 35mm meantime, but plan ahead for a good spotmeter.
