M42(-compatible) camera with spot metering?

[Trask]

Canon T90 w/Canon Lens Mount Converter (M42) and 50mm Takumar, spot metering on tap if desired.

 

[Helge]

Canon T90 w/Canon Lens Mount Converter (M42) and 50mm Takumar, spot metering on tap if desired.

All that bulk and unreliability on tap too.

 

[wiltw]

The first M42 mount that comes to mind with spotmetering is the Pentax Spotmatic. The alternative is the Mamiya Sekor 1000DTL and 500DTL.

I have handled all three during my days as photography editor of my high school newspaper (when TTL metering was a relatively new offerning), as other staffers had them.

 

[Lucius]

Canon T90 w/Canon Lens Mount Converter (M42) and 50mm Takumar, spot metering on tap if desired.

Nice photo! That's pretty much the set-up I used -- T70 with Chinon 55mm f1.4. If only it came in a Spotmatic's body...

 

[Lucius]

The first M42 mount that comes to mind with spotmetering is the Pentax Spotmatic. The alternative is the Mamiya Sekor 1000DTL and 500DTL.

I have handled all three during my days as photography editor of my high school newspaper (when TTL metering was a relatively new offerning), as other staffers had them.

The Spotmatic sadly only has a spot meter in the name!

 

[BrianShaw]

The Spotmatic sadly only has a spot meter in the name!

Didn’t the early Honeywell Spotmatic have real spot metering? I seem to recall a colleague telling me that about hers back in 1978.

 

[Lucius]

Didn’t the early Honeywell Spotmatic have real spot metering? I seem to recall a colleague telling me that about hers back in 1978.

What I've read is that it had spot metering at the prototype stage, which was replaced with averaging metering at the last moment, so as not to confuse the amateur photographer.

 

[Paul Howell]

If you shoot a lot slide film then I would just bite the bullet and get a more modern camera, something with spot, matrix, and average. If you don't like AF just turn it off. What you need to watch for are bottom end models that may not have spot or matrix. The Minolta 5 is not expensive has spot and matrix. Matrix 14 cell, same as the Minolta 7. Both Nikon and Canon are options as well.

 

[wiltw]

The Spotmatic sadly only has a spot meter in the name!

Yes, unfortunately I forgot about the lack of spotmetering in the first production version!

Pentax Spotmatic - Camera-wiki.org - The free camera encyclopedia

camera-wiki.org

"Asahi Optical Company (later Pentax), presented the original prototype called Spot-Matic in Photokina 1960 designed by a team lead by Dr. Minoru Suzuki's with a spot-metering system; by the time sales began in 1964, coinciding with the Olympics in Tokyo, the metering system was an average metering.
"The Spotmatic camera was launched to the public in 1964, by that time the metering system had been changed to average-metering by using 2 small CdS cells, one on each side of the viewfinder covering the whole picture area."​

 

[xkaes]

The Minolta 5 is not expensive has spot and matrix.

The MAXXUM 5 is simply amazing -- incredibly small & light, and full-featured with 95% of what the MAXXUM 7 does at 1/10th the price. As close to free as you can get, but everything is electric -- if you can live with that.

But on another note, when it was available, I shot Kodachrome 25 for years at ASA 32 with a Minolta SRT102 and never had a bad exposure. The slides and camera and lenses are still in working order today! When my MAXXUM 5 dies, I'll just buy another one for $5. BOTH accept M42 lenses.

 

[George Mann]

Some of the Mamiyas has it. But they are not very good cameras.

What is your issue with them?

 

[RalphLambrecht]

I'm still on the quest for a perfect m42 body, or rather, having realised there is no such thing as a perfect all-around m42 camera, I'm looking into the best options for specific uses. For shooting slide film, an accurate and reliable spot (or rather partial) meter seems to be a top priority. Which native m42 options are there? First, there's the Ricoh TLS401: I don't have one and don't know how good its meter is, but it weighs a ton and is relatively rare and expensive. Second, there are the Mamiyas (DTL, DSX): I got a DSX almost for free, but haven't tried it so far (its meter behaves weirdly), and anyway it's heavier than I like. Finally, there's the Cosina CSR / Vivitar XC-2 / Porst Compact SP: I have a Cosina branded one, and this would be the perfect m42 body (it's small and has an excellent viewfinder), but it has corroded contacts (it works for a while after being tampered with, but then dies again), and anyway its electronically controlled shutter is known to be unreliable, and I've also read its meter isn't that accurate. Am I missing anything out? So far, my best option seems to be either having the CSR repaired or getting another one, but they are fairly rare and, as mentioned, apparently unreliable. I'd love to hear though if you have a positive experience with this model.

This seems to exhaust native m42 options, but if I can get a good spot meter, I'm willing to consider losing the auto-aperture function with m42 lenses. What do we have here? I lucked out on a Canon T70 (actually two of them) in a job lot, and it's great in some ways (it's got a huge viewfinder and is fairly light, though not small), but it's made of plastic and can only be used in aperture priority mode with m42 lenses (this isn't a bad thing per se, but I seem to prefer manual mode). I've read good things about Contax S2 and Olympus OM-3/4, but both cost rather a lot more than I'm prepared to pay (not sure actually if m42 lenses can be adapted on OM bodies?). There's a Miranda model with spot metering, but it's quite heavy too (i.e. like a Mamiya DSX). That's it, more or less, as far as I could figure out, but I'd love to be proven wrong!

So, my requirements are: (1) compatible with m42 lenses (with infinity); (2) compact (no bigger than a Spotmatic); (3) reliable (esp. as concerns the meter); (4) preferably metal and mechanical; (5) cheap. I'll be hugely grateful for any recommendations!

I had a Ricoh TLS401 and think its meter was terrible; only measure stopped down and was not very sensitive to low light. I always have to measure wide-open and stop down to taking aperture and adjust the shutter, speed, or aperture for the difference; terrible.

 

[ericB&W]

I'm still on the quest for a perfect m42 body, or rather, having realised there is no such thing as a perfect all-around m42 camera, I'm looking into the best options for specific uses. For shooting slide film, an accurate and reliable spot (or rather partial) meter seems to be a top priority. Which native m42 options are there? First, there's the Ricoh TLS401: I don't have one and don't know how good its meter is, but it weighs a ton and is relatively rare and expensive. Second, there are the Mamiyas (DTL, DSX): I got a DSX almost for free, but haven't tried it so far (its meter behaves weirdly), and anyway it's heavier than I like. Finally, there's the Cosina CSR / Vivitar XC-2 / Porst Compact SP: I have a Cosina branded one, and this would be the perfect m42 body (it's small and has an excellent viewfinder), but it has corroded contacts (it works for a while after being tampered with, but then dies again), and anyway its electronically controlled shutter is known to be unreliable, and I've also read its meter isn't that accurate. Am I missing anything out? So far, my best option seems to be either having the CSR repaired or getting another one, but they are fairly rare and, as mentioned, apparently unreliable. I'd love to hear though if you have a positive experience with this model.

This seems to exhaust native m42 options, but if I can get a good spot meter, I'm willing to consider losing the auto-aperture function with m42 lenses. What do we have here? I lucked out on a Canon T70 (actually two of them) in a job lot, and it's great in some ways (it's got a huge viewfinder and is fairly light, though not small), but it's made of plastic and can only be used in aperture priority mode with m42 lenses (this isn't a bad thing per se, but I seem to prefer manual mode). I've read good things about Contax S2 and Olympus OM-3/4, but both cost rather a lot more than I'm prepared to pay (not sure actually if m42 lenses can be adapted on OM bodies?). There's a Miranda model with spot metering, but it's quite heavy too (i.e. like a Mamiya DSX). That's it, more or less, as far as I could figure out, but I'd love to be proven wrong!

So, my requirements are: (1) compatible with m42 lenses (with infinity); (2) compact (no bigger than a Spotmatic); (3) reliable (esp. as concerns the meter); (4) preferably metal and mechanical; (5) cheap. I'll be hugely grateful for any recommendations!

I have adapted a Canon Eos 650 that i bought for a ridiculous price , in perfect condition but the AF that didn't work, i've changed the focusing screen with a traditional split image, aperture priority works
perfectly, it has spot button if you need spot , and you'll have the features of a modern camera, bright screen, no mirror vibrations, 30 sec. 1/2000 speed to use with old lenses.|

 

[xkaes]

I just discovered a comprehensive K-mount camera list over at BUTKUS:

https://www.butkus.org/chinon/lenses/ultimate_k-mount.htm

It only has K-mount cameras (which are all M42 adaptable), but lots of NON-K-mount cameras are adaptable as well.

The table included the main features of the camera, but SPOT metering is not included.

That will keep you busy for a while.

 

[BrianShaw]

Didn’t the early Honeywell Spotmatic have real spot metering? I seem to recall a colleague telling me that about hers back in 1978.

What I've read is that it had spot metering at the prototype stage, which was replaced with averaging metering at the last moment, so as not to confuse the amateur photographer.

Yes, unfortunately I forgot about the lack of spotmetering in the first production version!

Pentax Spotmatic - Camera-wiki.org - The free camera encyclopedia

camera-wiki.org

"Asahi Optical Company (later Pentax), presented the original prototype called Spot-Matic in Photokina 1960 designed by a team lead by Dr. Minoru Suzuki's with a spot-metering system; by the time sales began in 1964, coinciding with the Olympics in Tokyo, the metering system was an average metering.​

"The Spotmatic camera was launched to the public in 1964, by that time the metering system had been changed to average-metering by using 2 small CdS cells, one on each side of the viewfinder covering the whole picture area."​

Well I'm embarrassed by my old recollection. And to think... this is the lady who taught me a lot about photography. LOL
Notenthless, she was a fine B&W photographer in the F/64 style and I appreciate her photographic tutelage It's just a bit funny to think that for about 45 years I believed something that was clearly not correct. Oh well... what else do I believe that is not correct????

 

[Helge]

I have adapted a Canon Eos 650 that i bought for a ridiculous price , in perfect condition but the AF that didn't work, i've changed the focusing screen with a traditional split image, aperture priority works
perfectly, it has spot button if you need spot , and you'll have the features of a modern camera, bright screen, no mirror vibrations, 30 sec. 1/2000 speed to use with old lenses.|

All 650/620 are inexpensive to free. They are more often than not back caps for the lenses on them when sold.
Might not be what the OP is looking for and using an adapter is always fraught with problems, but probably as good a bet as any there.
EOS mount has a good big hole and a relatively short flange distance, so lots of room to make solid adapter.

 

[Lucius]

If you shoot a lot slide film then I would just bite the bullet and get a more modern camera, something with spot, matrix, and average. If you don't like AF just turn it off. What you need to watch for are bottom end models that may not have spot or matrix. The Minolta 5 is not expensive has spot and matrix. Matrix 14 cell, same as the Minolta 7. Both Nikon and Canon are options as well.

Thanks, I'll look into the Minolta 5! Never heard before of matrix metering -- is it the more advanced version of average metering?

 

[Lucius]

The MAXXUM 5 is simply amazing -- incredibly small & light, and full-featured with 95% of what the MAXXUM 7 does at 1/10th the price. As close to free as you can get, but everything is electric -- if you can live with that.

But on another note, when it was available, I shot Kodachrome 25 for years at ASA 32 with a Minolta SRT102 and never had a bad exposure. The slides and camera and lenses are still in working order today! When my MAXXUM 5 dies, I'll just buy another one for $5. BOTH accept M42 lenses.

Electric I can live with, but oh boy is it ugly! But if it delivers, I guess it's worth considering.

The SRT, on the other hand, doesn't seem to be as heavy as I thought...

 

[Lucius]

I had a Ricoh TLS401 and think its meter was terrible; only measure stopped down and was not very sensitive to low light. I always have to measure wide-open and stop down to taking aperture and adjust the shutter, speed, or aperture for the difference; terrible.

Thanks for the input -- it strengthens my impression that, despite some attractive features, the TLS401 isn't worth it.

 

[Lucius]

I have adapted a Canon Eos 650 that i bought for a ridiculous price , in perfect condition but the AF that didn't work, i've changed the focusing screen with a traditional split image, aperture priority works
perfectly, it has spot button if you need spot , and you'll have the features of a modern camera, bright screen, no mirror vibrations, 30 sec. 1/2000 speed to use with old lenses.|

Thanks! 1/2000 top speed could indeed be useful -- will look into this one.

 

[Lucius]

I just discovered a comprehensive K-mount camera list over at BUTKUS:

https://www.butkus.org/chinon/lenses/ultimate_k-mount.htm

It only has K-mount cameras (which are all M42 adaptable), but lots of NON-K-mount cameras are adaptable as well.

The table included the main features of the camera, but SPOT metering is not included.

That will keep you busy for a while.

That's an impressive list, thanks! Would have been indeed more helpful if it specified what kind of metering the cameras have, and their weight...

 

[Lucius]

All 650/620 are inexpensive to free. They are more often than not back caps for the lenses on them when sold.
Might not be what the OP is looking for and using an adapter is always fraught with problems, but probably as good a bet as any there.
EOS mount has a good big hole and a relatively short flange distance, so lots of room to make solid adapter.

Does the EOS have any advantages over the T70 for my intended purposes (shooting slides with m42 lenses), other than the faster top speed?

 

[xkaes]

That's an impressive list, thanks! Would have been indeed more helpful if it specified what kind of metering the cameras have, and their weight...

Don't thank me. I had nothing to do with it, but it was obviously a lot of work -- and like most lists probably not 100% complete.

What i would like (and I'm sure others would like, as well), would be a similar list of M42 cameras and lenses. Those two lists would be even longer!

 

[Helge]

Does the EOS have any advantages over the T70 for my intended purposes (shooting slides with m42 lenses), other than the faster top speed?

Probably not. The metering is more sophisticated. But that doesn’t necessarily equal better results.

 

[Paul Howell]

Thanks, I'll look into the Minolta 5! Never heard before of matrix metering -- is it the more advanced version of average metering?

Matrix metering uses a number of cells, each cell measures the light in a given cell then a chip with an algorithm figures out what you are shooting and adjusts the exposure to match a given pattern, such as back lite or side lighting. My understanding is in the days of film cameras Matrix was optimized for slides. All modern DSLR and Mirroless cameras use Matrix metering. Below is a link the Minolta 5 manual. But I would also look at a Nikon N80, N75, Canon EOS rebel, other than top of the line Pentax I would avoid Pentax as Pentax used plastic gears that strip out.

Minolta Maxxum 5 instruction manual, PDF user manual

Minolta Maxxum 5 instruction manual

www.butkus.org