Mamiya 7 II and metering

[fralexis]

I have been using a Mamiya 7II for over a year. I use a Pentax spot meter. It seems the built in meter is difficult to manage due to an off center spot. It also seems to be more of a spot meter than a wider angle and it is difficult to determine exactly where to meter. Is there a simpler method of metering or any experienced advice on the best way to handle metering for this camera? Thanks!

 

[Tom Kershaw]

Hello,

Not much help possibly, but I use a Mamiya 7II with the Pentax Digital Spotmeter and just rely on the Pentax as I've found the Mamiya's metering rather awkward to use and would agree about its nature.

Tom

 

[LiamG]

The internal meter is indeed difficult to manage- I use it anyway, though. It pays to figure out where exactly in the viewfinder your camera's meter corresponds to, mine seems to be right below and slightly right of the RF patch, but I understand that it is quite variable between bodies.

I keep mine on AEL, meter what I want, place it with the exposure comp if necessary, & recompose while half-holding the shutter.

 

[Steve Goldstein]

Yes, the M7 meter is pretty much of a spot and is famously off-center, as well as varying from body to body. I have two, and their spots are in slightly different places.

Using a small bright light I figured out, for each body, where the center of sensitivity is. Then I drew a rough viewfinder picture on an index card and marked the metering spot. Each card has the matching body's serial number, and the cards travel in the bag with the camera(s). I refer to the card occasionally to remind myself of that particular body's characteristics. I also write filter factors on the same card.

My method works well enough that I don't usually use a handheld spot meter with the MF gear. Every exposure from my Iceland trip, both chromes and B&W, was properly exposed. I had my PocketSpot with me, but never used it.

 

[whlogan]

I am about to be the Daddy of a vanilla M7 and I wonder if its meter will also be a spot meter as well. Anyone know?. I would/will apprecaite any help on this. I,too am a usual hand held meter guy, but would like to know about the plain M7 meter. Thanks. Logan

 

[Steve Goldstein]

I have plain M7s, not the M7-II, and the meters in both are spottish. I've never measured their angle of view, but it's comparable in size to the rangefinder spot (from memory here, I'm taking a darkroom break and am too lazy to dig out the bodies and put in batteries, sorry).