try to return it. Zone VI modified meters are terrible. The plain Pentax Digital is much better in my opinion. my modified meter was thrown off by warm colors too.
I just purchased a used Pentax Digital Spot meter and it doesn’t match my Canon R5 or Sekonic l478dr with spot meter attachment. It came with a 6.2v silver oxide battery but the manual says 6v so I wonder if this is why it’s not accurate. If not can these be serviced or should I try and return it?
View attachment 342623
The modified meters, I believe, were clearly post-labeled as such. Lacking that, and the presence of the Zone scale only, it's safe to assume it's unmodified.
I had no idea there were modified and unmodified meters. Drew mentioned a post lable and I see no labels or markings. I thought the zone sticker was for connivence. My understanding is if I take a reading of a dark area I want in a particular zone I just line the EV number of the reading to the zone I want it to end up in, right?
FWIW I have a Pentax V Spot Meter with the Zone VI scale on it. And it's a genuine Zone VI scale as far as I can see, it's far better printed than the knock off's, and doesn't fit as well as the knock off's (which is a sign the fakers are trying too hard). But the Pentax V meter when modified had another label on it by Zone VI on the opposite side of the camera saying 'modified by Zone VI' (and mine hasn't). So if the precedent is set the additional label should be the decider for a modified meter. Alas mine isn't modified but is still extremely accurate.
Exactly...... but Zone VI sold labels for various light meters to make metering for the Zone system easier.... & they also sold meters with internal modifications View attachment 342750
see? A modified meter!(how unfortunate!)
I don't understand the antipathy for this meter. I've used mine for upwards of 30 years without any issue. I bought it from Calumet after they took over Zone VI distribution. It has served me in a half dozen countries, 2 continents, and has never been anything but utterly reliable.
I suppose if people are trying to use something like BZTS to get to .0000002 stops of accuracy, the meter isn't for them. But I prefer to make pictures rather than sensiometric exercises. For the former, the Zone VI Pentax has been absolutely great.
Oh, and I don't just shoot Tri-X nor do I use HC-110 (except rarely), so the claim that this is all the meter is good for is vastly overstated.
To be sure, Picker was a master marketer. But having spoken with him personally on at least one occasion at length, I can tell you he was a really nice man, passionate about photography, and loved discussing it and exploring it in depth - much like many of us here.
May calibrations laboratories will not touch Zone VI modified light meters. That many laboratories cannot be wrong; they obviously know something that non-experts do not know.
+1.
Some people are so enamored of their camera equipment that they feel compelled to denigrate all other brands. As if denigrating other camera brands will make them better photographers.
A good many of them won't touch ...
But this doesn't speak one way or the other to the quality and durability of these meters.
(not attempting to educate you, chuckroast); just using your comment as a springboard. Likewise, I use a lot of vintage gear quite successfully. Funy story... the only time I was enamoured with the latest and greatest was 1980 or 1981 when I bought a new state-of-the-art Nikon F3, the same one that I still use today. After that it was mostly vintage camera purchase and most of them are still in use)
In all, I feel confident to say, endeavors using engineered/manufactured products... it's very common for service adn repair to be curtailed after a period of time. It rarely has anything to do with product quality and has a lot to do with parts and talent availability (lack of, not surplus of), the warranty risks associated with repairs on old equipment, the price of repair/service that just won't generate significant income. We should thank the Almighty for the few who can and do service/repair our old gear rather than whining about it or making accusations/assumptions of poor product quality just because that gear has become obsoleted by time.
Bracketing with roll film when testing anything unfamiliar is wise. But unless one is rich, they do not bracket sheet film, especially color. In 8x10, it's approaching $40 per shot with processing. That will cure you of being careless with metering!
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