Pentax Spot Meter /Zone VI Mod?

[images39]

Hi,

I'm interested in getting a Pentax digital spot meter, and there's one available near me that has the Zone VI modification. Can anyone tell me if/how the mod is beneficial? What does it mean in practice? Are there any disadvantages to having the modification? I'll only be using the meter for shooting black and white. I need a handheld spot meter so that I don't have to move my camera once it's on the tripod to meter different areas with the built-in spot meter.

Appreciate any help on this...

Thanks,
Dale

 

[mike c]

I have read pro's and con's about the zone vi mod, I use the regular Pentax meter and it works fine, never tried the mod one. I think having the meter calibrated every so often will help more than any modification.

 

[bdial]

The mods make the sensor's sensitivity closer to B&W film. You also get the pasted-on zone scale instead of numbers.

 

[gorbas]

This is the most detailed article on this theme
http://www.butzi.net/articles/zone VI worth it.htm

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Hi,

I'm interested in getting a Pentax digital spot meter, and there's one available near me that has the Zone VI modification. Can anyone tell me if/how the mod is beneficial? What does it mean in practice? Are there any disadvantages to having the modification? I'll only be using the meter for shooting black and white. I need a handheld spot meter so that I don't have to move my camera once it's on the tripod to meter different areas with the built-in spot meter.

Appreciate any help on this...

Thanks,
Dale

I had both but only kept the non-modified meter as it was just fine for me.actually it worked better when measuring through filters especially red.Don't know why but the non-modified worked better for me;still haveitand will hang on to it.

 

[mgb74]

How do you know it's been modified? Back then, Zone VI also sold the zone sticker for the label. So that alone does not mean it's the zone VI modified meter. I'm not sure if there was any other marking.

 

[Alan9940]

How do you know it's been modified? Back then, Zone VI also sold the zone sticker for the label. So that alone does not mean it's the zone VI modified meter. I'm not sure if there was any other marking.

I don't know if they did this throughout the entire time of modifying the meters, but on my modified Pentax Digital Spot there's a label on the side of the handle indicating "Modified by Zone VI Studios".

 

[mgb74]

I don't know if they did this throughout the entire time of modifying the meters, but on my modified Pentax Digital Spot there's a label on the side of the handle indicating "Modified by Zone VI Studios".

Mine, which has the zone system sticker but was not actually modified, does not have that label.

 

[images39]

Thanks for everyone's replies. It did not occur to me that the meter might simply have a Zone scale on it, but not actually be modified. I'll find out if it has the Zone VI sticker on the hand grip.

Dale

 

[Theo Sulphate]

Just to add another data point: my Zone VI modified Pentax spotmeter (w/digital readout) also has the sticker on the grip.