Spot meter?

kminov · Nov 16, 2011

Could you guys recommend a good landscape spotmeter that doesn't cost an eyeball?

Laurent · Nov 16, 2011

I'm happy with my "Capital SP2", I think it's a rebranded Soligor.

vyshemirsky · Nov 16, 2011

*I have a Sekonic spot meter, and I really love it. It is not cheap, yet you don't have to sell your kidney to buy it, a couple hundred is a reasonable price and it is worth every penny.

CGW · Nov 16, 2011

The Sekonic 508 is a good all-in-one meter that's now fairly affordable. They sold well so there are quite a few on the used market relative to later and pricier models like the 558, 608, and 758. Check the reviews to see if it suits your needs.

Marc B. · Nov 16, 2011

For landscapes, I have/use/covet a later model Pentax V, analog, true One Degree, spot meter.
The later models use readily available modern alkaline/silver-oxide button cell batteries.
Used, it was $100.USD, near mint w/case.

One of the advantages using this meter for landscapes (my opinion),
is that the lens is threaded to accept screw on filters.
I don't have the meter in front of me, but IIRC the filter size is the same as some my C-series,
Mamiya TLR lenses; 46 or 49mm.
Screw your choice of filter/filter stack, and even a polarizer on the meter;
take your reading, then transfer the whole stack over to your camera.

I use a couple of step-up rings, and also mount filters for use on my 77mm RZ lenses.
To save money, most of my filters are 77mm.
I just use cheap step-up rings and inexpensive rubber hoods to fit all my other lenses up to that 77mm size.
My LF lenses cover about 3-4 different filter sizes between 46mm to 72 mm.
All used with step-up rings to 77mm, w/77mm filters and hoods.

I say frugal, others call me cheap. So be it.

Doremus Scudder · Nov 16, 2011

I'll second looking on the used market. I picked up a Pentax digital spot meter for just over $200 not too long ago. They are the industry standard for filmmaking and the favorite of many Zone System users. Zone Dials are available at DarkroomMagic.com.

Best,

Doremus Scudder
www.DoremusScudder.com

kminov · Nov 16, 2011

you have been most helpful guys, thanks, will look into these options.

Marc, are you saying you are actually using a RZ for landscape? Like, hiking with the kit?

kminov · Nov 16, 2011

darkroom magic seems to be expired (no pun intended )

pentaxuser · Nov 16, 2011

kminov said:
darkroom magic seems to be expired (no pun intended )

As of 4:15pm GMT I was able to access it OK

pentaxuser

kminov · Nov 16, 2011

this one?

kminov · Nov 16, 2011

sorry, found it!

Dead Link Removed

Chan Tran · Nov 16, 2011

Uhm for us as photographer an eye ball is worth a lot so there isn't a spot meter that can cost any where near an eye ball. I do have a couple of the old Minolta spot meter 9. They are 9 degree spotmeter. Works quite well and I got them for like $5.

kminov · Nov 17, 2011

well, leica format photographers could spare an eyeball, they use only one anyway
care to part with one of the meters? they seem very reasonably priced

Chan Tran said:
Uhm for us as photographer an eye ball is worth a lot so there isn't a spot meter that can cost any where near an eye ball. I do have a couple of the old Minolta spot meter 9. They are 9 degree spotmeter. Works quite well and I got them for like $5.

Marc B. · Nov 17, 2011

"Marc, are you saying you are actually using a RZ for landscape? Like, hiking with the kit?"

Sure, Medium and Large format kits. One or the other, not both at once. Not on my back.
Not so far on foot, I'm getting older and a bit crippled. I 4-wheel in as far as I can go.
I have camera mounts on the roll bar of my truck. Originally the mounts were for off road lights.

kminov · Nov 17, 2011

Marc B. said:
I have camera mounts on the roll bar of my truck. Originally the mounts were for off road lights.

You rule man! Now you need to replace the headlights with flash bulbs

Chan Tran · Nov 17, 2011

kminov said:
well, leica format photographers could spare an eyeball, they use only one anyway
care to part with one of the meters? they seem very reasonably priced

I recently moved so I went thru all the boxes to look for the meters. I couldn't find them. You can still buy them on Ebay but if this is your first spot meter I would not recommend it. Your first spot meter should be a good one.

Bill Burk · Nov 17, 2011

Chan Tran said:
...there isn't a spot meter that can cost any where near an eye ball. ....

If you look at the sun with them, just about any spotmeter will cost you an eyeball.

Chan Tran · Nov 17, 2011

So what would it read pointing at the sun? Or what's the luminance of the sun?

Bill Burk · Nov 17, 2011

Well my SEI photometer may be able to measure it. It has a 3.02 ND and the scale covers 1.0 so at top of scale there would be 4.0 between my eye and the sun...

"pop" "pop"

Hey you can't trick me that easily.

Chan Tran · Nov 17, 2011

searching online I found that the sun has a luminance of 1.6 x10^9 cd/m^2. So it should read about EV 33.4 for ISO 100.

jbl · Nov 20, 2011

I highly recommend the Pentax Digital Spotmeter. It's easy to use, has no "on" switch and works really well in the field. I've tried the Sekonic 758 and don't find it very usable in the field just because I'd have to keep turning it on and it didn't fit in my pocket as well.

I actually tried getting the Sekonic, couldn't stand it, returned it, bought the Pentax off of eBay, liked that, then bought the Sekonic again a year later to use for flash work. Now I have both, but almost never use the spot part of the Sekonic.

-jbl

MDR · Nov 20, 2011

I recommend the Minolta Auto Spot 1° meter if you can find one , it's cheap it's massive and it's a great tool. If you're willing to pay a little more I recommend the Minolta Spotmeter F or M (Digital spotmeters).

Dominik

kminov · Nov 25, 2011

thanks, you've been most helpful! will look around.

charlief64 · Jan 25, 2012

I saw this post when it first appeared. I was in the same situation. I just (today) happened upon the SVERDLOVSK-4. There is lots of information if you Google it. You can find them on Eb***Y for under a buck.

BrianL · Jan 25, 2012

+1 for the SEI. I love mine and it makes for a good defensive weapon. It does require a little training but, once learned, I think it is one of the best ever designed. I figure if good enough for Ansel Adams, it is more than good enough for me.

Spot meter?

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