Spotmeter Color and IR Sensitivity

chriscrawfordphoto · Feb 10, 2022

Years ago, I had a Zone VI Modified Pentax spotmeter that I foolishly sold. I recently got another, and an unmodified Pentax Digital Spotmeter and decided to compare them against each other, and against two other spotmeters I own (Sekonic L-758DR and Gossen Ultra Spot 2). I evaluated them for color sensitivity and infrared sensitivity.

I wrote an article detailing the tests I did and analyzing the results.

https://crawfordphotoschool.com/shooting-techniques/spotmeter-shootout-1.php

ic-racer · Feb 10, 2022

Nice review.

DREW WILEY · Feb 10, 2022

A few comments. Some of the issues were already tossed back n forth between me and Richard on that linked old thread. But other than those, it would have been nice to compare the unmodified Pentax spotmeter values to the modified meter ones. Meters can change over time; and unless re-calibrated, all those ZV I modified ones are pretty old by now, and I don't know how stable the internal filters are either over time.

The MacBeath Color Checker Chart is indeed a superb help for such instances if itself kept in fresh unfaded condition. But one has to understand how these Charts work, and how different colors saturate at different density values. Light meters are not color densitometers. And color film is not the human eye. Nor do these printed color patches on the Chart necessarily behave in reflectance like similar-looking colors in nature.

I've had some Hollywood cameramen tell me they love the modified meter for shooting color neg film, others that they prefer the unmodified version. But there is obviously quite a range of color films just like even different kinds of panchromatic black and white films. There are just so many variables that one really has to be "married" to a specific meter awhile to understand its real personality. I found the unmodified Pentax to read identically to the Minolta Spotmeter F, but prefer the more intuitive simple dial method of the Pentax. But thank you for your own contribution.

chriscrawfordphoto · Feb 10, 2022

DREW WILEY said:
A few comments. Some of the issues were already tossed back n forth between me and Richard on that linked old thread. But other than those, it would have been nice to compare the unmodified Pentax spotmeter values to the modified meter ones. Meters can change over time; and unless re-calibrated, all those ZV I modified ones are pretty old by now, and I don't know how stable the internal filters are either over time.

The MacBeath Color Checker Chart is indeed a superb help for such instances if itself kept in fresh unfaded condition. But one has to understand how these Charts work, and how different colors saturate at different density values. Light meters are not color densitometers. And color film is not the human eye. Nor do these printed color patches on the Chart necessarily behave in reflectance like similar-looking colors in nature.

I've had some Hollywood cameramen tell me they love the modified meter for shooting color neg film, others that they prefer the unmodified version. But there is obviously quite a range of color films just like even different kinds of panchromatic black and white films. There are just so many variables that one really has to be "married" to a specific meter awhile to understand its real personality. I found the unmodified Pentax to read identically to the Minolta Spotmeter F, but prefer the more intuitive simple dial method of the Pentax. But thank you for your own contribution.

Richard Ritter serviced my Zone VI meter before I used it for this, so its accurate and the filters are in good condition.

I'd like to have used a Spotmeter F. I had one that I had to sell several years ago after I had a stroke and had to sell off a lot of my gear due to needing money. I tried to buy one last year and couldn't find one that was properly calibrated. After Quality Light Metric closed a year ago, no one seems to be able to calibrate and service old light meters, except for Mr. Ritter (and he only does Pentax and Soligor meters). You're probably right about it being closely matched to the unmodified Pentax. My much newer Sekonic L-758DR is, too. I suspect that most farly modern meters have similar color sensitivity.

Sirius Glass · Feb 10, 2022

I had all my light meters calibrated by George at Quality Light Metric before he retired and the Hasselblad PME calibrated at Hasselblad New Jersey. All work for IF if I meter at box speed and then adjust for the filter which I am using at that time. I have no direct way to read IR directly only via visible light at box speed.

DREW WILEY · Feb 11, 2022

I keep a new Pentax digital spotmeter in the lab as a reference, and never even put a battery in it unless it's for sake of checking my other Pentax spotmeters. So it is also a potential ace in the hole if I need yet another field meter in my lifetime. The very oldest one is actually so battle scarred from decades in the mountains that it's held together with vinyl electrical tape - but still reads correctly! I think George at Quality Light Metric recalibrated it twice. Original factory calibrations of these were very precise too, and apparently identical to Minolta spotmeters. My Minolta was stolen.

I never ever meter through colored black and white contrast filters. Always use a filter factor based on actual specific film tests including precise densitometer readings. I disagree with a lot of what Fred Picker taught. I also didn't appreciate his patent medicine snake oil marketing persona. But he sure came up with some good products from time to time (plus some inevitable bellyflops).

chriscrawfordphoto · Feb 11, 2022

DREW WILEY said:
I keep a new Pentax digital spotmeter in the lab as a reference, and never even put a battery in it unless it's for sake of checking my other Pentax spotmeters. So it is also a potential ace in the hole if I need yet another field meter in my lifetime. The very oldest one is actually so battle scarred from decades in the mountains that it's held together with vinyl electrical tape - but still reads correctly! I think George at Quality Light Metric recalibrated it twice. Original factory calibrations of these were very precise too, and apparently identical to Minolta spotmeters. My Minolta was stolen.

I never ever meter through colored black and white contrast filters. Always use a filter factor based on actual specific film tests including precise densitometer readings. I disagree with a lot of what Fred Picker taught. I also didn't appreciate his patent medicine snake oil marketing persona. But he sure came up with some good products from time to time (plus some inevitable bellyflops).

I agree; a long time ago I tested another Zone VI Modified meter, a Pentax Spotmeter V that I foolishly sold several years ago, to see if the 'metering through filters' claim was true. It wasn't. I haven't gone to the trouble of doing precise filter factor tests like you did because I rarely use filters; I just use the filter factors Kodak recommends for the film I use (mostly Tmax 400).

I still have a couple of old Zone VI catalogues from the 90s. Fred's writing was often over-the-top, but yeah he did make some really useful things like the modified meters. I always thought the wooden 4x5 cameras were beautiful, but I never owned one. I had one of his print washers too.

DREW WILEY · Feb 11, 2022

Well, his cameras were superficially pretty but way behind the pack in other ways, more of an entry-level option. His tripods were a sick joke of poorly altered so-so survey tripods. His secret sauce Zone VI paper developer was just Dektol with double the amount of hydroquinone. But his Brilliant Bromide Graded paper, one helluva home run. I've never seen anything before or after capable of that kind of depth and DMax. Last year I lucked out and found an old spare print never toned before. I had always done selenium back then. But when I put it into gold chloride, the depth of pure cold black was amazing. But I would never call it a versatile paper. Even when graded papers ruled, I used far more Oriental Seagull bromide than Brilliant. Of course, Brilliant outright disappeared, then re-appeared in anemic VC fashion under new Calumet ownership, and Oriental had several of its own less than happy reincarnations. Equipment wise, I still use my Z VI compensating development timer, and my Z VI cold light probe timing device.

I made all my own slot print washers, and made them to wash more efficiently than any commercial option, though of course, by making them strictly for personal use and not sale I wasn't restricted within the boundary lines of specific patents.

Spotmeter Color and IR Sensitivity

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