Thanks, Henpe. Does it have a light in the viewfinder to help see the needle? My FE uses a needle meter, and it can be hard to see sometime.I have been using a 'Pentax Digital Spot', a 'Minolta Spot Meter F' and a 'Soligor Spot Sensor II'. I would say that the Soligor is a bit bulkier compared to the other two, otherwise it is perfectly fine and works very well.
Ahh, ok...I have only used the digital version of the Soligor, not the one with an analogue readout.Thanks, Henpe. Does it have a light in the viewfinder to help see the needle? My FE uses a needle meter, and it can be hard to see sometime.
Oh good! This is a perfectly acceptable workaround for me. I'm excited to have it in my hands to try. I never really trust my iPhone metering app in tricky lighting.The needle version, I think the needle locks in place when you let go of the button. Then it's easy to point it to the sky or a brighter object to see the reading.
This is strange to me, because from what I've read, silicon photo diodes, which the Soligor uses, work indefinitely. I made a point to check on that before ordering because of the age of these things. Of course, misuse or abuse can change that, I guess. Either way, if it doesn't work properly, I'll just pack it up and send it back. KEH is great to deal with.I used analog Soligor Spot Sensor II a few years. It was just only my meter and I was happy with it. But after some time I start seeing that in a low light situations the needle some kind of moving very slow. After I found on internet or in the books that this happens when the sensor getting old and loosing it sensibility. When I got the new digital Sekonic and compare both I find that the Soligor was a bit off, don't remember exact details. I called the Quality light metric - famous repair company in California, and Mr. Milman told me that those meters was not designed perfectly originally and even he can adjust it, he didn't suggest to spend another $80-100 on work, but instead to get another meter like Pentax or Minolta. So use it until it work, but consider in the future to spend some $$ on a better meter.
I probably will get a gray card, but I am most concerned about getting the results I expect in my image. There are some oddities in metering, even with a meter that is spot on. Everyone of my cameras, even my DSLRs, overexpose red for some reason. I assume this has something to do with the longer wavelength of red light, but if I forget to account for this, I get terrible results, even with good camera meters.I'm not sure that your checking method will give you the answer you need.
Typical green grass and slightly faded asphalt tend to be close to 18% reflectance. Take readings off them, and compare the result to "Sunny 16". Be sure to avoid direct specular reflection.
A grey card is actually not an exact match to the average reflectance that meters are calibrated to (which is closer to something between 12% and 16%). Its benefit is that it is a reproducible standard.
This link from Kodak's motion picture resources talks a lot about how to use a grey card, which by the way is a subject of some dispute.
https://www.kodak.com/uploadedfiles...ion_newsletters_filmEss_14_Exposure_Tools.pdf
For clarity, are you saying that you need to increase exposure by one stop from the reading recommended by the meter?These results are when reading the Soligor as one stop too low.
I'm sorry - I knew I phrased that poorly. The picture is underexposed by one stop. I think it needs to be even another stop lower. It sounds like you agree with me.For clarity, are you saying that you need to increase exposure by one stop from the reading recommended by the meter?
Looking at your example, I would have said that you needed to actually use the meter's suggested exposure, not give it more. Or maybe even give it one stop less.
Green grass is usually a good Zone V.
The previous owner probably didn't tape a "Zone VI" label to the unit. I'd say it's probably a Zone VI conversion (my Soligor and Pentax conversions have identical stickers). Pentax Spotmeters, as well as Soligors, were converted by Fred Picker's company. That included replacement of some of the sensors. It's likely that a Zone VI conversion will read slightly differently than a "stock" Soligor; at least mine does (about 2/3 EV).I made it more confusing than I needed to. Forget the picture for a second...
The Soligor has a dial you turn based on the EV reading from the viewfinder. When the meter arrived, the previous owner had taped over the indicator mark (where you line up your EV reading) and called that Zone V (see below). Using that designation, my photos were overexposed. So, I taped over his tape, and put Zone 5 one stop lower (to the right). After doing this, my bricks in the picture above ended up on the new Zone 5. I now realize that I should have moved the markings yet another stop lower so that the bricks fell on Zone 6 and, as you say, the grass fell on Zone 5. See the picture below of the dial and tape I am talking about:
View attachment 224111
Maybe that's the case here. This meter overexposes everything by about two stops, though. Does Fred Picker's company let you choose how much difference you want in exposure? Maybe the previous owner asked that it be made to overexpose by that much. Two stops really isn't that big of a deal for film, which is what I'll be using it for, but I'd rather make that correction in my head.The previous owner probably didn't tape a "Zone VI" label to the unit. I'd say it's probably a Zone VI conversion (my Soligor and Pentax conversions have identical stickers). Pentax Spotmeters, as well as Soligors, were converted by Fred Picker's company. That included replacement of some of the sensors. It's likely that a Zone VI conversion will read slightly differently than a "stock" Soligor; at least mine does (about 2/3 EV).
Here's a link to a thread which is 18 years old. It discusses Zone VI modifications. Zone VI is long out of business, and Fred Picker died in 2002. My Soligor was found in an antique shop, costing me $65, and the Pentax was @ $300 at a local used camera shop.Maybe that's the case here. This meter overexposes everything by about two stops, though. Does Fred Picker's company let you choose how much difference you want in exposure? Maybe the previous owner asked that it be made to overexpose by that much. Two stops really isn't that big of a deal for film, which is what I'll be using it for, but I'd rather make that correction in my head.
Also, I have seen Zone VI meters for sale on KEH before, and they usually list them as "Zone VI Modified".
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