Want to Buy WTB/trade for: spot meter

[Luseboy]

Hey everyone,
I am in desperate need of a spot meter. Not sure which one i want, but i'd be most excited for a pentax(digital or analog), or minolta spot meter f. I am willing to pay, or will trade for one. I have a nice macbeth densitometer which i am not using. would be willing to trade it for a spot meter plus some other stuff. also have many 4x5 film holders, a nice minolta rokkor-x lens, el nikkor enlarging lens (50mm 1:4), beseler enlarger parts (23c/printmaker, 45m), and tons of other stuff which i would be happy to trade for a spot meter. It must be in working condition, however i really couldn't care less if it's scratched up and well used.
Please help me get this! if i have a spotmeter i can finally get nice exposures with my 4x5.
Thank you!
-Austin

 

[ChuckP]

Have you checked Ebay? I see Pentax V models selling for around $110-120. Seems cheap to me as I remember them at around $185-200 awhile back. I just picked up a spare for my 25 year old one.

 

[Grif]

Well,,, if I had an extra I'd sure think about the MacBeth. I've got an old Soligar(?) analog that is great, they go cheap sometimes. Mecury cells is the issue.

Mostly the reason for the post, if you can't get good exposures with your 4x5 with a good incident or reflected meter, all the spot meter is goning to do is confuse you even further. (trust me on this,,, I'm there ;-)

 

[Luseboy]

Yes i'm checked ebay quite a bit. Some of the prices are good, but i have a hard time trusting ebay when it comes to things like this. Plus if i could trade for it that just means less money (which i tend to not have anyways) spent.

I can get ok exposures with an incident, but i am trying to use the zone system, and that is not easy with my current meter (it does have 5 degree spot capability, but it isn't easy to use because it's hard to tell what you're reading). So it's mainly so that i can effectivley use the zone system.

 

[Michel Hardy-Vallée]

Look for Sekonic spot meters.

They don't get as much rap as the Pentax or the Minolta ones, but they're equally as competent.

What's more, you can even find some, like mine that meter flash! (Digi-spot L-488).

 

[John Koehrer]

Yes i'm checked ebay quite a bit. Some of the prices are good, but i have a hard time trusting ebay when it comes to things like this. Plus if i could trade for it that just means less money (which i tend to not have anyways) spent.

I can get ok exposures with an incident, but i am trying to use the zone system, and that is not easy with my current meter (it does have 5 degree spot capability, but it isn't easy to use because it's hard to tell what you're reading). So it's mainly so that i can effectivley use the zone system.

My son, check out the wisdom of "Beyond the Zone System" by Fred Picker.
I't similar but uses an incident meter.

 

[erikg]

Phil Davis wrote BTZS, Fred liked spot meters so much he sold modified ones to the believers.

 

[Luseboy]

I've used incident meters. I will stick with finding a spot meter, i think it makes a lot more sense. Besides, when shooting large format, it's not like you're trying to take a quick picture, so why not measure more accuratley? it worked for ansel... and he has undoubtedly the best exposures the world has ever seen (don't try and tell me i'm wrong )