Zone VI Upgrade to Pentax V Meter

[neil poulsen]

I just got my Pentax V meter upgraded for Zone VI. I wanted to do this before it was no longer possible. I haven't heard anything definite, but the Calumet person with whom I spoke implied that there might come a time when this is no longer possible through them.

Those who've had this done, what was your experience in using your "new" spot meter?

[Ted Harris]

You can get the meter modified by Richard Ritter as well. It is substantially the same modification, since he is the one who perfected it for Zone VI in the first place but.

[robc]

every film has a different repsonse to light. My understanding is that the zone VI meter modification is based on one of the Kodak B+W films. I forget which one. So the question is: Is it therefore calibrated to all other films? The answer is obviously no, and just like all other meters and films, you will still have have to individually calibrate meter to film to dev for the best accuracy. What you have achieved is to part with some money to get your meter calibrated for a film which has not long for this world.

This topic comes up very frequently and there is much discussion and argument over it.

look at www.butzi.net for a comparative test of the modified meter.

[Kirk Gittings]

Ted, Actually Ritter does not do modifications. He only repairs and calibrations. He has corrected this assumption three times that i remember on this forum in the past. Only Calumet does modifications.

[Kirk Gittings]

"look at www.butzi.net for a comparative test of the modified meter"

That should accurately read:

look at www.butzi.net for a comparative test of HIS modified meter

Many others including myself and Alan Ross came to the conclusion that it does make a difference.

[robc]

I have no doubt it makes a difference but I question that the difference is valid for all film types or all films within a type, eg all B+W films.

So what do Zone VI/Calumet claim is the advantage of their modification and where can I see the spec of what is done to the meter? Surely having a clear definition from them of what is done to the meter and its effect would clear up all the arguments over this.

[Mark Sampson]

The point of the meter modification is that the color sensitivity of the original meter cells was *miles* away from the sensitivity of film. By comparison, the difference in color sensitivity between b/w films could be measured in *inches*. In addition to that, another modification made is to reduce flare- generally accepted as a good idea. Picker's original rationale for doing all this was published long ago in his newsletter, complete with graphs and charts detailing the results. It's a shame that this info can't be put up on the net somewhere- at least then we all could see the whys and wherefores. Whether or not it makes any difference will still be up to the individual user, but perhaps some misconceptions could be cleared up that way.

[Kirk Keyes]

If anyone has those old Zone VI newsletters around, I'd be interested in getting a copy of the meter modification info.

Kirk

[Kevin Crisp]

I have a Zone VI catalogue from 1991 which covers the meter modification. I can scan it and send it to somebody who can put it in one of these seemingless endless posts about the modified meter. I remember the development of the meter being discussed in the newsletter but I sure don't remember charts and graphs.

[Tito Sobrinho.]

I have to look for this particular Newsletter. The Zone VI modified, was discussed by Picker and Paul Horowitz the phisicist (Harvard) who actually designed the modifications.