Modified Pentax Spotmeter

[Martin Blume]

Fred Picker was right. I use Pentax V spotmeters since 1988. I have had several models but one thing is true: the modified Zone VI meters are better. I have had also very bad experience with sending the Pentax V to Zone VI after Calumet bought it. They sent a not-working meter back and after my complaining I was waiting longer than 6 month for it! No answer to my letters to the Calumet-people, I can tell you: a real bad style. But the meter is working, yet. Last week I bought the first time a modified (September, 12th 1999 by Jim Beilt or so) digital spotmeter in lack of a modified analog meter on the market as a backup. I like the modified meters the most because they have the best shadow reading I have ever seen. And both the old one and the digital one are ? absolutely identical in metering!!! I think the digital is a bit more accurate on the spot. Sure, sometimes and some days I wondered what kind of sales manager Fred Picker was. But meanwhile I am quite sure he was a tough guy knowing a lot of things better than all the Calumet people together. I am missing him.

Martin Blume, Germany, academia.palatina@abo.ron.de March, 26th 2001

[Kevin Crisp]

Interesting question so I'll tell my story. I have had the analog Pentax Zone VI meter for years. I bought a digital one on Ebay, and then noticed that the two meters didn't agree, so I figured the digital one should go to Calumet for calibration. They serviced it promptly, gave me a piece of paper which said it was 1/3 stop off. Still the two meters didn't agree, often by more than 1 1/2 stops. So I sent the analog one in (had it 10+ years) and they sent it back (another $53 later) and said it was 2/3's stop off. But still the meters don't agree by a country mile, despite both having just been calibrated. I'm out $106 and I don't think I've really accomplished anything. It's all relative, and film speed on any particular meter is just a number which will work or not work depending on how you process your film. I think the moral of the story is to take your meter and do your film speed test and then leave it alone unless your proofs show you something is amiss. If you are proofing your negatives with the so-called "proper proof" technique, you will know with the first batch of negatives you process if your meter starts giving you bad readings. Other than the above, I've been totally satisfied with both meters.