Spotmeters?

[Alar70]

Hello all, I'm brand new to this forum and new to LF so I am going through the research phase a bit on gear. I wanted to know if anyone could tell me if the Pentax Digital spotmeter is preferable to anything else specifically for LF? The reason I ask is that I also carry a fair share of digital equipment and currently have a Sekonic L758DR spotmeter and wanted to know if there is something that the Pentax has that the Seckonic does not that aids, for any one reason, the LF exposure process? Off the top I would not think so, but then again, I haven't heard of or seen anyone using LF equipment using the Sekonic brand spotmeters and just wondered why? Thanks!

[Larry Gebhardt]

I have one, well two actually, and I find it to be the most intuitive meter to use. But if you are happy using the Sekonic why change? The reason I like it is the Pentax rings make viewing the exposure range and placement very easy, especially when a Zone sticker is added to the meter. But it's in no way magic.

[Gem Singer]

It doesn't matter which brand or type of light meter you are using as long as the meter is properly calibrated and you know how to interpret what the meter is telling you.

Whether you are using a spot meter or an incident light meter, the ability to convert the meter readings into accurate shutter and aperture settings for the scene you are photographing is more important.

The Pentax digital spot meter is compact, simple to read and to convert into shutter speed and aperture readings. It is known for it's accuracy and ability to hold it's calibration settings.

Most LF people use a one degree spot meter for it's ability to read and interpret tiny areas of light and dark.

[coops]

I'm kinda new to LF photography but can share my experience. I have a Sekonic L-558 (I think) and just purchased an older Pentax spotmeter from here, and I love it. It sounds like a small thing, but being able to scan around a scene and compare EV's without having to look at the readout on the Sekonic is really nice. I do have some difficulty seeing the needle in strong light though. Seems to have made things much simpler for me, but I do still lug the Sekonic around to use as an incident meter.

[Ron Marshall]

As Coops mentioned, the Pentax is a bit quicker and easier to use than some other designs, but not a great difference.

[Santo Roman]

I've been using the Sekonic L-508 since it came out. I love it. has 3 different light metering functions including the 1 degree spot. lights up at night for those night shots and has a function to use 2 different iso speeds at once. Easy to use and is water proof. I've also used the pentax spot meter but it was a bit larger than what i like to carry around. just my 2 cents.

santo

[bvstaples]

I have a Sekonic 558, a Sekonic 398, and a Pentax SpotmeterV. I like them all, and I like using them all. What I really like about the Pentax, though, is that it's large aperture objective makes for a bright view on the GG/in the eyepiece, which allows me to better discern various levels of shadow detail. The Pentax Digital utilizes the same view system — large objective and bright view in the eye end of the meter.

But then, it's really a personal thing. A friend of mine uses only his 398, which is an incident meter.

Brian

[timparkin]

I had the Sekonic originally and used it for large format but always felt it was a little over complicated..

When I bought a pentax spotmeter, the ease with which you can see the range of exposures made things a lot more intuitive.. You can quickly see what range of values you have and where they are placed... It doesn't sound like a big advantage but I wouldn't like to go back. Oh, and you learn a lot more about light using EV readings - never mind that they're easier to calculate offsets, etc..

Tim

http://www.timparkin.co.uk/blog/7050381221649099785
http://www.timparkin.co.uk/blog/926815673944184070

[Steve Hamley]

I use both a Sekonic 508 and a Pentax Digital. The Pentax is simpler and more intuitive, as mentioned above, but the Sekonic does have one advantage. If you're shooting a sunrise/sunset and the light is dim, the self-illuminated display of the Sekonic is very, very, nice. The 508 also uses a standard AA battery which can be had almost everywhere.

Cheers, Steve

[Santo Roman]

Steve,

I'm with you. Sekonic 508 is really a great meter. I can never go back.

santo