Another vote for the Pentax. My Zone VI modified version is very well baffled: When they say 1 degree, they mean it. It's not sort-kinda. It's a discrete 1 degree circle, period.
Another vote for the Pentax. My Zone VI modified version is very well baffled: When they say 1 degree, they mean it. It's not sort-kinda. It's a discrete 1 degree circle, period.
I have both analog and a digital Pentax meters and a Sekonic 558 and have used them both regularly. Great meters.
Recently I purchased a Pocket Spot Meter and I have been using it more and more and it is really a pleasure to use. Aside from its diminutive size (fits in the palm of your hand) it has a couple of important attributes that bear mention. First, its response circuitry is hard wired in place and it never needs a calibration. I check my accuracy on my Pentax meters and they go for a $75 calibration about every year due to simple accuracy drift usually on the high side. I have been told that micro vibrations on airplanes and in vehicles extract their price on these meters as a function of time. Not having to deal with this is a great benefit from a logistical and costs perspective.
Secondly, it is milled out of a solid piece of aluminum and is bullet proof. It does not have a magnifying viewfinder that adds size and fragility to the package but it gets the job done and that is all that matters to me.
Just my $0.02.
Cheers!
I read Paul Butzi's review here, but the link he gives, http://www.meteredlight.com, is now obsolete.
Here is where you can currently contact the maker of the Pocket Spot Meter: http://meteredlight.blogspot.com/
Another vote for the Pocket Spot - best meter I have owned and the one a use most often. They were going to do a limited production run this year - try this web site for contact information. http://meteredlight.blogspot.com/
Ken,
Try this:
http://meteredlight.blogspot.com/
Be prepared to be patient with Eric. He has a regular job and producing these wonderful instruments is his "free time" filler. He is a great innovative person and one of us and for that we should all be thankful.
When I can use a product that is a best of breed and reward entrepreneurial individuals at the personal level it is an absolute no brainer. Another person that is one of us and also fits this billing is Alistair Inglis (www:/allistairinglis.com) and his absolutely marvelous dedicated sheet film washers and pin registration equipment. I purchased sheet film washers from him in 5x7, 8x10, 11x14 and 8x20 and use them regularly.
Cheers!
I'm a zone newbie (and LF newb as well) so please take this for what you feel it's worth.
I've been doing nothing but walk around the past few days learning how to identify and differentiate 'zones'. By circumstance I was recently married to a Sekonic 508 (pity it wasn't the 608 or above).
Right off the bat, I can see why many are raving about the Pentax Spotmeter - and with something like a zone sticker, the Pentax feels like a familiar old analog faced friend - one swift glance and you get a 'feel' for the scene, where as with the 508, it's click, turn meter, read a numeral, transpose that into a mental image, remeter, take meter away from face again, read off side panel again, re-visualise ... With the 758, you have a direct viewfinder readout, so the inconvenience of having to take the meter away from one's face is no longer a factor.
I'm sure the 758 is more convienient to use than the 508, and probably possesses more bells and whistles, so that might make a difference in the 'ease of use' department for you.
I'll keep my 508 meanwhile as I find the other (especially flash reading) functions useful and probably get a Pentax further down the line when funds allow it.
CHEERS!
I'm in agreement with Santo. I've had mine since it came out and I love it. It will even read flash exposures for you. Great meter. Like everyone says you need to learn how to use it and make sure it is calibrated.Originally Posted by Santo Roman
Jim
I am Using my Sekonic L 408 for almost 10 years with no problem (three degree spot only). I am into large format photography for almost three year now.
Now I am learning the zone system. And for Zone system I had wanted to buy pantex 1 degree spot meter like you. But I knew that I would not part with sekonic, and taking two light meter for outside shoot always creates mess. So I got this small Zone Dial from LF Home page / Misc
http://www.largeformatphotography.in...s/ZoneDial.pdf
this seems to work for me.
I think you can check out it to as it costs few cents only.
Deepak
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