Adorama Spotmeter

[Alex Hawley]

Just noticed Adorama has an analog spotmeter on the market under their brand name. Anyone tried it yet? At about half the price of the Pentax, its tempting.

[neil poulsen]

The Pentax is such a good instrument, I would be careful. For example, one problem I see with less expensive units is that the dot one sees in the viewfinder doesn't line up with the sensor. For example, my first spot meter was a Soligor that had this problem. I took it back and replaced it with the Pentax.

I've had one problem with the Pentax. After about 20 years of use, I had to have the electronics replaced. It cost me about $150. I don't hold this against Pentax. I think that's pretty good use. I was probably lucky that it could still be repaired.

[Jim Rhoades]

I've seen these threads before. I have to second Neil's advise. The question here should be, Pentax Spot V or Digital.

Relax, it's only money. As I go back and forth using MF, 4x5, 8x10 and then down again. The Pentax spotmeter is always the same. Mine's digital with a Zone VI sticker on it. Read the old threads for storys on how tough they are. You will only have to buy it once.

There is no IMHO on this. It's the best. End of story.

[Ed Pierce]

Seems like there's always used Zone VI modified Pentax meters up on ebay. Mine has performed flawlessly, given expected exposures through colored filters, survived some serious abuse short of immersion in water for 11 years. I just replaced the original battery (analog model) last month, just to be safe.

[Guy Tal]

I believe the Adorama meter is a re-badged Soligor. My Pentax Spotmeter V lost its exposure calculator a while ago (and as far as I can tell there's no way a mere mortal can open the case and re-attach it) and I went back to my old Zone-VI calibrated Soligor that has served me faithfully for a few years now. I personally had no problem with it.
I have seen some digital Minolta spotmeters go for good prices on eBay. You may want to look into those as well.

Guy

[Witold Grabiec]

I've only known one example of the Adorama analog and it matched readings of my Minolta Spot F pretty closely. And Minolta has never failed me. You can have Minolta for around $200 in great shape, but I remember one Pentax Digital not so long ago that sold for $239 on eBay. This was a dream price though and rather unexpected. So I would say Adorama is probably worth a try, especially if you can test it and eventually return it if not up to the task. After that a Minolta Spot F might be your next consideration. I find it reliable and no worse than the Pentax in either form.

[Bob._3483]

Not sure if the Adorama meter is a rebadged Soligor or not (but several retailers in the past have rebadged the Soligor meters), but I thought I would make a general point or three on the Soligor...

I have a digital Soligor (re-badged as "Panagor") - I have compared it to my Canon Eos in partial-spot metering mode and they agreed to within 1/3 stop over most of their range (going 1/2 to 2/3 stop out at the extreem ends). Perhaps more tellingly, the Soligor's response to flare from the sky was also similar to the Eos with its multicoated lens (having said which, both were pretty hopeless, reading up to two stops out when pointing at a tree trunk twice the spot width with open sky beyond). The spot position is accurate in my meter.

I suspect that with the cheaper meters, it is mainly a situation that quality control is more lax at the makers so you are more likely to get a badly assembled item and quality of materials are lower, resulting in a more fragile case. The actual electronics inside are going to be pretty standard - there are only a few options for which light detector to use and any competent designer will come up with a circuit that works. Even the Pentax has room for improvement by the Zone VI modifications.

Cheers,

[Ed Burlew]

I have one of the inexpensive ones as well as the Zone VI, The insepensice one is a sologor and it works just fine. I have no complaints about it. I find that having tow meters is useful because when one goes goofy then you have the other, Last year I took a trip to California with just one Gossen meter and it became goofy and was off by tow stops, I always do a test roll at any city I visit and because I didn't bring a second meter I had to buy a meter. So get it and use it and later upgrade to a Pentax , BUt I would not buy a used meter , I didn't sell that wonky gossen because I I just cannot mess up an innocent buyer, but I have seen many a wonky meter for sale at photographic flea markets adn the seller still said it was right so I gave up on used meters long ago and I recommend you buy new.

[Doug Howk]

I purchased Adorama's analog spot meter about a year ago & have had no problems with it despite a few drops. Only problem, in today's overly security conscious environment, I am circumspect in pointing it & don't carry it in a holster.

[Mark_3709]

The Adorama spot meter is a Soligor. I had it 6 years ago and returned it. It was off. (consistently however) I wound up with a pentax V, which I dropped and smashed the lens. I now use a Sekonic Zoom Master. This is the best meter I've ever used.