Question for Pentax digital spotmeter users

[Mike Delaney]

I’ve just bought a Pentax digital spotmeter – in the instructions, it says that after focusing, the rubber eyepiece frame should be held securely and locked by rotating the eyepiece adjustment lock ring clockwise until it stops.
With mine, I can’t turn the lock ring without the rubber frame turning too, they seem to be stuck together. My questions are:
1) Has anyone experienced a similar problem?
2) Do you think this function is really necessary anyway? – it seems a bit time-consuming to have to do this every time you take a reading, even if it works.
Any help would be very much appreciated!
Cheers,
Mike

[Kevin Crisp]

I didn't know they came with manuals. So somebody has turned your lock ring counter clockwise and jammed it up against the eyepiece. If the spot looks sharp to you when you look through it with the eyepiece screwed in all the way, don't worry about it. If you need it screwed out part way to look sharp, then remove the rubber part, gentle use pliars or something similar to unscrew the lock ring a bit to loosen it. You will have to have two tools, one to hold the tube on the eyepiece end and another to turn the lock ring.) I suspect that if you don't use the lock ring it would be possible for the entire eyepiece to unscrew so far it might fall off. Or (easy solution) screw it to a position which looks sharp then put a piece of gaffers' tape on it so it stays there.

[David Crossley]

1. Yes.

2. It's not necessary.

David Crossley/Crossley Photography....

[Mike Delaney]

Thank you very much Kevin and David for your help and reassurance! It's great that such knowledgeable aid is at hand.

[Leonard Evens]

My manual says something like the the following. First turn the eyepiece until the center circle is in best focus. Then hold the rubber eyepeice and turn the metal ridged ring clockwise until it locks. I just did this and it worked just as described. It turns out that I had never bothered to make the adjustment . But I found that I could see the more of the field without moving my eye after making the adjustment. I think I had assumed it must be close to normal correction when screwed all the way in, but apparently that is not the case. After my cataract surgery, my right eye is essentially 20/20, and I had to screw it out about 1/8th inch. So it appears that the default position incorporates a certain amount of far sighted correction. Since the meter works perfectly well even if you don't focus precisely on the scene, I suppose it doesn't really make a whole lot of difference.

[Mike Delaney]

Many thanks for your input, Leonard. It's good to know that precise focussing isn't necessary, as I'm never that sure if I have got it right...

[Tom Westbrook]

Wow. I've had mine for about 15 years and didn't even know there was a lock ring. Excellent. I always hated how the darned thing kept going out of focus. I suppose that means I should actually read manuals.

[john_6267]

When I purchased my pentax digital spot meter, I also found that the eyepiece did not lock. I sent the meter back to the mail order company to be replaced, as the meter was still under warranty, unfortunately the replacement digital spotmeter also did not lock. In spite of this problem, I have used this wonderful meter for many years.

[georgiosk]

I’ve just bought a Pentax digital spotmeter – in the instructions, it says that after focusing, the rubber eyepiece frame should be held securely and locked by rotating the eyepiece adjustment lock ring clockwise until it stops.
With mine, I can’t turn the lock ring without the rubber frame turning too, they seem to be stuck together. My questions are:
1) Has anyone experienced a similar problem?
2) Do you think this function is really necessary anyway? – it seems a bit time-consuming to have to do this every time you take a reading, even if it works.
Any help would be very much appreciated!
Cheers,
Mike

Thank you Mike for bringing this here, I have the same issue with my Pentax digital spotmeter, and unfortunately Both the rubber and the focusing are stuck together, and I couldn’t separate them.
Were you able to separate them at your end?
Best regards.
George

[Drew Wiley]

That feature is for sake of easier focusing on the scene itself. But the metering function is not dependent upon that. As long as you can aim the central spot to where you want in to be in the scene, good enough for a correct reading. All of the focus rings on my own set of Pentax meters still work correctly, and none have been overtightened. But still, I rarely bother to adjust the focus at all when using these meters, because I'm usually in a bit of a hurry before the lighting shifts. No difference in actual readings.

[Martin Aislabie]

That feature is for sake of easier focusing on the scene itself. But the metering function is not dependent upon that. As long as you can aim the central spot to where you want in to be in the scene, good enough for a correct reading. All of the focus rings on my own set of Pentax meters still work correctly, and none have been overtightened. But still, I rarely bother to adjust the focus at all when using these meters, because I'm usually in a bit of a hurry before the lighting shifts. No difference in actual readings.

Agree 100%.
The actual meter reading is done well up stream of your focusing adjuster - which is in place for you to comfortably see what it is you are pointing at.
I too hadn't realised there was a locking ring.
I've had mine for 15~20 years (since new) - it just shows you how much we read the manuals.
Martin