My spot meter Just took a bath today

[brian steinberger]

I dropped my Pentax digital spot meter into a creek today, but it was in a very shallow spot along the creek so it was only submersed for about 3 seconds. But it will not work now. I dried it out completely and took it apart as far as I could and used a hair dryer on it. If it fails to work in a day or so, is there a good place that repairs these meters? Or would it be cheaper to just buy a new one? Any suggestions?

[Eric Leppanen]

I would suggest sending the meter to Pentax and getting a repair estimate free of charge. You can then make a repair versus replace decision.

http://www.pentaximaging.com/customer_care/pentax_service/product_repairs/

[Michael Kadillak]

Pentax now has authorized service centers around the country. In your area there are three - NY, Washington DC and CT. Check within the link.

If it costs more than about $150 including a new calibration and a complete going over, I would opt for the used market for a replacement. Get the meter back because you can at least get something for spare parts.

When photographing in water or near drop offs, use a safety laynard just to be safe. Every day we learn something new. Thankfully you did not take the tumble.

Cheers!

[David Karp]

Brian,

Give these folks a call. They have done some good work for me on Pentax analog and digital spot meters. They will let you know what they think it will cost for repairs. In my experience their estimates are usually pretty close.

Quality Light Metric, 7095 Holywood Boulevard, Suite 550, Los Angeles, CA 90028-8903. Telephone: (213) 467-2265

[robc]

I would disconnect the battery whilst its drying out, so as not to encourage corrosion.

[Ted Harris]

In addition to Quality Light metric consider sending it to Richard Ritter www.lg4mat.net he repairs 'em all the time.

[Jeffrey Sipress]

Dry it out for a day or two, change the battery, and then give it a good whack on the side with your hand. If that doesn't bring it back to life, do what others have said. Most things fix themselves with a good solid thump.

[Capocheny]

Brian,

Sorry to hear about your meter taking a bath... it just about happened to mine a few weeks back and the ole heart STOPPED ticking for a few seconds. I have the same meter as you do.

Some people say to put it into a plastic bag filled with silica sand... the kind in the small packets. But, I can't say whether this would help or not.

As Eric suggested... personally, I'd send it back to Pentax and get them to give you a repair estimate.

Good luck.

Cheers

[brian steinberger]

Well I got up this morning and put a new battery in it and it worked. But I'm not sure how accurate it is, beucase I have both the viewing lens and the from lens off. It seems to be reading way too low, but I think this is because there is no lens focussing the light onto the sensor. I'm going to let it dry out all week before using it this weekend. Hope this works.

[Jim Rice]

If it fires up at all there's a good chance it will be okay. Especially if you removed the batteries immediately after the dunk. The longer the batteries were left in, the longer the shot becomes.

[tim atherton]

also some useful stuff in this thread on lenses in water:

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=19350&highlight=lens+water

[Keith S. Walklet]

I had the same misfortune with my Sekonic L-778 last February, although I took the plunge along with my Pentax 67 and the meter. I spent hours with a hair dryer attempting to dry it and the camera out. The camera and lens survived, but the meter worked briefly, and then died. I ended up having to replace it completely.

I've also used cotton socks filled with rice as a dessicant with my damp gear. In this case, though, I was in too much of a hurry. By trying to use my meter too soon, the manufacturer told me I had fried the circuit board. When I first started trying to use the L-778, condensation appeared on the inside of the lens, which made all readings suspect anyway.

After the fact, a friend suggested that putting the meter overnight in an oven on VERY low heat would have done the trick. He'd had good luck reviving drowned gear that way in the past.

The Pentax meter is a little less complex, so you may be in luck (I have an old electronic calculator that survived going through the wash).

I wish you well!

[Jim Rice]

Aside from the time it takes, it doesn't really matter how it is dried out. What matters most is how soon after the dunk the batteries are removed. Just make sure it is really dry before powering it up. Even if corroded, all is not lost. Flush it with denatured alchohol, with scrubbing as required.

[Jim Rice]

Oh, and on the circuit board only.