Spot meter
May 7, 2018 22:43:09 #
In the middle of some run-of-the mill errands today I stopped by an antique shop I know which often has some photo items and found AND bought on the spur of the moment a Minolta Auto-Spot II spot meter to complement my Sekonic incident light meter. All it needed was a 9-volt battery and it works fine. Cost was $66. I have no idea if that’s a good price or not and as this was a consignment shop there was no way to haggle — the vendor himself was not present. Anyway it works and should make exposures for my manual film cameras a lot easier (only my Nikon FE has TTL metering). Anyone familiar with this item?
May 8, 2018 05:23:43 #
drmike99 wrote:
In the middle of some run-of-the mill errands toda... (show quote)
I had one years ago. Read all that you can on the Zone System in order to make the best use of it. Today, with most cameras featuring a spot-meter-like metering mode, it is pretty much all I use.
May 8, 2018 08:10:59 #
Good meter. Enjoy it. Never use Ray-O-Vac brand batteries.
May 8, 2018 09:08:53 #
Good meter and a decent price. I bought one years ago when I was shooting medium format (RB67) with no meter and really like it. I still use it to evaluate the various “zones” in some subjects, and of course when I (still) shoot film in the MF.
May 8, 2018 10:57:37 #
Ron Dial
Loc: Cuenca, Ecuador
I had a similar situation with a Minolta Color meter. New it ran several hundred dollars, but I found one very used at a swap meet. Bought it, then sent to Minolta and they refurbished it, case and all and brought it up to specs, for a couple of hundred dollars.
Good purchase.
Good purchase.
May 9, 2018 12:23:53 #
May 9, 2018 14:07:37 #
Did you get the digital or the analog version of the meter? They are big but nice meters. The lens is focusable while the newer spotmeter M has fixed focus lens.
May 9, 2018 14:48:54 #
BebuLamar wrote:
Did you get the digital or the analog version of the meter? They are big but nice meters. The lens is focusable while the newer spotmeter M has fixed focus lens.
Analog and focusable.
May 9, 2018 16:19:34 #
May 9, 2018 17:37:17 #
henryp wrote:
There may be an owner's manual in http://www.butkus.org/chinon/minolta.htm
Owners manual seems like overkill for this meter. Set ASA. Set switch to “on”. Aim. Focus. Read f/stop next to desired shutter speed. Oh, and the battery compartment is clearly marked indicating single 9-volt. And there is a button called “battery test.” What else is there to consider?
May 9, 2018 21:18:26 #
RWR
Loc: La Mesa, CA
drmike99 wrote:
Owners manual seems like overkill for this meter. Set ASA. Set switch to “on”. Aim. Focus. Read f/stop next to desired shutter speed. Oh, and the battery compartment is clearly marked indicating single 9-volt. And there is a button called “battery test.” What else is there to consider?
Maybe an arrow indicating which direction to point it?
May 9, 2018 22:47:11 #
RWR wrote:
Maybe an arrow indicating which direction to point it?
I don't think there is such an arrow. Never seen one on a spot meter.
May 9, 2018 23:06:05 #
Arrow would in truth be superfluous. Orientation seems to logically follow.
May 9, 2018 23:55:34 #
RWR
Loc: La Mesa, CA
drmike99 wrote:
Arrow would in truth be superfluous. Orientation seems to logically follow.
This is the UHH - you have to cover all the bases!
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