I disagree. While it's fine for large format work, I use mine to great advantage with 35mm work, including street shooting. Its small size and accurate metering allows me to scan a scene quickly, get the light levels established, and go on shooting without any further metering. Both the Spotmeter V and the Digital Spotmeter allow for similar results, although the digital is preferred in some instances because of its smaller size and greater durability. In lower light situations, or where size isn't an issue, the the analog readout of the Spotmeter V allows for a better visualization of the relative scene values and a somewhat brighter, or easier to read, center spot area. Of course, the Zone System concept is always in my mind when considering exposures.
Speaking of the Zone System, here's a simplified version, especially for those using roll film or who have trouble grasping the concept: The Zone System in a Nutshell, By: Jim Brick There are four zones. Zone Good, Zone Bad, Zone Ugly, Zone Butt Ugly. To use the system: Wake up. Get out of bed. Go outside. Zone good: It is light overcast-ish, light shadows. But good light direction. Normal open contrast. Expose normal (eg; Tri-X @ 400,) develop normal. (N) Zone bad: It is dismally overcast, no shadows. Perhaps even drizzle. No contrast. Underexpose one stop (eg; Tri-X @ 800,) over develop 20% (N+1) Zone ugly: The sun is out, sky is clear, and there are blatant shadows. High contrast. Overexpose one stop (eg; Tri-X @ 200,) under develop 20% (N-1) Zone butt ugly: The sun is squinty bright and the shadows really deep. Really high contrast. Go in and go back to bed. ...But if you are a die-hard... Overexpose two stops (eg; Tri-X @ 100,) under develop 30% (N-2) "William Robb" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >The Zone VI meter is a bit of an odd duck that way. It is very >expensive, does one thing incredibly well, and is nearly useless >for anything other than large format Zone system work. >I expect most users of the Zone VI meter are amateur/ hobbyists, >which is where the bulk of Zone system work is done. --- Shel Belinkoff mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
