Spotmeter advice

Redundo

Hi guys, I was wondering if some of you could help me out.

I have a medium format SLR (It's a Kiev 60), and though it has a TTL prism for exposure, it's not very easy to use. And besides, I much prefer using the waist-level viewfiner. So i've been looking into getting a lightmeter.

I don't know very much about lightmeters, but from what I do know I have been looking for a spotmeter. Buying new is out of the question due to expense, but I think I could afford a second hand Pentax Spotmeter 5.

Does anyone know anything about spotmeters? What to look out for, or what to avoid? Or would I be as well off with a modern, simple incident meter. I very rarely use flash, so that would not be an issue for me.

Fajitas!

Well, you get what you spend with light meters, I have a pretty ancient Jessops job, used to be my dads for his TLR. It's grand, but you have to put effort into reading it.

I find it best though, to learn a situation itself, and meter off experience...Any night or gig photos I do are all metered by experience and 7 times outa 10 they work grand...then again.... with only 16 goes on 120mm, 7/10 isn't good enough!

Redundo

I've mostly been using Fuji Reala and Superia film for now, but I want to start using more slide film too. They are more awkward and expensive to get processed, but I love the saturated colours you get from them. Unfortunately they also call for accurate exposures.

Plus I also like playing with new toys and its a while since I bought anything

Fajitas!

Hmmm, I've never used 120 medium format, looks lovely though...all the better for cross processing too!

I guess the best thing to do is go out and shoot a lot of film...write down what shot it was and your exposure...just like learning all over again

Redundo

Medium Format is wonderfull - you should see if you can dig out your dads old TLR. My first camera was a digital, in fact so was my second and third camera too. But there's nothing quite like the look and feel of a simple clockwork camera.

Fajitas!

Lol!!! Meant to say I never used medium format slide film!

Have a Holga myself (Yeah yeah, I know what yer thinking) and a Hassy in college (More like it )

Edit: And the Da sold his TLR for an SLR... lol, he regrets it to this day!

Redundo

I won't say anything against the Holga...... A Kiev camera isn't exactly in the Hassy or Mamiya league either!

I call it either the 'Tank' (the factory that made it was a tank factory) or the 'Brick' (visually descriptive!) - haven't quite decided yet. It's an all-metal dangerous weapon, but mine works reliably so no complaints from me.

As for using slide film, 120 format is well worth the hassle of sending it away for processing. Forget about scanning or projecting - just hold it up to the light and thats all you need!



Hmmm...... I wished I hadn't started looking at spotmeters. I had myself almost convinced they were too expensive and that I didn't need one. Now i think I might risk a bid and see what turns up.

Also I read a post on another board that a photographer was walking around a spanish city with one and it was mistaken for a gun! Strangely that makes me want one even more.

Fajitas!

Take it you haven't seen the Zenit fotosniper then eh...

Afaik a guy got arrested...people thought it was a grenade launcher...