Customer Reviews

Pentax 36141 DIGITAL SPOT METER, PENTAX,

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The Pentax 1 degree spot meter gained popularity with the zone system users, and there is a modified version available for that specific use. This meter is extremely accurate and easy to use. It's design is 20th century so it's not overladen with electronics, buttons, menus. Simply aim it at your subject and push the single button, the digital display gives an EV (exposure value) readout. Now is where the magic begins, if you are a lighting whiz you can get the most perfect exposures depending on need for highlight or shadow detail. If you are not a lighting whiz then just put the number next to the index and you will get a good exposure of the that measured value. Digital users can use a little know scale called IRE. IRE is used by television to get correct exposure where there won't be any bright light that would be glaring on the screen. Does this sound familar digital camera users? When we look at our lcd screens on our digital cameras we often get blown out highlights, areas where there is too much exposure and it glares at us or if we use zebra patterns (those blinking highlight warnings) they flash their warning. There is no data there, the histograms confirm this and no software will ever correct this. The IRE scale will prevent this everytime, simply take a reading off the brightest part of the subject. A simple procedure with the Pentax meter is hold down the button and aim at the bright area and read the highest number. Then transfer the number to correspond with the 10 on the IRE scale, read exposures off the scales, transfer to your camera and you will never get blown highlights again.