Re: [Largeformat] Found it!

[Clive Warren <cocam@cableinet.co.uk>]

At 1:35 pm -0700 3/5/00, Don Wilkes wrote:
>Hi, folks...
>
>I'm so happy!!!  After three months of diligent searching in this
>not-very-big city, I finally found a real case for my old Calumet 4x5.
>It's  beat up, butt-ugly, and was not as cheap as I'd hoped, but at last
>I'll be able to pack the camera into the car and head out for a shoot!
>
>I've heard that the old Pentax Spotmeter has become an "orphan" bit of
>hardware, because one can no longer get the right batteries for it (they
>were probably a mercury button type).  Can you folks confirm this?
>
>Don Wilkes, in Victoria, B.C., Canada

Don,

Congratulations!  Am looking for an old sack to carry an outfit over to
Utah in a couple of weeks time.

The newer analogue Pentax Spotmeters (ie MkV) use three 1.5v silver oxide
batteries. In the manual it says "three G-13 alkaline or equivalent 1.5v
silver-oxide batteries". That's the 357 or equivalent in silver oxide.  The
older variety used a two or three mercury oxide batteries if memory serves
correctly.  The MkV has a 1 degree angle of viewe and I bet they use old
stock Spotmatic prisms in the viewing optics :-) Have both versions but use
the the MkV in preference to all other forms of metering for LF.


All the best,

            Clive    http://www.cocam.co.uk
                     Photographic Services, Filters and Equipment, Infrared FAQ