Spotmeter on Minolta maxxum 5

Hello,

when I set custom-setting 10 to 2 on my Minolta maxxum 5 I thought the
camera would meter the spot-area and adjust the shutterspeed and
aperture all the time.
Unfortunately it only does this right one time, when I hit the
spot-meter button to turn it on.
After I change the composition it says the exposure is incorrect
(meter in the focus-area indicates this). Hitting the spotmeter button
twice (off and on again) gives me a new shutterspeed and aperture for
the new composition with the right exposure settings.
This makes the custom setting useless for me, and the
spotmeter-function not more usefull than on my old 7000i where I had
to keep the spotmeter-button pressed.
Was my assumption wrong or am I missing something?

Peter

email a -> b

 

After you recompose, the meter will be pointing at something
different than the reference and may give a different reading.
Ignore that, you already took a reference metering before
recomposing. That is assumed to be the exposure you wanted.

-Point the active meter at the reference for exposure
-Depress the AEL button (press and let go, you shold see
the AE-lock indication in the viewfinder)
-[optionally Set exp. comp as may be required before
doing the above per the color/reflectance of the reference]
-Recompose
-Shoot


I'm assuming you know that the meter believes the world is 18%
grey and that you know that exp comp may be required as well...

Cheers,
Alan

 

Thanks Alan,

my assumption was wrong, I thought:

integral meter: exposure locks when I push the shutter partly

spot meter: turn it on by hitting the AEL-button, press the shutter
partly to set exposure based on spot meter, recompose and press
shutter all the way to take the picture.

I take a lot of pictures at concerts where I use the spotmeter on my
7000i all the time. If the spotmeter on the maxxum 5 worked like I
thought it would be very usefull. In concert lights change constantly,
so it's meter, compose and take picture in an instance. The position
of the AEL-button on the maxxum 5 is not practical since I focus with
my left eye. The compactness of the camera is a disadvantage in that
perspect.

Peter

 

Yep. I forgot to add that once you've locked it up, the meter
still measures where it is pointing and so it is showing the
difference between what you locked and where it is pointing
(useful info too to make sure the scene "fits" in the film latitude).

I too am left eye dominant. This makes it hard to shoot with
both eyes open as my right eye just sees the knob on the right...
(Maxxum 9 is a big beast). Also results in a lot of oil from my
nose pores on the back of the camera ... DSLR is going to be a
disaster! But the AF/AEL buttons on the 9 are easilly operated
by my thumb. (Note for your sit. I shoot manual and take facial
readings with spot and set one stop open from there. You could
set exp comp at plus 1, shoot A-pri, AE lock on the faces and
then go to the races...)

My SO has the Maxxum 5. I can't really use it, my hands are to
big so I tend to press the DOF preview button all the time. It
is a very nicely built and designed camera. The film door is a
bit flimsy feeling and the strap points, v. the door opening is
badly done... that's about the end of my nits for that camera.

Cheers,
Alan