Ancient Gossen Color Meter?

[Kino]

Yes, I had hoped to see the area where the wires are attached and possibly clean that up, but the disassembly would no doubt wreck the filters.

 

[AgX]

More modern colour-temperature meters had at least 3 sensors, adding green, to be be more apt for non-continuos spectra.

 

[Tel]

I would suggest that the Kelvilux used the rotating-filter method and the Sixticolor was able to dispense with that because they perfected the electrical solution. Kino: when you rotate the thumbwheel on the side, does the numeric scale disc rotate too?

PS: did you try it in different lights? Does it work?

 

[Tel]

....and congratulations on 6 bucks well spent!

 

[Kino]

I would suggest that the Kelvilux used the rotating-filter method and the Sixticolor was able to dispense with that because they perfected the electrical solution. Kino: when you rotate the thumbwheel on the side, does the numeric scale disc rotate too?

PS: did you try it in different lights? Does it work?

Yes, the thumb wheel does move the numeric scale disc, however, looking at the front with the diffuser taken off, you don't see any rotation of the filters, so maybe it moves the cells behind the filters.

Unfortunatley, it doesn't seem to work under any light source; inside or outside. A bright LED pressed up against the diffuser has no effect on the needle, nor does bright red LEDs.

....and congratulations on 6 bucks well spent!

Thanks! It makes for nice display piece at least.

 

[Tel]

I've seen old Sekonic L-398 meters, which were also selenium cell devices, with burnt-out cells. It could be the same with yours, given that it's about 70 years old! One of the coolest-looking photo accessories I've seen. Thanks for opening it up and posting the pictures; I understand now how my sixticolors work. Cleverly simple!

 

[AgX]

Yes, intriguing stuff from the 40's

True dating is difficult as there is no proof as how long such labelling was demanded by US authorities, resp. still applied. The earliest date for such to have ended would have been 1949.

 

[Tel]

There is "1956" stamped on the receptor head, but I suppose that's more likely a model number or serial number rather than the year of manufacture. As you say, Gossen didn't abandon this style of housing until the 60s, so it could date from any time in the 1950s. I did find the Sixticolor user manual on Mike Butkus' website. It includes a conversion chart showing Wratten filter equivalencies. It reminded me, though, that when I was working in film or TV we usually corrected color temps at the light source and not by placing a filter on the camera. These color temp gels were never marked with Wratten numbers--just CTO (color temp orange) or CTB (color temp blue). Filtering the sun could be problematic, but not impossible (Big sheets of correction gel stretched across several c-stands). The default choice when filtering the light source wasn't an option was to shoot film with tungsten stock, which we'd have bought for interior scenes anyway, since an amber camera filter would reduce total transmission less than a blue filter would.

The last motion picture camera I used was a Sony F5; somewhere in an internal menu it allows you to adjust for Kelvin color temp. I forget whether it reads the temp for you, but I expect it does that too. So my Sixticolors will remain on the shelf like the Kelvilux.

 

[Kino]

There is "1956" stamped on the receptor head, but I suppose that's more likely a model number or serial number rather than the year of manufacture. As you say, Gossen didn't abandon this style of housing until the 60s, so it could date from any time in the 1950s. I did find the Sixticolor user manual on Mike Butkus' website. It includes a conversion chart showing Wratten filter equivalencies. It reminded me, though, that when I was working in film or TV we usually corrected color temps at the light source and not by placing a filter on the camera. These color temp gels were never marked with Wratten numbers--just CTO (color temp orange) or CTB (color temp blue). Filtering the sun could be problematic, but not impossible (Big sheets of correction gel stretched across several c-stands). The default choice when filtering the light source wasn't an option was to shoot film with tungsten stock, which we'd have bought for interior scenes anyway, since an amber camera filter would reduce total transmission less than a blue filter would.

The last motion picture camera I used was a Sony F5; somewhere in an internal menu it allows you to adjust for Kelvin color temp. I forget whether it reads the temp for you, but I expect it does that too. So my Sixticolors will remain on the shelf like the Kelvilux.

If you look closely at the pictures, the 1956 is written in pencil several times on the internal parts, which leads me to believe its a serial number.

Putting up huge sheets of 85 + ND over office windows for a 16mm cine shoot on reversal was always a huge pain in the you-know-what.

THAT part of filmmaking, I don't miss!

 

[Tel]

The part I miss is meeting at the pub after a location shoot. I was working in Dublin, and we got extra pay for location travel. Always got spent in a pub. The rest of it I really don't miss--too much angst. I got into it because I thought it would be creative, but it all turned into management. The best part of shooting stills is not needing to organize..

 

[Kino]

The part I miss is meeting at the pub after a location shoot. I was working in Dublin, and we got extra pay for location travel. Always got spent in a pub. The rest of it I really don't miss--too much angst. I got into it because I thought it would be creative, but it all turned into management. The best part of shooting stills is not needing to organize..

+100%

 

[Kino]

Got this response from Gossen:

"This meter is approx. from 1952 and now 70 years old. We don’t have any information of this meter and related to the technology the selenium cell would not work anymore.

It will be good as a mechanic exhibit but nothing more.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen – Kind regards"

GOSSEN Foto- und Lichtmesstechnik GmbH

Lina-Ammon-Str. 22

90471 Nürnberg

 

[Tel]

That's amazing. Good for Gossen!