DIY subminiature light meter for Minox A

tjwspm

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When color films appeared in the 1950s, they had to be exposed more precisely than the black and white films that had been common up to that point. At Minox this later led to the new Minox B camera model with a light meter. An external Minosix light meter was offered for the previous model.

However, I find the Minosix to be too big compared to the size of the Minox:



Today's color negative films have a very large exposure latitude, so that today you don't actually need a light meter for the Minox A, but I had the fun of building a really small light meter myself to match this camera:



Here's a comparison of my self-made light meter and the Minosix:



Building the light meter itself was simple. It consists of the severed top part of a Minox B. Building the leather cover was more difficult. This is based on the bag of a Minox B that I made smaller. Here the new lightmeter and the Minox A camera in there bags:



Perhaps this is how the smallest external light meter ever was created?
 
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tjwspm

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The operation is simple. Align the exposure meter with the subject and press and release the control button. After releasing, the pointer remains frozen on the scale. Read the relevant number, e.g. 2



On the back you can find the EV values and the exposure times for 100 ASA for the individual numbers. Read and adjust on the camera, e.g. 1/20 s



Since the Minox cannot expose for a time shorter than 1/1000 s, the exposure times with ND filter are given for numbers 8 and 9.
 

Kino

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That is very nice work!

Congratulations, it looks like a factory option!
 

xkaes

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tjwspm

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To your question why I don't just use a Minox B. I actually own a Minox B that I've taken many photos with. But I just like the Minox A IIIs better for various reasons:
Firstly, it is the smallest Minox and a Minox is supposed to be small!
Secondly, it is fully mechanical without any electronics. This corresponds to my minimalist ideal.
Thirdly, it corresponds most closely to the original design (the Riga Minox) and is the last variant designed by Walter Zapp. All successors, starting with the Minox B, water down the original design in my opinion. The Minox A was therefore originally just called Minox. The “A” only came up afterwards.
So in summary, the Minox A is simply cool.

Your collection of small light meters is huge ! But to be very precise, my light meter measures 27 x 25 x 18 mm. I don't think anyone in your picture is that small.

The Reveni Light Meter you mentioned is 24.4 x 24.6 x 25.1 mm and therefore has a volume of 15066 mm3. My light meter is therefore smaller with a volume of 12150 mm3!
 
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xya

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This is a picture from one of MY pages https://www.120folder.com/lightmeters.htm. Just under this picture there is the smallest light meter ever, the one for the Tessina camera (the smallest camera for 35mm film), its 26.5mm x 22.2mm x 9.8mm, weight 19.5g. And if you had scrolled down half the page, you would have found a twin of the one you saw on Petapixel. This one I would recommend, I use it quite often.

BTW: the Tessina meter is only 5.765mm³, less than half of 12.150...
 
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tjwspm

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Thanks for the hint. Yes, you're right, the Tessina light meter is actually much smaller than the one I made myself. I've never seen this device before and the Tessina is a great camera.
 

ic-racer

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Very nice, but it is so small. If there were some way to attach it to the camera so it wouldn't get lost ....


 

ic-racer

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Seriously though, I just got back from a trip with my newly restored Yashica Atoron non_Electro. I was using it with the tiny Reveni meter and the meter kept getting lost in my pocket. I kept on scheming a way to attach the Reveni to the Yashica.
 

xkaes

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The Atoron has a tripod socket, doesn't it???? Get a tripod socket cold flash shoe
 

ic-racer

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xkaes said:
The Atoron has a tripod socket, doesn't it???? Get a tripod socket cold flash shoe
Click to expand...

It is a special thread. I'd need to locate the flash adapter and convert it into a meter holder which is not a bad idea.

 
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ic-racer

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Yes, in fact I was just on the website looking at their accessories. I also see they have a new model the is slightly larger and probably discontinued the smaller one.
 
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tjwspm

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ic-racer said:
It is a special thread. I'd need to locate the flash adapter and convert it into a meter holder which is not a bad idea.

View attachment 359118
Click to expand...

One year ago I made an adapter for the Atoron tripod socket. You need M5x0.5 (I only know the german designation) fine thread. You can easily get such screws. When I get back from the office I'll take a photo.
 
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madNbad

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ic-racer said:
Yes, in fact I was just on the website looking at their accessories. I also see they have a new model the is slightly larger and probably discontinued the smaller one.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the information, I have been patiently waiting for the MK2 cube to be announced. The biggest change is from the LR44 batteries to a rechargeable NiMH power source. There are some other improvements and updates but enough for me to order one.
 
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tjwspm

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Dec 23, 2023
Messages
303
Location
Germany
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Sub 35mm
ic-racer said:
It is a special thread. I'd need to locate the flash adapter and convert it into a meter holder which is not a bad idea.
Click to expand...

xkaes said:
The Atoron has a tripod socket, doesn't it???? Get a tripod socket cold flash shoe
Click to expand...

tjwspm said:
One year ago I made an adapter for the Atoron tripod socket. You need M5x0.5 (I only know the german designation) fine thread. You can easily get such screws. When I get back from the office I'll take a photo.
Click to expand...

I modified this tripod socket adapter https://amzn.eu/d/1hnsurS by sawing off the external thread. Then I made a 5 mm hole there and glued a piece of M5x0.5 fine thread there. I sawed off the fine thread from a standard screw beforehand:





This now fits any standard tripod thread. Yes, I know this is not a solution for mounting somenthing on the flash socket. But perhaps it is interesting for other purposes.
 
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