Gossen Sixtomat 1950

Hello!

I recently got a Sixtomat light meter which looks to me like it is the 1950-51 model, but the nob to choose the ASA seems different from what I see online, and it is also just turning with no stop, and no real indication of which one is chosen at any given time.

Does anyone here have or has seen one of these? Am I missing a part?



Also the needle does not seem to react to any lighting changes. Any tips on fixing it? Would love to be able to add it to my camera bag, it's such a good looking piece!



Thanks

Welcome to Apug!

-) I would take off that screw and have a look how that dial should be connected.

-) Disassemble the body of you meter and have a look at the wiring of the Selenium cell. If it is connected by spring contact there might be corrosion. Otherwise there might be inner corrssion of the cell which cannot be fixed. Substitute cells are no longer available.

I have a few of those -- hold the outer ring of the asa dial with two fingers, then with your other hand, push against that little button on the bottom of the dial with a fingernail to turn the inner scale so the arrow matches the asa/iso speed you want to use.

They don't use a battery, and the cells on mine all work -- interesting match needle system. They made agold-colored deluxe model that has a color temperature measuring deal on it as well.

If the needle is not reacting, make sure the meter is fully open -- that silver metal cover at the top of the needle scale is flexible, like the roller cover on a roll top desk. Slide it all the way up and over to open the meter window to the light.

to use the meter, point it at something after opening that roller blind, then turn the knob on the side until either a black or red patch matches the needle. If it's read, use the red readings, if it's black, use the black readings.

simple.

ALSO -- the meter is dual-scale-- bright and dim. Once you have the meter cell on the front uncovered, go outside and as you turn the dial on the right and watch the little black/red blocks go bye, the needle should peg to the right on the red scale -- that's your dim light side. When the black blocks are seen, the needle should be more reasonable.

The one I just tested outside seems pretty accurate after all these years. Amazing.

summicron1 said:

If the needle is not reacting, make sure the meter is fully open -- that silver metal cover at the top of the needle scale is flexible, like the roller cover on a roll top desk. Slide it all the way up and over to open the meter window to the light.

Click to expand...

Is that a silver metal cover??

All Sixtomat meters I came across, had a translucent roller blind from PE that is to serve as an 18%-transmittance diffusor, intended to to do incident light metering.

I have not come across a Sixtomat that got 2 metering(sensitivity) ranges.
If so, while turning that wheel there would be a "jump" of that needle, the same time different markers would show under the needle.

LilacBambi, I understood you were experiencing that the film speed scale was freely rotatable within that wheel.
With any model, that would be a fault of the meter.

With the common model you rotate the wheel to either end end and force it beyond it. By this you can set the wheel against the (then static) inner dial.
I expect that with your model too.

Another possibility might by that with your model you have to hold static the wheel and to press the dial into the wheel and then twist it into the apt position. Just a guess.

AgX said:

LilacBambi,

Another possibility might by that with your model you have to hold static the wheel and to press the dial into the wheel and then twist it into the apt position. Just a guess.

Click to expand...

What i told him is the correct method because I'm sitting here holding the exact same meter in my hand. On This particular model of the series, this knob rotates freely, with no stops, and internal workings of the meter change it from bright to dim light sensitivity, adjusting the display accordingly.

and on this particular model, you have to hold the outer ring of the knob with two fingers and rotate the inner disc with your finger nail.

Yes, that is a silver metal cover -- later models had plastic translucent ones that could serve as an incident meter cover, but not this one.

Thank you! It is interesting to learn that such deviating model exist. Even Gossen do not list it.

With the more commonn model setting the central dial by fingernail is what one would expect from that rivet. However I did not succeed with mine, and Gossen gave as only advise to set it by rotating the wheel beyond its stop. Maybe that rivet was only intended for mechanical coupling.

AgX said:

Thank you! It is interesting to learn that such deviating model exist. Even Gossen do not list it.

With the more commonn model setting the central dial by fingernail is what one would expect from that rivet. However I did not succeed with mine, and Gossen gave as only advise to set it by rotating the wheel beyond its stop. Maybe that rivet was only intended for mechanical coupling.

Click to expand...

hmmm. could be, but since yours is exactly like mine, i have to think it works the same. It is possible, after 60-plus years, the thing is just grunged up and stuck. Maybe try a tiny bit of alcohol or some other solvent to see if it will loosen up.

If not, well, they're very cheap on fleabay -- make it into a paperweight and start over.
ct