Hey Guys.. I got my Rollei today. I need some help understanding light meter.

ToddB · Sep 19, 2012

Hey guys,

I'm not clearly understanding how this light meter work on this camera. On the dial on outside meter , there a red box with number and on the same dial there a opening with numbers with no red box. From I can tell one is for Reflective and incident light. What does the number connect with. Help?

Todd

whlogan · Sep 19, 2012

What model Rollei?
Logan

ToddB · Sep 19, 2012

T Model..

Todd

ToddB · Sep 19, 2012

Circa 1959

E. von Hoegh · Sep 19, 2012

ToddB said:
Hey guys,

I'm not clearly understanding how this light meter work on this camera. On the dial on outside meter , there a red box with number and on the same dial there a opening with numbers with no red box. From I can tell one is for Reflective and incident light. What does the number connect with. Help?

Todd

It is reflective only. There will be a place to set the ASA/DIN film speed, and a scale of EV which you transfer to the linked shutter and aperture dials. EV is given in the window on top of the front housing just above the taking lens. Try finding an online owners manual, these cameras all have their quirks.

ToddB · Sep 19, 2012

Got the ASA set.. The dial reads from 1 -18. Looked at Burkus site and found user manual, but these are as clear as mud.

Todd

TheFlyingCamera · Sep 19, 2012

There should be a little switch on the top of the camera, on the same side as the meter knob. Flipping this switch should conceal or reveal a little red dot. This is to switch between high brightness and low brightness range for the meter. If you are metering in dim light, flip the switch so the red dot is exposed. You should see the meter needle swing down further toward the back of the camera. When the red dot is exposed, take your readings from the red window on the dial (the opening toward the back/bottom of the camera). You'll get a number in that window, like 7 or 8. In the high range setting, you'll get numbers more like 12, 13 or 14 in the top/front/white window. Use that to set the EV on the front of the camera. Does that make it clearer?

E. von Hoegh · Sep 19, 2012

TheFlyingCamera said:
There should be a little switch on the top of the camera, on the same side as the meter knob. Flipping this switch should conceal or reveal a little red dot. This is to switch between high brightness and low brightness range for the meter. If you are metering in dim light, flip the switch so the red dot is exposed. You should see the meter needle swing down further toward the back of the camera. When the red dot is exposed, take your readings from the red window on the dial (the opening toward the back/bottom of the camera). You'll get a number in that window, like 7 or 8. In the high range setting, you'll get numbers more like 12, 13 or 14 in the top/front/white window. Use that to set the EV on the front of the camera. Does that make it clearer?

I don't think the T has the hi/low range meter. Edit - Nope, I was wrong. I just looked at the manual, it's very clearly written. Page 30 and on deals with the meter. Page 16 deals with setting EV on the aperture and shutter dials.

ToddB · Sep 19, 2012

Yes.. now.. that I have part clear.. On the front of the camera there two sets of numbers. One is is for for F and T Fstop and Time. I understand. just left of that, there a set of number that you discribed. with that said. There is a black arrow that points to the numbers got that that.. there is no center point in this area. so there a 5 number swing. Do put the arrow on the first number that shows in this area? Or do i put the arrow in the center of the area? Also how do I know this is zero'd?

Todd

E. von Hoegh · Sep 19, 2012

See page 16 of the manual.

ToddB · Sep 19, 2012

Hey guys,

I figured it out. It's much more accurate ouside that it is inside.

TheFlyingCamera · Sep 20, 2012

A silicon photodiode from 1959 is highly unlikely to be effective in anything other than full daylight anymore. I've got a 1956 Rolleiflex 2.8E, with meter. The meter is basically useful for confirming that Sunny 16 really does work. Once you get too far off full sunlight, either guess or get a handheld meter

E. von Hoegh · Sep 20, 2012

TheFlyingCamera said:
A silicon photodiode from 1959 is highly unlikely to be effective in anything other than full daylight anymore. I've got a 1956 Rolleiflex 2.8E, with meter. The meter is basically useful for confirming that Sunny 16 really does work. Once you get too far off full sunlight, either guess or get a handheld meter

A silicon photodiode from 1959 would be a rare and interesting collectors piece. That camera uses an iron selenide photovoltaic cell, which, depending upon how it was treated, might be dead on - like my mid 50s Weston meters - or useless.

E. von Hoegh · Sep 20, 2012

ToddB said:
Hey guys,

I figured it out. It's much more accurate ouside that it is inside.

That is about right. Selenium meters are not at their best in low light.

TheFlyingCamera · Sep 20, 2012

Oops- sorry about the misnaming of the meter type. But you get the idea - it is rare for meters of that time period to be working accurately.

E. von Hoegh · Sep 20, 2012

TheFlyingCamera said:
Oops- sorry about the misnaming of the meter type. But you get the idea - it is rare for meters of that time period to be working accurately.

Believe it or not, the old selenium meters can be good. I have a pair of Master III Westons, one that I use regularly for incident readings, and one that is NIB. Both are accurate.
The meters on the Rolleis weren't great in low light - for that matter neither are the Westons - but they can be useable. If the meter on the OPs camera reads correctly outside, it's probably as good as it ever was. That said, I'd use a good handheld meter. My Rollei 3.5T had the sharpest Tessar lens I've ever used, I sold in the late 90s it due to money problems and regret it to this day.

TheFlyingCamera · Sep 20, 2012

Oh, I'm pleased as punch with my 2.8E Planar. If the meter never works again I'll keep using it until it is beyond repair. I just Sunny 16 and break out the hand-held when I'm in low light. Every once in a while I compare it to the built-in meter, and the built-in does ok, but even at its best it's off by 1/2 stop or so.

E. von Hoegh · Sep 20, 2012

Yes, they really are one of the great cameras. I have a Rollie Standard, the uncoated Tessar gives interesting images.

You'll either have to abuse yours, or live several lifetimes to get it 'beyond repair'!

TheFlyingCamera · Sep 20, 2012

A couple years ago there was an exhibit at the National Geographic headquarters about a botanist and anthropologist who went into the Brazilian rainforest in the 1950s. He did manage to wear out more than one Rolleiflex, but then again, he was shooting in the Amazon basin, hundreds of miles from the nearest unpaved road, let alone camera repair facility. In an area with 100+ inches of rainfall a year. They had one of his Rolleis on display in the exhibit.

Hey Guys.. I got my Rollei today. I need some help understanding light meter.

ToddB

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Hey Guys.. I got my Rollei today. I need some help understanding light meter.

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