Konica Auto S2 question

[rippo]

Just got a Konica Auto S2. Looks to be a nice camera, and working well (pending the first test roll of film). Question about the battery and meter: it appears the meter is active all the time. Is this true? Any way to turn it off and/or conserve battery life, without actually having to remove the battery? Thanks.

 

[panchro-press]

It's been a long time since I had an S2 in my hands; but I'm pretty sure the lens cap is the only thing that turns off the meter.

Dave

 

[Anscojohn]

I think the film advance contains an on-off switch. If the thumb lever is pressed back against the body, the meter is off. I may be wrong.

 

[Lanline]

I have two of them and if memory serves me correctly, it is lens cap. I stopped using the zinc air batteries and just use my incident meter or Sunny 16

 

[mesh]

Congrats on the S2 - it's a great lens IMO and I love using it. I have never actually installed batteries but I do believe it's the lens cap as suggested earlier. Do you mind if I ask which batteries you are using? I really should try it... would like to use the S2 more.

 

[fschifano]

I have an S2. It is the lens cap that acts as the o/off switch. Batteries seem to last a long time, and I don't think it's sensitive to voltage variations too much. I'm using an alkaline battery in mine and it's woking well now for more than a year. I don't use it much and the lens cap stays on the lens when I'm not using it, so I can't say definitively that when the battery voltage starts to drop that it will continue to be accurate. No matter really though. I'd rather take an a few incident readings around the area where I'm shooting, make a mental note of the readings, and set the camera accordingly. As long as the light doesn't change, I'm set.

 

[rippo]

Thanks everyone! The camera didn't come with a lens cap ("as is for parts"…seems to work well!) so I'll have to get one. Looks to be a good shooter, although the shutter priority mode is just alien to me. I see why from a technical point of view it's probably easier than aperture priority, but it's still weird. I do like having the meter even if I don't use it in auto mode. My Yashica Electro 35 cameras, while great shooters, can be frustrating because there's no indication of exposure. Full auto, all the time, which makes backlit situations a problem.

mesh: I'm using this adapter for ZA675 hearing aid batteries here: http://www.paulbg.com/Nikon_F_meter_batteries.htm

It's a brass ring that fits around the smaller ZA675, and you spend for six batteries what you'd pay for just one of the Wein batteries. I got two more so I can power my Gossen Luna Pro meter without having to worry about voltage inconsistencies as well. Gonna pay for themselves pretty quickly, and I'll just put a reminder in my calendar to swap 'em out every few months.

 

[fschifano]

I can vouch for the adapters. I bought two for a recently acquired Nikon F and they work well. However the meter on that camera, while stable, is always 3 stops high throughout its useful range, no matter which batteries I've installed. I know how to adjust it, but I don't want to peel the covering off the head to access the adjustment screws.

 

[rippo]

That's a bummer about your meter. Mine appears to be spot on. Just scanned the film and everything looks sharp and well-exposed. Best $8 plus shipping I've spent in awhile!

 

[3 Olives]

I believe it takes the same battery as the Canon F1 - a Duracell 625A you can buy at Batteries Plus for less than $4.00. They fit perfectly and work very well.