For Sale Minolta Autometer IIIF with Case and Strap - Superb Condition

davela · Mar 23, 2012

I am selling Minolta Autometer IIIF with case and strap in superb condition. This is dead-to-rights accurate incident light handheld meter that measures ambient and flash illumination. A wide range of optional accessories are available on the used camera market for this meter, including adapters to convert it to a reflected meter and more. A free manual is available at http://www.butkus.org/chinon/minolta/minolta_autometer_iiif/minolta_autometer_iiif.htm

Sold as shown with case, strap, and working fresh battery.

Price: $89 plus shipping

chriscrawfordphoto · Mar 23, 2012

My first meter was an Autometer IIIF. Bought it when I was 15 after saving money from mowing yards all summer! I still have it. Great meter

jshaw35 · Mar 24, 2012

Out of calibration

I recently bought one of these on Ebay and although it was in excellent condition the accuracy of the meter was underexposing by about 4 stops. There is a calibration adjustment in back where the battery is but is only a +/- 1 stop adjustment. Would you know of a fix for the calibration, as I said its a shame since its in very good physical shape?

davela · Mar 24, 2012

I would think any good repair tech could fix it, although it might be cheaper to buy another one. Be sure your batteries are fresh.

jshaw35 · Mar 24, 2012

davela said:
I would think any good repair tech could fix it, although it might be cheaper to buy another one. Be sure your batteries are fresh.

Brand new battery just installed soon after I purchased the meter. I guess I will see if I can get a quote on repairs if there is someone close by, I dont want to have to pay for shipping as well. Thanks.

chriscrawfordphoto · Mar 24, 2012

jshaw35 said:
I recently bought one of these on Ebay and although it was in excellent condition the accuracy of the meter was underexposing by about 4 stops. There is a calibration adjustment in back where the battery is but is only a +/- 1 stop adjustment. Would you know of a fix for the calibration, as I said its a shame since its in very good physical shape?

Mine did that a couple yrs after I bought it. I sent it to Minolta for repair, which cost me $75 back then. They said a circuit board went bad; they replaced it. It wasn't something that could be adjusted. Send it to Quality Light Metric, they did a similar repair on a Flash Meter IV for $90 last year. It would be as cheap to buy another, but if QLM fixes it, it'll be basically a new meter that you know works.

My old Autometer IIIF has worked flawlessly since Minolta fixed it 15 years ago.

Alan W · Mar 24, 2012

Fine meter,I've got one too and it uses the same battery as the rz67!

jshaw35 · Mar 24, 2012

chriscrawfordphoto said:
Mine did that a couple yrs after I bought it. I sent it to Minolta for repair, which cost me $75 back then. They said a circuit board went bad; they replaced it. It wasn't something that could be adjusted. Send it to Quality Light Metric, they did a similar repair on a Flash Meter IV for $90 last year. It would be as cheap to buy another, but if QLM fixes it, it'll be basically a new meter that you know works.

My old Autometer IIIF has worked flawlessly since Minolta fixed it 15 years ago.

Thanks for the reply. It would be worth taking a look at it myself, I am an electronics technician but sometimes it would take longer to play around with it and possibly make things worse, as I have not worked on one of these meters before as well as no schematics to work with, then to have an experienced tech repair it. If its better to buy another one then spend as much as I paid for it in repairs, I will take the gamble and try to fix it myself. I'll let you know how it works out.

Rick A · Mar 24, 2012

These are excellent meters and this one is priced right. If I didn't already have one, I would get this one.

andreios · Mar 24, 2012

If it's not sold yet, could you estimate shipping to Czech republic, if you are willing to ship overseas?

davela · Mar 24, 2012

Thanks for all the interest and comments from posters above, but this has been SOLD!

jshaw35 · Apr 1, 2012

jshaw35 said:
Thanks for the reply. It would be worth taking a look at it myself, I am an electronics technician but sometimes it would take longer to play around with it and possibly make things worse, as I have not worked on one of these meters before as well as no schematics to work with, then to have an experienced tech repair it. If its better to buy another one then spend as much as I paid for it in repairs, I will take the gamble and try to fix it myself. I'll let you know how it works out.

If anyone is interested, I was able to re-calibrate my meter with the potentiometers that are on the back of the meter under the ISO(asa/din) plate. It took a lot of trial and error as well as using my digital camera to calibrate the meter to but I am confident that the meter is within 1/2 stop accuracy.

chriscrawfordphoto · Apr 3, 2012

Is it accurate across all light values? That is, is it just as accurate in low light as in bright? That's the hard part about calibrating a meter. I thought these meters were calibrated electronically by plugging the circuit board into a computer rather than adjusting resistors on the board...

davela · Apr 3, 2012

Chris I found it accurate, but I did not spend a lot of time studying it. I don't use meters that much (don't need them really) except only as a guide and if it's a modern TTL meter and the light condition are difficult.

jshaw35 · Apr 4, 2012

chriscrawfordphoto said:
Is it accurate across all light values? That is, is it just as accurate in low light as in bright? That's the hard part about calibrating a meter. I thought these meters were calibrated electronically by plugging the circuit board into a computer rather than adjusting resistors on the board...

I have not done extensive testing but I tried it in full sun and in the shade comparing the readings with a digital camera (Nikon D300), and using the readings I got from the meter, I set the cameras aperture with very good results on the histogram. I also used the flash readings from the Minolta meter and a Polaroid back with Fuji FP 100c on my Fuji GX 680 and the exposure was perfect. So I guess it is safe to say that it worked well enough to rely on for exposure settings. Some of the components in the meter were probably off due to aging and the variable resistors were able to compensate.

For Sale Minolta Autometer IIIF with Case and Strap - Superb Condition

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