Minolta Hi-Matic meter reading with sr1.5v battery

bogeyes · Feb 9, 2006

Bought a minolta hi-matic G2 for 20 cents, it has a sr44 1.5v battery fitted instead of the correct 1.35v. Will the extra voltage cause the meter show in favour of under or over exposure? I do not want to go down the route of buying the expensive replacement for the px675 mercury. I aim this to be my best ever photographic bargin, whats yours, free stuff not included.

Whiteymorange · Feb 9, 2006

I had a Hi-matic F that was using 1.5 V batteries for a few years before it died and I had no real trouble as long as I shot color print film. I imagine B&W would take some getting used to but it's possible. The real problem is not the voltage, as I understand it, it's the fact that over the life of an alkaline battery the voltage changes rather drastically. Mercury batteries held a constant voltage and then simply failed. The plot of an alkaline battery's output is more like a falling star, resulting in somewhat unpredictable performance on a given day - you can't simply assume you're off by a stop or two and set your asa to compensate.

On the other thing - just picked up a Zeiss Ikonta with a tessar in great shape for $7. Only problem? no mask for shooting 6x4.5 I have to make my own.

Max Power · Feb 9, 2006

bogeyes said:
Bought a minolta hi-matic G2 for 20 cents, it has a sr44 1.5v battery fitted instead of the correct 1.35v. Will the extra voltage cause the meter show in favour of under or over exposure?

I have a couple of Canonets and the situation is precisely the same. From what I understand, your best bet, short of using mercury cells is to use silver oxide cells because they don't progressively lose voltage as do alkaline cells.

I have found that with a 1.5v cell, there is about 1/3 stop overexposure, so I compensate on the ASA dial. Just pick up a camera with a reflective meter which you trust or a light meter and compare it to the meter on the hi-matic.

Hope that this helps,
Kent

Elox · Feb 9, 2006

I use the Z-A hearing aid batteries and a brass shim in my Canonet and find the meter to be very accurate. IIRC, The Hi-Matic has top and bottom contacts so you could use a Z-A with an o-ring to keep it in place.

bohica · Feb 9, 2006

I use the 1.5 silver oxide batteries in my Nikkormat FTN and Petri racer and the are about 1/3 stop over exposed in comparison to my Weston V. Best bargain, bought a Pentax K1000 with an inop meter to get the Ricoh lens on it for $11.00. Inop meter turned out to be dead battery.

bogeyes · Feb 10, 2006

Thanks for the input, I will give the camera a test run just as soon as I have fitted new film door foam seals. The gunk left by the old seals is really stubborn any tips on how to shift it? My pile of cocktail sticks and cotton tips is growing by the minute and my paint thinners are not helping much.

Gerald Koch · Feb 10, 2006

bogeyes said:
Thanks for the input, I will give the camera a test run just as soon as I have fitted new film door foam seals. The gunk left by the old seals is really stubborn any tips on how to shift it? My pile of cocktail sticks and cotton tips is growing by the minute and my paint thinners are not helping much.

Try Goo Gone available in super markets and hardware stores. It uses orange peel oil and works quite well for this and for removing gummed labels from delicate surfaces, etc.

Max Power · Feb 10, 2006

bogeyes said:
Thanks for the input, I will give the camera a test run just as soon as I have fitted new film door foam seals. The gunk left by the old seals is really stubborn any tips on how to shift it? My pile of cocktail sticks and cotton tips is growing by the minute and my paint thinners are not helping much.

If you haven't already done so, you might want to get in contact with Jon Goodman over at the rangefinder forum. He sells first-rate light seal kits and has a vast amount of knowledge about how to remove and replace light seals. He is a first-rate chap to boot.

Kent

Minolta Hi-Matic meter reading with sr1.5v battery

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