MINOX BL meter repair?

[inari]

My Minox BL lightmeter got buckled. The needle obviously is blocked at one end. As the meter is one of the nice features of this camera, I would like to get it working again. Is anybody experienced with opening the aluminum cap with the meter. I'm rather sure, that a repair of the meter itself cannot be this complicated. Of couse a service manual would be welcome.

 

[AgX]

Welcome to Apug!


Well, once I inquired here on camera meter repairs. It seems no one here ever repaired meters of that size.

A meter needle hardly blocks at one end out of nothing. I rather assume a bearing fault.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I could never find anyone with the parts and talent to fix the Tessina light meter.

 

[Dan Daniel]

Blue Moon Camera in Oregon sells these cameras and has film for them. Contact them and see if they can help-

Vintage Film Cameras, Supplies & Professional Film Developing | Blue Moon Camera

Vintage Film Cameras, Film, Accessories, Processing, & Printing.

bluemooncamera.com

 

[ic-racer]

I have tried a few galvometer repairs in the past, but never with success. They are so fragile, I think sometimes one can destroy them by just looking at them wrong.

 

[Mamiya_Repair]

My Minox BL lightmeter got buckled. The needle obviously is blocked at one end. As the meter is one of the nice features of this camera, I would like to get it working again. Is anybody experienced with opening the aluminum cap with the meter. I'm rather sure, that a repair of the meter itself cannot be this complicated. Of couse a service manual would be welcome.

If the meter needle is physically stuck at one end, it is usually caused by either 1.) coil is off the pivot or 2.) the magnet that the coil pivots around has attracted a metal particle(s) and the coil is prevented from moving or 3.) hairspring is damaged. While the movement is not complicated, it takes careful surgery to repair these as they are quite delicate.

 

[Minox]

Although late in replying (for which I do apologize), have you tried to enlist the services of DAG Camera in Oregon? Don, the owner, is my go-to repairer for all my Minox cameras, for years now. He has the needed spares and he could probably check and return your BL to working order. He repaired 2 of my BL's with dead meters.

Hope this helps!

 

[xkaes]

As mentioned DAG is the go to place.

https://www.dagcamera.com/store/c3/Minox.html

 

[Minox]

I did not see the post where the op was already given this info, sorry .

 

[Minox]

xkaes, are you by any chance the maker of the Zipslit film cutter ? I once purchased a Minox film cutter from someone with a similar nickname. Although never met online, I had a wonderful time with that film cutter, quite the thing for what I needed.

If it's not you, I do apologize. If it's you, then I am glad I have made your acquaintance.

 

[xkaes]

I sell LIGO slitters at GOATHILL -- over at the SUBCLUB -- but there are other slitters out there, so I have no idea. At least you're happy with what you have. Keep slittin'!!!

 

[guangong]

I have a BL with broken meter. DAG sent it back. No replacement meters for BL. Luckily I have a backup BL.

 

[Minox]

I have a BL with broken meter. DAG sent it back. No replacement meters for BL. Luckily I have a backup BL.

Well then, if Don cannot do it...

 

[inari]

Thank you, anyway DAG looks like an interesting link!

 

[guangong]

Regarding slitters: the best of all is made by Jimmy Li in China. Beautifully machined and does not depend on blades. I have one for Minox, and another for Minolta 16.

 

[Minox]

Jimmy and I befriended while he was researching the 8x11 film cutters, prior to build them. Very good machines, steel all over. Have reviewed the cutters here:

http://juliantanase.com/minox-film-slitter/

My own cutters made by Jimmy, in both formats. Best of both worlds of submin photography, as it were

 

[awty]

 

[Minox]

Is this repaired or under repair?

 

[ic-racer]

As of August 2020, the Jimmy Li slitters were still available; that is when I got mine.

Minox Film Slitter...Jimmy Li Slitter (Splitter)

I just received my Jimmy Li Minox film slitter. This is the best way I have found to date to obtain Minox film. I used to buy the pre-loaded cartridges but they are very hard to find or expensive. I saved all my cartridges for a re-load, but was searching for years for a high quality film...

www.photrio.com

 

[Minox]

 

[AgX]

I have tried a few galvometer repairs in the past, but never with success. They are so fragile, I think sometimes one can destroy them by just looking at them wrong.

I already started a thread in this matter long ango. To no avail. But as there is no commercial or other repair, we only got two choices: try to repair oneself, or put it away for better times and a repairer to show up.

 

[AgX]

Jimmy and I befriended while he was researching the 8x11 film cutters, prior to build them. Very good machines, steel all over. Have reviewed the cutters here:

http://juliantanase.com/minox-film-slitter/

My own cutters made by Jimmy, in both formats. Best of both worlds of submin photography, as it were

In you review of these slotters you say:

"The adjusting screws are doing wonders, if and when we need to adjust the width of negative or the pressure of the cutting rods."


I do not see any of such miraculous adjusting rods.

-) the width of the strips is machined into to the two cutting rollers

-) the rollers are basically selfguiding, regarding lateral movent

-) the distance of the roller axles is fixed by the holes, "bearings" in the metal sheets


How much the rollers dive into each other could in principle be controlled by a respctive design, I myself got a roller contreption that does so in a great way. But for roller slitters this makes no sense.


At best/or worst there may be some wobble in the metal sheets and if the sheets should press against the rollers, by adjusting those screws you might not only add breaking friction to both rollers, but induce some lateral shift employing a residual play between the roller incisions, but this would not affect the cutting width.


Lateral guiding of the rollers and the film has in principle effect on the straightness of the resulting strips.

 

[Minox]

Thank you for letting me know, this is a typo,. I meant modifying the distance between rollers, so it can accommodate a different thickness of the film negatives. So instead of width (which is obviously the wrong word here) one should read thickness. How is this useful, I believe it rests with the users.

So please disregard the word used. It was clearly not the right one, thank you.

LE - I am not talking about the 4 screws that hold the plates together; I am talking about the screws which are embedded into the milled end of the rollers. I guess the next picture (the one with the pink highlights) is easily confusing.

 

[Patrick Robert James]

Thank you for letting me know, this is a typo,. I meant modifying the distance between rollers, so it can accommodate a different thickness of the film negatives. So instead of width (which is obviously the wrong word here) one should read thickness. How is this useful, I believe it rests with the users.

So please disregard the word used. It was clearly not the right one, thank you.

LE - I am not talking about the 4 screws that hold the plates together; I am talking about the screws which are embedded into the milled end of the rollers. I guess the next picture (the one with the pink highlights) is easily confusing.

I was thinking about getting a Jimmy Li slitter but I was wondering if film can be pulled through it, or do you have to use the knob to advance the film?

The reason why I am asking is I usually slit film from a bulk roll to save time, and I cut a bunch at a time. If I had to use the knob to advance the film through the slitter it wouldn't be worth it I don't think. I'd just stick to a razor blade slitter.

 

[guangong]

I bulk load Minox and Minolta with Jimmy”s slitters, and don’t find winding film through slitters burdensome. Of course, people are different. The advantage of his slitters is no worry about dull blades, and always precise width of film. I previously used a Minox slitter. but prefer Jimmy’s.
Bulk loading a roll for Minox and Minolta requires much less rolling than loading my Leitz and Zeiss cassettes.