Nikon F2 battery conundrum

GKC

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She needs new batteries for the light meter. The old ones are Duracell v357, but the closest ones I could find at CVS are Duracell 303/357/76
Can I assume the 303/357/76 is the current replacement for the v357?
I don't want to do any damage to her light meter as they are difficult if not impossible to get repaired.

What say you?.
 

BradS

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That’ll do.
 

cerber0s

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I use SR44. Nothing has blown up yet
 

RLangham

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I've used all three kinds of batteries that are in common circulation: alkali, silver oxide and zinc air. Silver oxide is correct but the other can be made to work by compensating the exposure slightly. Actually where I come from silver oxides are the cheapest because they have them for about a buck fifty in the checkout line at Corner Market.

Nikon knew these other two types existed. They would be remiss in their mandate as the world's top pro camera maker at the time if they built a professional camera that couldn't bear up to a very slight overvolt. The behavior of the F2 metered finders with these other two batteries is both safe and predictable.
 

MattKing

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Alkaline batteries don't give anything close to constant voltage over their life. For most cameras, you cannot use them and expect consistently accurate metering response.
Some Pentax cameras are an exception, because their metering circuits aren't as voltage dependent.
Zinc air and silver oxide are give much more consistent voltage throughout their life. The zinc air batteries have much shorter life than alkaline batteries, which have much shorter life than silver oxide.
Generally speaking, the silver oxide versions are much more expensive. If you are seeing batteries at the Corner Market, they almost certainly aren't silver oxide - they are alkaline or zinc air - probably alkaline.
Some metering circuits will function correctly with batteries that offer a voltage that is close but not the same as the voltage they are designed for, as long as that voltage is consistent. Those circuits can compensate for the incorrect voltage by adjusting the film sensitivity.
Many metering circuits either don't function, or become non-linear if you attempt to supply them with the wrong voltage.
 

RLangham

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They say Silver Oxide right on the pack.
And of course Alkali have a drain curve much steeper than either of the others, but it never amounts to much more than two stops compensation in either direction.
 

MattKing

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RLangham said:
They say Silver Oxide right on the pack.
Click to expand...
I need to visit there to buy some batteries.
The problem with alkaline batteries is, of course, that you can never tell how much compensation might be necessary at any time, because you never know where on the discharge curve the battery is.
Assuming of course that the nominal voltage of the battery is even in the ballpark for that camera.
 

RLangham

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Well, I mean I think the Silver Oxide are 1.55v and the alkali are 1.5v. So you would be sensing less light and tending to overexpose. In my experience about a stop of compensation (to a higher film speed) hits it dead on when they come out of the package, but if you leave the meter on for even a few hours you can kiss that goodbye. A couple of days worth of use is all those alkalis are good for.

If I were shooting slide film or doing some paid work for a friend, I would definitely go with the silver oxide.
 

MattKing

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BradS

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The silver oxide button cells are very commonly available here. It is not unusual to find the silver oxide version and not the alkaline.

The alkaline cells are especially to be avoided with the Nikon F2 because they expand slightly with age and can crack the battery compartment.
 

RLangham

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That's why I don't make a habit of leaving batteries in any camera.
 

Nitroplait

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Rather than relying on individual's experiences with 1 or 2 cameras that may or may not be within specs, I'd rather suggest that you consult experienced repair resources such as Sover Wong (who has handled 1000s of F2s) for this kind of of information.
As can be seen on his website, alkaline is NOT recommended as they can both leak AND provide sufficient power at the same time. 3V lithium batteries are preferable - and as a side note they have extremely long shelf life, thus very practical to buy in bulk.
There is also a correlation graph that shows the effect on metering when the battery runs out of juice which is relevant especially if you shoot slides.
 
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