Suitable PX-13 / PX625 for Rollei 35

[EASmithV]

Hello. Been wanting to break out my little Rollei 35, but I can't find the battery as it's Mercury. Anyone know of a suitable replacement that wont affect the meter, or if it does, how to compensate?

 

[flash26c]

Wein cells work but start losing the charge a lot quicker than the old mercurys

 

[EASmithV]

Is there anything that will work as well? I don't like picking up my camera only to find that it has a dead meter.

 

[Rol_Lei Nut]

Several options:

The one I find most practical, though it requires an initial outlay, is a CRIS-type adapter which resizes and lowers the voltage of commonly available silver cells.
You *can* make such an adapter yourself, though it isn't that simple.

Alternatively, you can have the camera's meter re-adjusted for 1.5 volts and use a silver cell + a wad of aluminium foil to adapt ther size. Or even just adjust the ISO setting yourself to compensate.

Hearing aid batteries essentially work like Wein cells, but are muich cheaper (also need some size adapting trick like a foil wad).

 

[Michael W]

I've been happy with hearing aid batteries and some padding.

 

[EASmithV]

http://www.paulbg.com/Nikon_F_meter_batteries.htm

Does anyone have any experience with these?

 

[HowardDvorin]

Can anyone be specfic about which hearing aid cells will work?

Howard

 

[markbarendt]

We just got one of these Rolleis the LED modle but even with a battery the meter doesn't work.

 

[CGW]

http://www.paulbg.com/Nikon_F_meter_batteries.htm

Does anyone have any experience with these?

It's just a shim, albeit a nicely-machined 8 buck shim. Some use rubber washers, others use foil to snug up the fit.

 

[Sundowner]

Anyone know of a suitable replacement that wont affect the meter, or if it does, how to compensate?

The CRIS adapter is probably the smoothest way to go. Buy it, put the cells in it, and drop it in. That's easy, and your meter will have the correct voltage.

HOWEVER...

You may end up with meter issues anyway, and as I recently discovered, meter repairs are not easy...at least not on the SE. I just had someone look through mine, and the meter can't be fixed (no repair parts available). As a result, I'm going to be using mine as an unmetered camera, and just carry a small light meter with me for when I can't make an accurate guess as to the exposure. Thus, the EASIEST solution is not to even worry about the meter and either use your best guess or calculate exposure externally...both of which are faster than using the meter in the camera!

 

[E. von Hoegh]

Hello. Been wanting to break out my little Rollei 35, but I can't find the battery as it's Mercury. Anyone know of a suitable replacement that wont affect the meter, or if it does, how to compensate?

I've been using hearing aid zinc air cells in my Nikons and my meters. I made my own adapters out of nylon stock on a lathe. Also, I block off three of the four airholes. This gives a cell life of 9 months or more - I don't really know how long, the cell in my Nikkormat was put in last April 1.

For your Rollei, you may be able to find an O-ring at your local hardware that will hold it centered in the compartment. I don't remember the # of the cells I use, but they are the size of an S-76 and come out to just under 50 cents each.

Edit - The cells are #675.

 

[BrianL]

I recommend the CHRIS adaptor highly. I use them in my Leica CL camera, Weston Ranger and Metrastar meters as well as a couple of other cameras and the exposure meters were near spot on when compared to using the PX625. I do agree that if the unit can be recalibrated to use an alkaline battery it would be a godd way to go, maybe the better though more expensive than the CHRIS. I had my CL gone through just before the mercury battery issue arose but, if it needed any other work again, I'd have it recalibrated.

 

[MattKing]

The adapters that use hearing aid cells (#675) work well, and those cells are really, really cheap. It's easy to keep a couple of unused batteries in each bag (and I have way too many bags).

The CRIS adapters are great as well - I used one for a long time in an OM1 that I sold a while ago.

 

[mablo]

Hearing aid cells are wonderful. They work in most -70's mercury cell cameras. What comes to Rollei 35 in particular I think its meter is no good. It fails just when you need it (in the shadows or inside). It seems to need a certain amount of light to wake up. I'm happier without it.

 

[ic-racer]

http://www.paulbg.com/Nikon_F_meter_batteries.htm

Does anyone have any experience with these?

You can "re-use" the Wein cell the same way. That is, the ring slides off and can be re-used on a fresh battery.