The best way to compare in camera light meter readings is with a 18% Grey Card and ensure it fills the cameras viewfinder, and before you come to any conclusions about the meters accuracy and spend a load of money on a C.L.A. take some pictures with it and see some results, there's a big difference between theory and practice.Hi Colin,
I trust what Benjiboy says. If he says the MR9 works fine then we'll asume it works fine.
Thus, follow my advice on the post "What i would do is, pick a subject, for example a landscape, check what the ideal exposure...", so you can find out where you should point the F1 meter to get good exposures.
I have been shooting with F1's for almost thirty years and agree with Flavio's remarks entirely and would add that it is very rare to find an F1 with an inaccurate light meter one reason being that unlike most S.LR's the light metering cell isn't in the mirror box where it's in the light path but in the left side of camera body where the original design team after experimenting found produced the most accurate readings.Is the meter miscalibrated?! Those meters almost never go off-calibration, by virtue of their design (the F1n meter uses no variable resistors, almost no component that could drift except for the CdS cell itself -- but then, this is a special CdS cell custom made for Canon).
I don't know if you've done this already, but you should make sure the "side window" of the focusing screen is very clean. This is the window that mirrors the metering area to the CdS cell, and if it gets dirty the CdS cell will get less light.
Also make sure the mechanism that corrects for full aperture is working freely. Push the maximum aperture sensing pin (at the lens mount) repeated times to try to 'free' the mechanism. Do the same with the lever that follows the lens' aperture ring (at the lens mount), move it up and down (gently, of course).
If all mechanisms are OK the technician can adjust the meter, but if the CdS cell is faulty, this won't correct the problem, at least not for the whole metering range (approx. EV1-EV15). And i'm not sure it would be easy to replace the CdS cell, because those were custom cells with a special shape. Unlike the other cameras like Nikon F/F2/Nikkormats, which use more 'generic' round CdS cells. The Canon F-1 service manual, also, indicates that the CdS cells are provided (by Canon) with matching galvanometers and that thus both items must be replaced at the same time.
Aren't you wanting to have it recalibrated for 1.55V silver-oxide cells? I strongly suggest you not to do this; use #675 hearing aid zinc-air cells instead and enjoy perfect metering.
Being sneeringly unpleasant towards a well-respected and longstanding member who is offering a constructive suggestion as to how you might get more help is neither endearing, nor does it incline one to offer help in the future.Nothing on the TV are we bored ?.
Well maybe if you didnt sound so condescending and patronising you would of got a better reception pdeeh .
Maybe if you bothered to read the posts properly you would notice that I was not the author of the post you so badly misread, and your rude riposte would have had greater force.colin wells said:Well maybe if you didnt sound so condescending and patronising you would of got a better reception pdeeh
...... and would add that it is very rare to find an F1 with an inaccurate light meter one reason being that unlike most S.LR's the light metering cell isn't in the mirror box where it's in the light path but in the left side of camera body where the original design team after experimenting found produced the most accurate readings.
Benji, I guess I don’t understand what you are saying. While I’m not a camera repair tech, I have taken apart a few old F-1’s (original). The CDS metering cell is located in the camera body directly at the rear of the focusing screen. The meter’s galvanometer is located on the camera's left side, but that is because the linkage connecting the lens to the meter is located on that side. Canon just as easily could have located it on the camera’s right side, if they wished. I suspect it’s on the left side is because of size constraints.
Canon pretty much just took the meter from the earlier FT, updated it, and stuck it in the F-1. It works very well. I had my very old F-1 checked out by Ken Oikawa years back and the meter, now, is still 100% accurate.
The correct voltage the Old F1 and F1n was designed for was 1.35 Volts that the original PX 625 Mercury cell gave out not 1.45 Volts as Colin stated, the PX 675 Silver Oxide battery gives out 1.45 Volts which is reduced to 1.35 by the schottky diode in the MR9 adaptor.Hi Colin,
I trust what Benjiboy says. If he says the MR9 works fine then we'll asume it works fine.
Thus, follow my advice on the post "What i would do is, pick a subject, for example a landscape, check what the ideal exposure...", so you can find out where you should point the F1 meter to get good exposures.
I used to use the company to handle all the camera repairs of the group of ten camera shops I worked for, and indeed met Hans Leahmann several times, I found. the company over the seven years I delt with them to be very professional , and reliable I found their turn round time to be pretty fast in most cases many of the repairs were only two weeks until they were returned . It's about twenty years since I did business with them but I don't have any reason to think that they will have changed.Anyone any experience of H Lehmann Ltd, of Stoke-on-Trent ? They are Canon and Nikon approved repairers, although my main need is for some Pentax gear to be checked over, plus perhaps some older lenses repaired......as I go to Stoke fairly regularly on business, it might save me the cost and hassle of entrusting my gear to post or courier.
So did I HiHo and I worked at a professional dealer selling them in those days they were very expensive around £ 900 ($1115 USD) which in 1976 was a lot of dough and I had a young family in those days and couldn't afford one and I never dreamt that I would ever own the four I have.Bravo on good help, Ben.
'Coveted an F1 when they were new.
Hi Ben No flash was fitted .I have fixed a few FTBs with this problem Capping /Bounce but they are two very different cameras despite sharing some parts .The F1 feels very dry and unused to me, very little brassing and no dents but very clean i think its had a few years in the bottom of a wardrobe
I agree with Flavio Colin the F1 is a truly great 35mm SLR and worth spending money on having it professionally serviced and it will give you many years of pleasure, whereas I wouldn't advocate spending money on a A or a T series Canon camera the Canon F series cameras were some of the best 35mm cameras ever made, and we will never see their like again.Yes, this is capping/bounce. Time for a repairman to give some love to the shutter!
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?