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Feb 14, 2019 11:06:55   #
Thruxton Loc: Indiana / California
 
There are some pretty darn good light meter apps for your phone. I use it so I don't have to rely on the undependable meters in my old film cameras. Most of them spec 1.3v which is no longer available. Substituting 1.5v batteries throughs the metering off enough to be unreliable. Check out meter apps for your phone.

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Feb 14, 2019 11:16:10   #
Bobsan Loc: Elgin,I'll.
 
The Yashica is it TLR? If so battery not needed!

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Feb 14, 2019 11:19:46   #
jackm1943 Loc: Omaha, Nebraska
 
Curmudgeon wrote:
Thanks to ch_cannon's post on using film I dragged out my old F2, Bronica S, Yashika and Gossen Luna Pro, ordered more film and then discovered I had no good batteries for the F2 and Luna Pro.

Question 1. Anyone know of replacement batteries these. There is too much conflicting information on the web, so I thought I'd ask the experts.

Question 2. While waiting for batteries, would it work if I used my D5200 as an expensive light meter. Set the ISO and shutter speed to duplicate the film camera and use the f-stop shown on the 5200 to set the f-stop on the film camera.
Thanks to ch_cannon's post on using film I dragged... (show quote)


Regarding the light meter issue, there are several light meter cell phone apps that that are surprisingly accurate. I have two on my cell phone, myLightMeter and Light Meter. They agree closely with my Minolta IVF and my classic Pentax spotmeter. I've used myLightMeter together with LECalculator for working out long exposures using 12 stops worth of filters.

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Feb 14, 2019 13:35:39   #
JBruce Loc: Northern MN
 
My OM 2n and OM 2s trigger and work equally well with the Energizer 357 silver oxide 1.55 volt battery. The A76 will lift the mirror, but not work the shutter mechanism.

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Feb 14, 2019 13:40:27   #
BebuLamar
 
JBruce wrote:
My OM 2n and OM 2s trigger and work equally well with the Energizer 357 silver oxide 1.55 volt battery. The A76 will lift the mirror, but not work the shutter mechanism.


My OM-2n works just fine with A76's.

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Feb 14, 2019 13:49:54   #
Blair Shaw Jr Loc: Dunnellon,Florida
 
I get all my batteries for my old gear on E Bay sites and have for many years now. I have gear from the 60's and WWII as well. Many battery designs were no longer manufactured so I had to shop for substitues and make changes to guide numbers for exposure since the light meters were reading improperly due to low voltage,etc but it all worked out.

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Feb 14, 2019 13:57:20   #
nadelewitz Loc: Ithaca NY
 
The Nikon F2 uses two very common silver oxide cells #357 aka LR44. Get them everywhere that has an Eveready battery display...supermarkets, drugstores, hardware stores, etc.

Luna Pro used a PX625 (1.3 volts)mercury battery. Now you have different choices:
1. Use PX625 alkaline battery, readily available online. Con: alkaline falls off continuously, so consistency is not good. Voltage is a little higher too, but negative films have enough latitude that it's not really a problem.
2. Use the WeinCell PX625 zinc-air ....same voltage as mercury, consistent until it dies, but only lasts maybe six months.
3. Get an adapter that holds a 357/LR44 and drops voltage to same as mercury or WeinCell, stays constant until death. Cris is one. I've gotten adapters and kits to make them myself from Frans de Gruijter in The Netherlands. email is: battery.adapter@online.nl He will send info. These adapters are more than just a resistor. They contain a special diode that provides mercury battery voltage, performance and consistency. Also good for any camera that uses PX625 mercury cells.

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Feb 14, 2019 14:01:51   #
lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA
 
Curmudgeon wrote:
Thanks to ch_cannon's post on using film I dragged out my old F2, Bronica S, Yashika and Gossen Luna Pro, ordered more film and then discovered I had no good batteries for the F2 and Luna Pro.

Question 1. Anyone know of replacement batteries these. There is too much conflicting information on the web, so I thought I'd ask the experts.

Question 2. While waiting for batteries, would it work if I used my D5200 as an expensive light meter. Set the ISO and shutter speed to duplicate the film camera and use the f-stop shown on the 5200 to set the f-stop on the film camera.
Thanks to ch_cannon's post on using film I dragged... (show quote)


Q1: The older/early model Gossen Luna-Pro or Luna-Six Exposure meters use now outlawed 1.35V Mercury PX13 / PX625 Batteries. The later models and Luna-Pro SBC models use 9V batteries. I used to own a newer 9V Luna-Pro but it was stolen back in 1987. A few years ago someone gave me a modified Luna-Pro that can use 1.5V Batteries. It is funky but it works. This is why there are so many cheap used Luna-Pro meters on eBay. The ones you might really want are much pricier and at that point one might as well go for a Luna-Pro SBC meter or Luna-Pro (combo) exposure and flash meter used.

Those Wein MRB675 zinc-air batteries are a waste of money unless you are going to be shooting a lot using your meter. They go bad after only a couple weeks. Junk basically to get the now obsolete 1.35V of the original Mercury batts. I have the same problem with my Pentax Spotmatic Camera, so I just leave the battery out and use either my semi-working Luna-Six Meter or my “normal” battery using Minolta Spotmeter F.

Q2: I sometime go out shooting with both a DSLR and SLR. So yes, I might use my Pentax DSLR K-5 or K-3 or film K2 DMD as a "meter" for my Film Spotmatic. It would work fine with your Nikon D5200 and a film camera with a bit of testing and thought. If you want to do some serious film shooting get another used meter, say Gossen Luna-Pro SBC, high end Sekonic, etc. or better yet used spotmeter by Minolta, Soligor, Pentax, etc. Just be sure they can use todays batteries, A76, AA, AAA, 9V, etc. Today's new Flash & Exposure meters are really expensive and do way more than you need for shooting film from all of 35mm, 4.5x6cm, 6x6cm, 6x7cm, 4x5", 8x10" etc.

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Feb 14, 2019 14:08:06   #
Bobspez Loc: Southern NJ, USA
 
I've done that. I matched my film ASA to the dslr iso (or set the dslr iso as low as it would go). I then determined the best aperture and shutter speed settings for the pic I wanted to take. I then set the film camera shutter speed and aperture the same as my DSLR. It worked out fine. You really don't need a battery if you set your controls manually on the film camera.
Probably would be easier to use an inexpensive used manual analog light meter, like what used to come with an SLR.
Thruxton wrote:
There are some pretty darn good light meter apps for your phone. I use it so I don't have to rely on the undependable meters in my old film cameras. Most of them spec 1.3v which is no longer available. Substituting 1.5v batteries throughs the metering off enough to be unreliable. Check out meter apps for your phone.

Reply
Feb 14, 2019 14:17:53   #
amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA
 
Curmudgeon wrote:
Thanks to ch_cannon's post on using film I dragged out my old F2, Bronica S, Yashika and Gossen Luna Pro, ordered more film and then discovered I had no good batteries for the F2 and Luna Pro.

Question 1. Anyone know of replacement batteries these. There is too much conflicting information on the web, so I thought I'd ask the experts.

Question 2. While waiting for batteries, would it work if I used my D5200 as an expensive light meter. Set the ISO and shutter speed to duplicate the film camera and use the f-stop shown on the 5200 to set the f-stop on the film camera.
Thanks to ch_cannon's post on using film I dragged... (show quote)


I am not certain what the F2 uses.... I see some posts online that mention using two 1.5 volt SR44. Those (or similar 303 or 357, depending upon the manufacturer) are Silver Oxide batteries which perform very similarly to the now unavailable mercury cells that were original to many cameras of that vintage. If the F2 originally used 675 size mercury, SR44/303/357 are almost exactly the same size and should fit fine. If the camera originally used the larger diameter 625/PX13 mercury, see below how to adapt the SR44 for use in Gossen Luna Pro. With the modern batteries you may need to "tweak" your ISO/ASA setting slightly if the camera was originally designed for 1.33 volt mercury... but some cameras have a voltage regulator built in, in which case the slightly higher 1.5 volts of the silver oxides won't make any difference. It might be possible to have the camera's meter re-calibrated to the new batteries... some have enough adjustment built-in, while others require a diode or something added to the power circuit.

Of course, you could use the camera without any battery. The F2 is purely mechanical, not battery dependent and you can make your exposure settings using "sunny 16", etc. or using a separate light meter. (Other Nikon this isn't possible... If I recall correctly FM2N, FE2, FG and some others with electronically-controlled shutters require a battery.)

As to the Gossen Luna Pro, they originally used 625 or PX13 mercury cells and I don't believe have a built in voltage regulator. Those no longer available batteries are larger diameter than the replacements, so Gossen themselves made an adapter that allows a pair of the smaller SR44 to be used in the meters. I'm fairly certain the Gossen adapter also corrects the voltage to a proper level for the meter. The Gossen "GO 4145 kit" includes both the adapter and a pair of SR44 batteries. HOWEVER, it's hard to find now. AFAIK, it's no longer being made. If you search long and hard for it, you might find it... maybe just a the adapter used from some source. The kit was rather expensive initially (about $40 last time I saw one), but that's a one-time purchase of the adapter and you can find replacement SR44/303/357 batteries almost anywhere for relatively little money. (Note: This adapter also can be used in some cameras that were originally designed to use a stacked pair of 625/PX13 mercury cells... it's a tight fit in some camera battery compartments, but the outer shell is made of hard plastic and can be sanded to reduce its diameter and make it fit.)

Failing to find the Gossen GO 4145 kit, it also is possible to buy "generic" adapters that allow the smaller SR44/303/357 to be fitted to other cameras. I've bought them for various cameras. They are simply machined out of brass and mostly serve to "take up the extra space" in the battery compartment, due to the smaller diameter of the modern batteries. H

OWEVER, I've also used simple 20 cent, rubber o-rings bought from local hardware stores, to serve the same purpose. Those work fine when only a single battery is used, or with stacks of batteries, so long as the negative contact isn't on the side of the battery (which would be insulated by the rubber o-ring... Canonet QL17 GIII uses a side-contact battery arrangement).

If you want to try this, buy a couple SR44/etc. and take them and the meter to a hardware store with a selection of o-rings, then find a size that will fit on the battery snugly as well as make for a proper fit inside the meter's battery compartment.

There are also "hearing aid" 675 Zinc Air batteries that are the same dimensions and can work in place of the silver oxide, similarly shimmed to fit the battery compartment. Zinc air do not have nearly as long a life as silver oxide, though. In cameras and meters they typically only last a month or two. And, once you unseal zinc air to activate them, there's no stopping the process. They will go dead in a month or two anyway. (With silver oxide, which can last about a year, they stop draining when removed from the camera.) 675 hearing aid batteries are cheap.... usually sold in packs of 10 or more for a few dollars. I buy and use them for short-term testing of old camera gear, in place of the more expensive but longer lived SR44/etc.

I don't think it's the case with the F2 or Gossen Luna Pro, but some cameras were designed to use four stacked 675 size batteries.... in those it's possible to either use four SR44 or a 4SR44, which is a pre-made "stack" of four of those batteries.

There are also "Varta" batteries (and other brands which are similar) sold especially for photographic uses, which are simply zinc air 675 with a metal shim pressed on to bring them up to the same diameter as the original 625s. They may last a little longer... maybe two months of normal usage. But they sell for much more... often $5 or more each.

Zinc air batteries usually have around 1.4 volts apiece, which is closer to the original mercury batteries and makes for less skewing of metering systems that don't have a voltage stabilizer.

DO NOT use alkaline batteries. You can find them in similar sizes. But they will give incorrect readings more often than not. Later cameras designed to work with alkaline all have a voltage stabilizer because the power curve of alkalines is rather steep. They start to lose right away and continue to drop steadily. In contrast, both zinc air and silver oxide have fairly flat power curves... they maintain a level voltage for a long time, then die suddenly... much the way that the old mercury batteries did.

In some cases it's possible to re-calibrate cameras and meters to be accurate when used with the slightly higher voltage modern zinc air or silver oxide batteries (you have to commit to using one or the other and be sure any you buy have the same voltage... there is some variation). If that were done with alkaline, it would only be correct briefly during the life of the battery... and out of calibration the rest of the time.

But it's also often possible to simply "fudge" your ISO settings a bit to compensate. I've found that zinc air, which are usually about 1.4V (2.8V for a stacked pair) and only slightly higher voltage than the 1.3V to 1.33V mercury (2.6V to 2.66V pair).... make for approx. 1/3 to 1/2 stop skew. The usually 1.5V (3V) to 1.65V (3.3V) silver oxide batteries may cause a full stop of skew. HOWEVER all this assumes the old metering system is still accurately calibrated for the original batteries. There's good chance it's slightly out of adjustment after all these years (which may or may not favor the modern batteries), so you pretty much have to test and evaluate each camera or meter with your choice of battery and tailor any adjustments or re-calibration accordingly.

Another minor thing.... When you first install silver oxide batteries, they're often slightly over-powered. Look for them to "settle down" after a half hour or so. Conversely, when they are first unsealed zinc air batteries are under-powered... they come up to power in 15 minutes to half an hour. So in both cases it's best to not fully trust meter readings for a half hour or so after installing a fresh battery.

If you find them in sizes that might work, generally DON'T USE lithium or Nicad batteries in the cameras and meters originally designed to use mercury cells. They might damage those cameras. (OTOH, some cameras, such as Canon A-1 and AE-1 are able to work fine with silver oxide, alkaline or even lithium batteries... no problem. Just don't "risk it" with other cameras, unless you know for certain they are okay to use.)

Finally, another reason to NOT use alkaline is that they seem to be the most prone to leaking and damaging cameras (the original mercury could leak, too). Zinc air are probably the safest and least likely to leak and do damage. Silver oxide are pretty safe, too.

EDIT: I notice someone else mentioned the CRIS MR-9 adapter, which is another solution for anything that originally used a 625/PX13 mercury cell. https://shop.criscam.com/products/mr-9-mercury-battery-adapter I forgot about those! The MR-9 is pricey at $36 per battery (and I'm cheap... so bought 20 cent rubber o-rings instead), BUT it has built in voltage correction to allow SR44/303/357 silver oxide to be used without need to re-calibrate the meter (assuming it's not out of adjustment anyway). This may make a lot of sense when only a single battery is needed. If I recall correctly, all Luna Pro use two batteries... So you'd have a one-time cost of $72 for two of those adapters, and then the on-going cost of fresh SR44/etc. every year or two after that.

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Feb 14, 2019 14:41:29   #
rfmaude41 Loc: Lancaster, Texas (DFW area)
 
larryepage wrote:
My OM2N must have been an early model. Its manual clearly called for the constant voltage batteries. There used to be a company in Dallas called Photosphere that would modify the earlier OM bodies by adding a regulator. I discussed doing so with them, but never had it done before they closed their doors.



Photoshere still does exist:

Photosphere Olympus Camera Service
9579 Landmark PlFrisco, TX 75035

(972) 712-2112

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Feb 14, 2019 14:44:09   #
larryepage Loc: North Texas area
 
rfmaude41 wrote:
Photoshere still does exist:

Photosphere Olympus Camera Service
9579 Landmark PlFrisco, TX 75035

(972) 712-2112


Thanks. I'll look them up. Last time I tried, I couldn't find them.

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Feb 14, 2019 14:54:27   #
1Feathercrest Loc: NEPA
 
Do you mean to tell me that you own those film cameras and never sprung for a hand held Wesson light meter, or such? I used my Wesson always with my film cameras (which included a nice Leica M3) and I was a rank amateur.
By the way, my Wesson which is 60 + years old still works fine.

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Feb 14, 2019 15:10:06   #
larryepage Loc: North Texas area
 
1Feathercrest wrote:
Do you mean to tell me that you own those film cameras and never sprung for a hand held Wesson light meter, or such? I used my Wesson always with my film cameras (which included a nice Leica M3) and I was a rank amateur.
By the way, my Wesson which is 60 + years old still works fine.

Not sure who you are addressing, but I do have a Minolta meter, a Wesson meter, and a Pentax spot meter, among others. The OM1n and OM2n, neither of which do I still have, both would work fine without any battery installed. But the OM2s will only function at a shutter speed of 1/60 second with no battery.

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Feb 14, 2019 15:39:16   #
chrissybabe Loc: New Zealand
 
I have a Sekonic Studio Deluxe Model L-28c2 which I purchased for $5 some umpteen years ago (too cheap to pass up). It replaced the same meter I used 50 odd years ago. Very accurate and doesn't use a battery. Last time I checked it gave the same results as my D850.

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