Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2007/08/11

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Subject: [Leica] New member - iso film take-up spool
From: marcsmall at comcast.net (Marc James Small)
Date: Sat Aug 11 15:34:18 2007
References: <580998.49999.qm@web81913.mail.mud.yahoo.com> <006201c7dc44$a77ccf90$6101a8c0@jimnichols>

At 02:23 PM 8/11/2007, Jim Nichols wrote:
 >Will,
 >
 >Welcome aboard!  I can't help with the take-up spool, but can offer my own
 >experience with a similar meter.  I started with a Leica IIIa in 1952, and
 >bought the Leica meter that mounted in the cold shoe on the top of the
 >camera, and could be fitted with a separate sensor for low light 
 >conditions.
 >The meter worked great for a number of years, but finally lost its
 >sensitivity, as selenium meters are likely to do.  I finally discarded it
 >because I could find no one who rebuilt them, and the expense would 
 >probably
 >be excessive for anyone except a well-heeled collector.
 >
 >I have read that there are now shops that will rebuild selenium meters, but
 >don't have a link at hand.  You might try an on-line search, but a small
 >modern meter might be a better investment.
 >
 >Jim Nichols

Jim

The majority of failures in selenium meters is 
caused by misadjustment or breakage in the 
linkage between cell and meter face.  Very rarely 
does a quality selenium cell fail, though the 
cheap ones which came on low-cost P&S cameras in 
the late 1950's and early 1960's certainly did suffer from cell failure.

The reason is in the seals.  Selenium cells fail 
from water contamination.  Quality firms -- 
Gossen and Metrawatt and Zeiss Ikon, for instance 
-- went to a great deal of trouble to properly 
seal their cells and water contamination is 
accordingly not much of an issue.  For meters 
made by these firms, such as the Metrawatt 
Leica-Meters, generally adjustment of the linkage 
is all that is necessary.  Another cause of 
failure is corrosion on the electrical 
contacts.  Again, a quick cleaning will restore the meter to fine condition.

George Milton at Quality Light-Metric in 
Hollywood, California, does superb work on all meters.

Marc


msmall@aya.yale.edu
Cha robh b?s fir gun ghr?s fir!



In reply to: Message from william.seibert at snet.net (William Seibert) ([Leica] New member - iso film take-up spool)
Message from jhnichols at bellsouth.net (Jim Nichols) ([Leica] New member - iso film take-up spool)