Here is a quick tip list
on letters for the HELP! desk:
Please confine yourself to only one question per letter. Both postal
letters and e-mails are fine, although we prefer e-mail as the most
efficient form of communication. Send your e-mail queries to editorial@shutterbug.net
with Help in the subject header. Although we make every effort, we cannot
promise to answer every HELP! letter.
When sending a response or suggestion that refers to a published letter
please include the month and page of the original question.
All postal letters to HELP! must be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed
envelope to be considered for reply. We will respond to e-mail queries
with an e-mail.
George Schaub
Editor
Light Meter Correction
I think the HELP! department may have misled Tony Forrest with his “Incident
Metering Query” (April, 2003). I have a strobe meter (Minolta
Flash Meter III) which has an “ambient” setting and this
is not necessarily used with “reflected light readings.”
It simply means that, when reading a strobe exposure, the meter will
also consider the ambient light level when calculating the correct lens
opening. For photoflood exposures one would measure the light in ambient
mode (with dome in place and pointed toward the camera) and the correct
exposure settings will be calculated.
George Dunbar
Toronto, Canada
Thanks for your comments.
I primarily use a Sekonic flash meter, which I believe doesn’t
have this feature, and have never used any Minolta flash meter. Guess
I was thinking back to old Norwood exposure meters which had to be adjusted
for ambient reflected or incident lighting situations.
Battery Comments
Looking through the July 2003 issue of Shutterbug, I turned to your
column first (as always). Thought I’d weigh in on some battery
questions: Richard Kuzia asked about the internal battery for his Maxxum
7000 AF. These cameras have a CR2016 lithium “coin” battery
located on the right side of the camera. (By the way, repair people
always refer to the right and left of a camera as you are holding it
for use.) Remove the battery holder, and you will see a sliver plate
held on by six Phillips head screws. Remove the plate and the battery
is visible. Just note that the screws are different lengths depending
on if they are in the front or back. The battery is available at any
well-stocked drugstore or Radio Shack. Its purpose is to maintain counter
settings and ISO data if the main batteries are removed mid roll. I
have changed lots of these batteries and never once found one bad. The
owners have concerns after a careful reading of the manual, so I change
them for peace of mind.
Craig Schuler wrote about his Mamiya Sekor DSX camera. That camera takes
a single S-76 silver oxide 1.5v battery, available everywhere. You stated
that the silver oxide batteries are not available, but I believe you
were thinking of mercury cells like the RM400 or PX13. He did say the
batteries stored with the camera had “400” on them, but
the RM400 is the wrong battery for that camera, both in voltage and
physical configuration. The only camera I know of using the RM400 is
the Pentax Spotmatic series.
Finally, I have an issue with zinc air batteries: short life. At best
they last about 6-9 months and this can be frustrating and costly to
replace them that often. A better solution is to convert cameras and
meters designed for the 1.35v mercury batteries to use the readily available
alkaline substitute. Most good camera repair shops can modify the circuit
and recalibrate the meters to read accurately with these easy to obtain
alkaline cells. This would be a good, permanent solution to John E.
L. Robertson’s problem with his Gossen Super Pilot. Cost to convert
and recalibrate a Super Pilot should only be around $30, and then he
can be assured of its accuracy. He may, however, want to weigh the cost
and consider the new Gossen Digisix meter since it offers much better
low-light performance. Hope this helps.
Kerry Stamey
Gulf Coast Camera Repair
Baton Rouge, LA
Thanks for your many valid
comments. Several alert readers also wrote about the extra battery in
the Maxxum 7000, how to replace it, and the fact that the S-76 silver
oxide battery is still readily available.. Although I tested a Maxxum
7000 years ago and still own an 8000i, I did not have to do anything
with the internal battery. I know some cameras do have an extra battery
to power dating, frame count, and other functions you would not want
to lose when changing the power/flash battery. Several readers have
written that the S-76 silver oxide batteries are still readily available.
I really goofed on that reply. I was not aware meters could be recalibrated
for use with slightly lower voltage batteries.
Leica M3 Help
In the July 2003 issue Steve Swift raised a question concerning his
Leica M3. Kindermann Inc., one of your advertisers, can easily service
the M3 or older Leicas. Also, for an exposure meter, why not try the
Voigtländer clip on? It matches perfectly with the M3.
M.Di Bella
via Internet
Thanks for your suggestions
and comments.
Royal Gold Replacement
Q. Is there someone I can contact to determine if there is a film out
there equivalent to Kodak’s Royal Gold 100? I would appreciate
any help you can give me. Thank you.
Martin Pothier
via Internet
A. There
have been so many variations of the 35mm format Kodak Gold color negative
films in recent years that I have lost track. I just came across an
early 1992 press release from Kodak announcing the then-new Kodak Gold
Plus 100 and they also had Super and Ultra versions. Of course today
most all you see are the Kodak Max films. Your best bet to track down
what’s the current equivalent of Royal Gold 100 would be to call
the Kodak information hotline toll free at (800) 242-2424. They have
the database needed to answer your question accurately.
Digital Polarizer
Q. I have a Canon S40 digital camera, and would like to use a polarizing
filter with it. None of the big dealers (e.g., B&H) list such an
item. Can you help me find one?
M. Phillips
Fort Lee, NJ
A.
Does your Canon S40 digital camera have filter threads around the lens?
If so, and if you know the proper adapter ring thread size, you could
get a ring from The Camera People, PO Box 1069, Bayfield, CO 81122;
(970) 884-6045; www.camerapeople.net. They also carry many different
filters. Cokin just introduced an adapter that attaches via the tripod
socket so you can use their square filters with compact film and digital
cameras without any lens filter threads. But, if your camera does not
have TTL metering, or manual exposure override, you probably will get
underexposed images due to the 1-2 stop filter factor needed when using
a polarizing filter. One of these suggestions might permit you to use
a polarizing filter on your digital camera.
Rolleiflex Filters
Decode Needed
Q. I have a Rolleiflex TLR and was recently able to purchase two sets
of filters for it from a local photo show. The first set of three is
bluish in cast and has ratings B2, B5, and B11. The second set is amber
cast and has ratings of R2, R5, and R11. I am unable to find any literature
to explain the ratings. Could you please let me know what the present-day
equivalents are and what these filters are used for? Your response would
be greatly appreciated. Many thanks for your kind help.
Ismat Asha
St. Lazare, Quebec
A.
I have not been able to locate any data about these decades old filters
in my reference material and neither could the people at Rollei U.S.A.,
the current importers, or Marflex who repair old Rollei cameras. Since
the filters are bluish and amber in hue, I would imagine they might
be light balancing filters that were used to adapt daylight color transparency
film to tungsten lights (bluish) and for using tungsten-balanced color
film with daylight or electronic flash (amber). If this is the case,
the darkest amber filter is probably equivalent to today’s Wratten
85B, and the other lighter amber filters are 85C and 81EF. The darkest
blue is probably an 80A and the others 80B and 80C. Sorry I could not
be more definitive. If any readers can provide the correct equivalent
or use for these filters, we will send the data to you.
Minolta Repair Required
Q. I need a manual and list of repair facilities for a Minolta SRT MCII
inherited from my father. Can you help me?
Charles Gosnell
via Internet
A. There
are several good sources for instruction books for older cameras. Try
one of these: John S. Craig, Box 1637, Torrington, CT 06790, (860) 496-9791,
www.craigcamera.com/ib_a.htm; Finger Lakes Photo Books, PO Box 1002,
Elbridge, NY 13060, (315) 491-1188, www.photobooksonline.com; or for
camera manuals check www.manualsrus.com. As for repair facilities, just
look at a recent issue of Shutterbug under the Shutterbug Service Directory
heading to locate firms that specialize in working on Minolta products.
Hope you get your SRT operating. It’s a nice SLR.
Honeywell Strobe
Specs
Q. I need values of the capacitor (dead) to replace it in a Honeywell
No. 180 high-performance power pack, or parts list. None are shown on
part.
James Huris
Darien, IL
A.
Heiland/Honeywell electronic flash units have not been around for many
years. My files show several firms that work on older models of electronic
flash units and power packs; possibly one or more of them can provide
the information you seek. Please be aware that some of these listings
are years old and the telephone area codes may have changed: Robal Company,
Inc., 1545 No. Wilcox Ave., Hollywood, CA 90028, (213) 466-8662; Larry
Light, 737 Steward Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90038, (213) 469-0972; TW Technical,
514-2 California Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15202, (412) 766-1669; House of
Batteries, 776 W. 19th St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627, (714) 642-8222; Amglo
Kemlite Laboratories, Inc., 215 Gateway Rd, Bensenville, IL 60106; Glastronic
Sales Co., PO Box 391, North Lima, OH 44452.
Rollei Filters
Q. I am looking for filters for my Rolleiflex 2.8E Xenotar lens. If
I find filters made by Rollei they are very, very expensive. Can you
tell me if there is a secondary market for these? Years ago I was able
to get filters for my Rolleicord from a company called Spiratone. Do
they still exist?
Harry N. Wellhouser
Solana Beach, CA
A.
I assume you are looking for either bayonet mount filters or a bayonet
mount adapter to use regular round series sizes of filters on your Rolleiflex.
Although a few dealers and mail-order firms still carry filters, in
recent years I have found the following firm to be a good source for
most any type of adapter ring or reasonably priced filter. Just contact:
The Camera People, PO Box 1069, Bayfield, CO 81122; (970) 884-6045;
fax: (970) 884-4481; www.camerapeople.net. Sorry, I lost track of Spiratone
years ago after they relocated from New York City to the Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, area. They used to be an excellent source of odd photographic
items. If any reader has had recent contact with them, I would appreciate
getting a current address.
Hawkeye Query
Q. I have an old box camera that belonged to my aunt, mother, or grandfather.
It was made by Blair Camera Co., Rochester, New York. It is a No. 2
WENO Hawkeye. I was wondering if it was worth anything to some collector.
The shutter still works on it.
Allen J. Bard
Rensselaer, IN
A.
My current, 11th edition of McKeown’s Price Guide to Antique &
Classic Cameras, 2001-2002 shows your box camera that uses 101 size
film to produce 3.5x3.5” images was made from 1904-1915. They
show a price of $30-$50 for it. This old rollfilm size has been unavailable
for years.
Glass Plate Processing
Q. I recently came into possession of glass plate negatives that can
be developed. Can you please refer me to any place in the Washington,
DC area that may do this?
Paul McVinney
Alexandria, VA
A.
Are these exposed glass plates, or unexposed? If they are quite old
exposed plates, the latent image may be very weak and may not be salvageable.
If they are relatively fresh and unexposed raw film, you will first
have to obtain the very specialized holder needed to accommodate them
for exposure, probably in a view camera. I exposed and processed many
hundreds of 4x5 glass plates when doing experimental lens testing in
the Engineering R&D department of Argus Cameras way back in the
late 1950s. Each plate had to be very carefully processed separately
by hand because of the sharp edges and fragile glass. But who can process
glass plates today is something I really don’t know. I suggest
you contact the Photo Marketing Association International, 3000 Picture
Place, Jackson, MI 49201, (517) 788-8100, and ask them. They have subgroups
including the Society of Photofinishing Engineers and also a directory
of member processing laboratories. I would think a non-automated lab
that does custom or industrial processing could provide the lab work
you seek. They have geographical breakdowns of these member labs, so
you should be able to locate one in the DC area and if one can do this
work. You might also want to check the Photo Lab Showcase ads in a recent
issue of Shutterbug and contact some of them to determine if any can
assist you.
1950s Kodaks
Q. Members of my family are in possession of two antique Kodak cameras—Kodak
Pony II and Six-20 Brownie E. I would appreciate if you could let me
know of any interest that people might have in acquiring these cameras.
Ramesh Daga
Chennai, India
A. My
11th edition of McKeown’s Price Guide to Antique & Classic
Cameras, 2001-2002 shows your Six-20 Brownie E is a box camera made
from 1946-1953. It is a metal camera that uses 620 film and has vertical
stripes on the front by the lens and finder windows. It also should
have flash contacts for plugging in an external flash. The value is
$12-$20. The Bakelite-body Pony II was made from 1957-1962 and has an
identical current value.
