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Alex Kinnan
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 30, 2004 - 06:50 am: | 
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Howdy,
I just found this group! I have a Contaflex Super BC that I tend to run with a CRIS adapter filled with a 1.5v battery, which, of course, makes the voltage c. 1.35.
The problem is that the thickness of the assembly is insufficient for maintaining continuous contact, so i have to stuff a wee piece of cardboard in the battery compartment to keep the readings kosher.
This and the fact that I hate having to swap my one $40.00 battery adapter between several cameras, makes it inconvenient at times to just grab a classic camera and run.
So, I just read on the Web that it is possible to adjust the meter in the SBC so as to use today's 1.5v batteries (hopefully thicker), via a "screw on the camera's back".
I have found what appears to be the screw, but I am still wondering if it really can be as simple as that. Also... how does one make the adjustment, and would the extra voltage harm the camera?
Anyone out there tried this? Anyone running an SBC at 1.5 volts?
Thanks in advance.
Alex |
rick oleson
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 30, 2004 - 09:26 am: |
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I can't answer your question, I'm afraid; but the only reliable 1.5 volt batteries are silver oxide cells, which come in the 675 size, I don't think they'll get thicker. In the same size you can get a Zinc/Air cell with correct voltage for the meter. It only lasts about 6 months, but since it costs less than 1/3 as much as a silver cell it's not such a bad exchange.
In either case, to make these fit, an approach I use is to remove the (-) cover and the inside crud out of a 625A alkaline cell and use the remaining outer shell as a battery holder for the smaller 675 size battery. I learned this trick right here on this forum from Pat Tobin, and it works really well. |
Alex Kinnan
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 30, 2004 - 06:02 pm: |
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Thanks for the response. I don't know as if I'm game enough to try scooping out a 625, though. It sounds like the type of project that I would likely abandon about half-way through.. 
The thickness issue seems to be primarily centred on the fact that the 186/386 battery I place in the CRIS adapter is just a fuzz too thin. That's why I am keen to use a single battery that conforms to the original form factor.
I have been thinking of keeping a supply of those zinc-airs around as a fall-back...
Alex |
rick
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 30, 2004 - 09:32 pm: |
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the Wein cell is probably ideal, but it's kind of pricey for me..... i have way too many old cameras to juggle for that.
= |
Andreas Berg
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, December 12, 2004 - 04:00 pm: |
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Before you go to too much trouble (or perhaps I'm too late?), make sure the battery voltage is really a problem. I have an Icarex (also a Zeiss Ikon camera of the same vintage), and on that camera the meter circuit seems to be bridge coupled, making it insensitive to battery voltage. I run mine on alkaline 1,5V 625 cells and i works just fine. I'm told that if you remove the battery and the meter needle stays in the middle of the field, its a sign that the meter is bridge coupled. I don't know about the Contaflex, but it struck me that bridge coupling might have been a company policy at Zeiss. |
Alex Kinnan
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 15, 2004 - 09:11 pm: |
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No, it's not too late.
Actually, I hardly ever use the camera because of the battery thing. See, what happens is that the adapted battery is thin enough that it occasionally loses full contact with the terminal and the meter becomes QUITE inaccurate. As I tend to use this camera in automatic mode, this is a problem...
I'll definitely look into this, as it would be quite a boon to be able to use off-the-shelf batteries in the thing. |
Alex Kinnan
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, December 31, 2004 - 05:11 am: |
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Okay, I have looked and I can't find the information... Does anybody else here know if the Connieflex SBC has a bridge coupled meter circuit? |
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