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Ed
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, July 06, 2006 - 12:19 pm: | 
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Hi,
I'm relatively new to the world of classic cameras so please be patient with me.
I have bought a Kodak Instamatic Reflex camera and it is beautiful. However there is a problem with the lightmeter.
I understand this camera has a Cadmium-Sulfur lightmeter. This only works intermittently. At first I assumed the contacts were bad so I cleaned them well but this did not fix the problem. I may be wrong, but I suspect that the needle that displays the shutter speed is simply getting jammed. This is because when it stops responding to light it is sometimes possible to get it working again by tapping/shaking the camera. Other times if I leave the camera for a bit I come back to it and it works for a while. Obviously this isn't very satisfactory when taking photos! I'm guessing that the problem is mechanical because I would think that the CdS cell would either work or not, rather than work intermittently and respond to mechanical shock.
I replaced the two PX825 batteries with a 3V lithium CR2032 and a copper coin as I read that there is a 1.5V PX825 replacement so I assumed that the 3V of the CR2032 would replace two 1.5V batteries. However, I guess there is a possibility that the modern battery could be incompatible.
Has anyone got any suggestions of what to do? I was thinking perhaps the needle needs lubrication?
Thanks,
Ed |
Ed
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, July 06, 2006 - 12:22 pm: |
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I forgot to add that the battery test facility on the camera works, when i press the test button the needle drops down to indicate 1/500 s as the manual says it should. |
rick oleson
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, July 06, 2006 - 02:04 pm: |
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It's fairly common in old meters for the rubber bumpers that the needle stops against to become sticky with age, and the needle then can stick to the bumper when it's at rest. Cleaning the bumper with alcohol or lighter fluid usually gives at least temporary relief, but it involves disassembling the camera to reach it... |
Ed
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, July 07, 2006 - 11:50 am: |
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Thanks Rick for your advice. That does sound like the problem as the needle only gets stuck at either end, never in the middle of the display. |
