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Ericsoldcameras
Tinkerer
Username: Ericsoldcameras

Post Number: 2
Registered: 06-2011

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Posted on Monday, June 06, 2011 - 08:56 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Hi again, I have two of these light meters but they do not work. Does anybody fix them? I have a couple of C3 parts cameras also.
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Br1078lum
Tinkerer
Username: Br1078lum

Post Number: 98
Registered: 11-2010

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Posted on Wednesday, June 08, 2011 - 07:51 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Eric, I don't think there is anyone who does, but every once in a while I'll see a post somewhere about someone getting their selenium meter repaired. But they may just be old posts, so I wouldn't get my hopes up if I was you. You can get some money for those meters, even if they don't work, because without them, a Matchmatic is no better to a collector than a regular C3. Those meters also came on the later 'Colormatic' model, which was a C3 without the Matchmatic color covering, and with regular rangefinder, shutter, and lens markings instead of the Matchmatic EVS numbering system.

If the meters have regular shutter and lens settings instead of the EVS settings, then they are for the Colormatic. Some folks even bought these meters for their earlier model C3's, and added an accessory shoe to their cameras.

The bigest problem with any of the old selenium cell meters is the unavailabilty of parts. Selenium is toxic, it ages with use, and with the advent of CdS cell meters, there was no longer a market for it. Unfortunately, no one has figured out a way to convert selenium meters to CdS, so there are all these classic looking meters lying around useless, except as window dressing. I have one selenium meter (a BEWI Picolo) that is still acurately working, but that is a rarity.

PF
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Br1078lum
Tinkerer
Username: Br1078lum

Post Number: 99
Registered: 11-2010

Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!)

Posted on Wednesday, June 08, 2011 - 07:53 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Eric, I don't think there is anyone who does, but every once in a while I'll see a post somewhere about someone getting their selenium meter repaired. But they may just be old posts, so I wouldn't get my hopes up if I was you. You can get some money for those meters, even if they don't work, because without them, a Matchmatic is no better to a collector than a regular C3. Those meters also came on the later 'Colormatic' model, which was a C3 without the Matchmatic color covering, and with regular rangefinder, shutter, and lens markings instead of the Matchmatic EVS numbering system.

If the meters have regular shutter and lens settings instead of the EVS settings, then they are for the Colormatic. Some folks even bought these meters for their earlier model C3's, and added an accessory shoe to their cameras.

The bigest problem with any of the old selenium cell meters is the unavailabilty of parts. Selenium is toxic, it ages with use, and with the advent of CdS cell meters, there was no longer a market for it. Unfortunately, no one has figured out a way to convert selenium meters to CdS, so there are all these classic looking meters lying around useless, except as window dressing. I have one selenium meter (a BEWI Picolo) that is still acurately working, but that is a rarity.

PF
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Dcluley
Tinkerer
Username: Dcluley

Post Number: 8
Registered: 04-2009

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Posted on Wednesday, June 08, 2011 - 09:52 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Contact the Argus Collector Group
http://www.arguscg.org/join.shtml

Last I knew somebody still had some new in the box C-3 meters available. They may be for the regular C-3 instead of the matchmatic, but you probably could use the mechanism to repair yours.

Dan Cluley
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Photographer_x
Tinkerer
Username: Photographer_x

Post Number: 11
Registered: 12-2010

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Posted on Thursday, June 09, 2011 - 05:50 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

New selenium cells are available everywhere. Usually used in solar experiment kits like kids make from Edmund Scientific and other sources but they can be found in common $1. calculators.
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David_ritchie
Tinkerer
Username: David_ritchie

Post Number: 83
Registered: 07-2006

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Posted on Thursday, June 09, 2011 - 02:16 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Google "Quality Light-Metric Co" in Los Angeles, Hollywood. They repaired several Weston meters for me a few years ago. The company is still in business. Good luck.

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