[rollei_list] Re: Best/Worst Rollei accessory was Re: Google
- From: Allen Zak <azak@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 6 Aug 2007 09:29:53 -0400
On Aug 5, 2007, at 1:49 PM, Marc James Small wrote:
At 11:02 AM 8/5/2007, Marvin Wallace wrote:
I would agree with Eric that the camera light meter is one of the
most useless features on a Rollei. They seldom work are no good if
they do work and are often cracked and ugly.
I dispute this and suspect that I have a lot more experience with
Rollei TLR's than you do. (I currently own three Rolleiflex, one
Rolleicord, and two Babys and have owned something on the order of
fifty Rolleiflexes over the years as I used to do a lot of dealing in
them a decade or so back.)
I have found very few metered Rolleiflex cameras with inoperative
meters and, in every case, easily restored them to service. On only
one occasion did I have to replace the meter. Generally, the contacts
have gotten some surface corrosion and a simple removal, cleaning, and
replacement will restore the meter to full function. And I have found
the Gossen meter to be rather accurate, especially that in the 2.8/3.5
F.
I suspect that part of the canard of inaccuracy comes from the reality
that we have institutionally forgotten that a selenium meter needs to
be used differently from the manner in which a CdS or later meter is
employed. LEARN how to use a selenium meter and it is perfectly
suitable. But, then, a 1938 Weston 715 is my standard hand-held
meter.
Marc
While agreeing that the built in Rollei meter is capable of sufficient
accuracy, that was true decades ago when the meters I encountered were
freshly minted. These days, the big problem is with deteriorated
selenium cells behaving in a rudely non-linear manner. My 3.5F meter
is typical in being accurate up to 1000 fc, then tailing off sharply by
1 to 2 f stops as light increases. Almost every Rollei I have handled
in the last decade or so, in which the rest of the components haven't
been trashed, has exhibited this behavior.
I would love to find a good Rollei selenium cell for a replacement,
because other than described, the meter is in great shape. Meanwhile,
although sometimes I use the inboard meter in low light situations, a
hand held meter gets most of my business. As is, though, the meter is
very useable whenever in a situation where the light is frequently
changing. After setting exposure, I align the meter using the ASA
dial. That allows me to monitor, at a glance, any changes in light
intensity. This is very good to know when working from a static
position, especially with transparency film.
Allen Zak
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