[rollei_list] Re: Lens cap SIZE for 3.5 Xenotar Rolleiflex
- From: "Jeffery Smith" <jls@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 12 Jul 2006 18:44:22 -0500
My first meter was a Sekonic selenium handheld thing I used with a Kodak
Retina and a Yashica D (that I bought at the Navy base for $35). The chain
on the meter was stainless steel "rope", and the meter itself was very
classy looking. I gave away my last selenium meter to a disabled cop who was
down on his luck. Now they don't seem to be available any more (I think the
last one I had was a Gossen Scout).
Jeffery Smith
New Orleans, LA
http://www.400tx.com
http://400tx.blogspot.com/
-----Original Message-----
From: rollei_list-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:rollei_list-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Marc James Small
Sent: Wednesday, July 12, 2006 6:30 PM
To: rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [rollei_list] Re: Lens cap SIZE for 3.5 Xenotar Rolleiflex
At 06:07 PM 7/12/06 -0500, Jeffery Smith wrote:
>The only possible match is:
>
>Rolleiflex 3.5E Exp. Meter 1740000-1869000 II 1956
>
>But neither of mine has an exposure meter. Did ANY Rolleiflex TLRs in
>1956 have exposure meters? Wouldn't they have to be humungous selenium
>"electric eye" meters with a giant meter window?
My heavens, Jeffery!
Selenium meters are not necessarily humongous nor do they necessarily need a
"giant" meter window. And, yes, inbuilt selenium light meters from Gossen
were provided for the 2.8E and 3.5E cameras and frequently on the T's as
well. A slightly more sophisticated version was offered on the 2.8F and
3.5F cameras.
Selenium is the photoreactive substrate which provides the closest match to
the light absorption of film. Selenium does not make an ideal substrate, as
it requires a complex mechanical linkage to amplify the impulses it provides
but, given that, it is quite accurate. And, of course, it does NOT require
batteries, though your brand-new gazillion-dollar super-hi-tech meter can be
rendered useless in a second when the environmental thugs in Azerbaijan
determine that carbon batteries are a threat to continued life on this
world, and we all go walking off into eco-friendly pastures, petting the
lambs and nuzzling the lions sprawled around the landscape.
Rollei sold its cameras both with and without the meters. Franke & Heidecke
were not above marketing ploys (surprise!), and they would, for instance,
dump the meters offered the previous year as a standard feature, then do a
"sale" where metered cameras were sold at the same price as the unmetered
ones. Most professional photographers, incidentally, opted for unmetered
cameras -- Carl Mydans once commented to Franke & Heidecke, when asked, that
he KNEW the camera and KNEW the film, so why did he need a meter?
The light meter kits turn up on eBay on occasion. They are worth picking up
if the price is right. They are almost always useable, they are easily
installed (the linkages are in your camera) and they are repairable if
necessary.
I have the second type of selenium meter on my 2.8F and it is a really good
meter. But, then, my main meter of choice is a 1938 Weston 715 I inherited
from my father. But, then, I am just an old fogey, I guess!
Marc
msmall@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Cha robh bàs fir gun ghràs fir!
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