This kind of gets me mad

[manning]

Back in 1966 I got a minolta hand held spot meter.

The darn thing wouldn't work. Even exchanged it. Well for some reason I never took it back for a refund.

Fast forward to today. I find the darn thing without the battery. (at least I was smart enough to remove it.)

I go onto the net to find out what battery I need.

Well come to find out the manual incorrectly gave the wrong battery to use.

Now I know why that meter never worked.

Now I can't find a battery for it.

Anyone know where I can find an A1PX battery?

 

[jenn-]

Here is a site that claims to have them http://www.batterycountry.com/ShopSite/specialtycamera.html I have never dealt with them, but just typing A1PX in my search engine turned up a bunch of results.

 

[DVC Jen]

Back in 1966 I got a minolta hand held spot meter.

Did you really mean 1966 or was that a typo? I saw 1966 and thought WHOA - that is an old meter - as old as I am.

 

[jann1033]

Did you really mean 1966 or was that a typo? I saw 1966 and thought WHOA - that is an old meter - as old as I am.

not quite as old as i am but definitely headed toward "antique" status

 

[DVC Jen]

not quite as old as i am but definitely headed toward "antique" status

Like a fine wine.......

 

[jenn-]

I didn't even notice the year

 

[jann1033]

Like a fine wine.......

doesn't some old wine turn to vinegar?

 

[manning]

Yes it was 1966. I was cleaning up some stuff and there it was. Like I said I never got around to returning it.

Researching it I found a sight advising of the wrong battery reference in the manual and that it is still considered an excellent meter.

The original battery was mercury. I plan to find a battery and put it into use. It is a 9 degree spot meter.

 

[jenn-]

That website I linked says they are the "mercury replacement batteries". That is a good sign. I doubt you will find a mercury battery nowadays.

 

[tinksdad]

Nice that you have a light meter now. I "obviously" isn't the latest and greatest. But they are fun and helpful to use.

 

[manning]

Nice that you have a light meter now. I "obviously" isn't the latest and greatest. But they are fun and helpful to use.

I'll find out when I get a battery. It is a Minolta view meter 9

This is what one sight had to say about it.

"The VM 9 is on the large and heavy side, by today's standards, but it is very sensitive, and has wide-ranging scales -- f-stops 1.0 to 64, ISO 6 to 25,000 and shutter speeds from 2 hours to 1/8,000! It was obviously designed for long-term use since no cameras at the time -- or today -- have a 1/8,000 shutter speed. Very few of today's meters can top that. But at the time, photography was in a great state of flux, and no one knew what the future might hold."

 

[0bli0]

you probably won't find any PC1A since they were mercury batteries and more or less banned around the world. your best bet is to find the silver equivalent, as it would pretty much match the voltage fall off. if nothing else, pick up an LR50, which is the equivalent alkaline battery and are pretty widely available.

if, for some odd reason the meter doesn't like alkaline batteries, you might be able to find an AG13 adapter - basically they're just sheaths which you put one (or more) ag13 silver batteries in (i use one on my rollei). AG13 are available everywhere and you can get them on ebay at around 50 for $4.00

 

[MarkBarbieri]

since no cameras at the time -- or today -- have a 1/8,000 shutter speed.

It's pretty common today. Both the Canon and Nikon mid-range and high end DSLR's can do 1/8000. I'm not sure about other DSLRs.

 

[Groucho]

Bah, real light meters don't even take batteries!

I've got my grandfather's old GE PR-2 meter in the collection, complete with leather case and his writing about settings for different types of film... yet somehow I've never bothered taking it with me. Somehow I suspect that it will remain a shelf piece.

 

[manning]

It's pretty common today. Both the Canon and Nikon mid-range and high end DSLR's can do 1/8000. I'm not sure about other DSLRs.

Finally found a source for a battery.

Amazingly it took cameras 40 years to catch up the limit of this meter.