JeremyLangford
I'd really Leica Leica
Is the CRIS adapter for my Minolta SRT-101 a good investment? My old mercury battery is still going good but I dont want it to go dead one day when Im trying to take pictures.
In case you didnt know, the original battery for my camera runs at 1.35 volts and most good battery these days are now 1.5 volts. This adapter reduces a 1.5v battery to only use 1.35v.
Heres the link for the CRIS adapter.
http://www.criscam.com/products_services/mercury_battery_adapters/
Is this just an adapter for any 1.5v battery? Or is it a whole new battery?
Will I have to buy a whole new CRIS adapter when this one goes dead?
Also, would it be a better alternative to get a normal 1.5v batter, and alter the light meter so that it still works properly with the extra power? Is this difficult to do?
In case you didnt know, the original battery for my camera runs at 1.35 volts and most good battery these days are now 1.5 volts. This adapter reduces a 1.5v battery to only use 1.35v.
Heres the link for the CRIS adapter.
http://www.criscam.com/products_services/mercury_battery_adapters/
Is this just an adapter for any 1.5v battery? Or is it a whole new battery?
Will I have to buy a whole new CRIS adapter when this one goes dead?
Also, would it be a better alternative to get a normal 1.5v batter, and alter the light meter so that it still works properly with the extra power? Is this difficult to do?
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Chriscrawfordphoto
Real Men Shoot Film.
The CRIS adapter should work forever, you just put a new battery in it when the battery dies.
Flinor
Well-known
I've been using them for several years with no problems. Of course. sometimes I find myself using a $30 adapter to run a $20 camera, but what the heck...
Bill58
Native Texan
They work well, but I found the Kanto (Japanese supplier and posssibly inventor?) a great deal more helpful and friendly than the C.R.I.S. people. The latter's website is http://www.kanto-cs.co.jp/english/index_english.html.
Kim Coxon
Moderator
You need to check the current consumption on the Minolta before spending your money. The CRIS adapters have a very low power output and will not work in all cameras. Search this site for posts by John Neal. He used to make and sell adapters for a fraction of the cost and explains the current limitations quite well.
Kim
Kim
JeremyLangford
I'd really Leica Leica
Flinor said:
I thought I could use any 1.5v watch battery from wal-mart?
JeremyLangford
I'd really Leica Leica
Kim Coxon said:
I just want it for one camera and on camera only.
Ronald M
Veteran
My Criss works in some cameras, not in others. With a Leica SL, it works in bright light, but not dim or the reverse. In any case, I could not trust it.
Some item in my Rollie 35 works fine . So it depends on the current draw of the particular camera.
Get a Wein cell and recover the holes when not in use or hearing aid battery upsized with an O ring. Both are 1.35.
Some item in my Rollie 35 works fine . So it depends on the current draw of the particular camera.
Get a Wein cell and recover the holes when not in use or hearing aid battery upsized with an O ring. Both are 1.35.
colyn
ישו משיח
Ronald M said:
Doesn't work. Once the hole has been exposed covering it won't stop the chemical action.
Bill58
Native Texan
colyn said:
I've read that suggestion many times here and on the LUG. Maybe we should petition the "Mythbusters" guys/ gals on The Discovery Channel to check it for us!
Kim Coxon
Moderator
If the hole is covered, the battery will still produce current using the oxygen still trapped in the cell. Once that is exhausted, it will slow down. It wil also keep the battery from drying out so quickly. In other words, it will slow it down so it will last a bit longer but it will not delay it indefinately. The chemistry in hearing aid batteries is exactly the same and they are much much cheaper. Uncover one hole only and they will last nearly as long as the Wein cell. 
Kim
Kim
cmedin
Well-known
I couldn't stomach $30 for something that could be done in ten minutes with a soldering iron and a diode.
Here's the link....
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]http://www.rokkorfiles.com/conversion.htm
You should be able to get the diode for less than a buck.
[/FONT]
Here's the link....
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]http://www.rokkorfiles.com/conversion.htm
You should be able to get the diode for less than a buck.
[/FONT]
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Dektol Dan
Well-known
Whoa!
Whoa!
I just ordered a CRIS socket for my Olympus OM1. I tell you how it works out. I spent yesterday Googling about to see what all the fuss was about.
There are MANY issues, flatness of decay in battery life, if the camera has a bridge meter, adjustment by just rocking the ASA dial to set it back 1/3 stop (1.5 volts leads to under exposure), and the how to's of making one's own adapter out of a sacrificial alkiline cell and silver oxide battery.
It is NOT an easy task to make an adpater if you have no experience or the proper tools. Yes, it can be done in an hour or so with a 35 cent Schottkey diode if one is set up. It's best to have a drill press, jeweler's saw, soldering iron, and the various bits necessary to contrive conductors and insulators.
The old camera meters with mercury cells worked on the advantage of having a constant voltage for two or more years. There was no need for a bridge or voltage regulator.
There are plans on line for building regulators that will fit inside a camera body if you have some experience building circuits. That is the ONLY way that is full proof.
If your camera has a simple meter, and you are not going to us it temperature extremes the CRIS diode set up is the only reasonable way to go.
I live in the desert. Wein cells fail in two months where there is no humidity.
I've built electronic projects since the old Heathkit days and I still fix my own tube amps. Would I waste two hours building an adpter? Hell NO!
The CRIS adapter is way too expensive, but it's the least of all evils, and it will work well if it's not asked to do too much.
Whoa!
cmedin said:
I just ordered a CRIS socket for my Olympus OM1. I tell you how it works out. I spent yesterday Googling about to see what all the fuss was about.
There are MANY issues, flatness of decay in battery life, if the camera has a bridge meter, adjustment by just rocking the ASA dial to set it back 1/3 stop (1.5 volts leads to under exposure), and the how to's of making one's own adapter out of a sacrificial alkiline cell and silver oxide battery.
It is NOT an easy task to make an adpater if you have no experience or the proper tools. Yes, it can be done in an hour or so with a 35 cent Schottkey diode if one is set up. It's best to have a drill press, jeweler's saw, soldering iron, and the various bits necessary to contrive conductors and insulators.
The old camera meters with mercury cells worked on the advantage of having a constant voltage for two or more years. There was no need for a bridge or voltage regulator.
There are plans on line for building regulators that will fit inside a camera body if you have some experience building circuits. That is the ONLY way that is full proof.
If your camera has a simple meter, and you are not going to us it temperature extremes the CRIS diode set up is the only reasonable way to go.
I live in the desert. Wein cells fail in two months where there is no humidity.
I've built electronic projects since the old Heathkit days and I still fix my own tube amps. Would I waste two hours building an adpter? Hell NO!
The CRIS adapter is way too expensive, but it's the least of all evils, and it will work well if it's not asked to do too much.
cmedin
Well-known
Since Jeremy has an SRT101 like myself, that's what I was commenting on (sorry if I didn't make that clear, edited the post to include the specific instructions). I wouldn't just tear into any camera and try to monkey around with the elctronics, but in the case of the SRT it's so damn simple to do it's a shame not to. (And there's plenty of SRT owners that have done it with good results.)
(And there's plenty of SRT owners that have done it with good results.)
rogue_designer
Reciprocity Failure
I have several CRIS cells' for various vintage cameras. No problems with mine.
JeremyLangford
I'd really Leica Leica
Gah. If I would have know about the battery upgrade when I was looking for a film camera, I prolbably would have found a newer camera.
bmattock
Veteran
Why did I have a feeling that's where this was going?
When are you going to say "Bessas are Best" and let everyone in on the joke?
When are you going to say "Bessas are Best" and let everyone in on the joke?
JeremyLangford
I'd really Leica Leica
Dektol Dan said:
Is the minolta SRT-101's BC function (Battery Check) a sure way to know if the current voltage is off?
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cmedin
Well-known
Not on mine... it shows all clear even with a 1.5v battery. Just compare the meter with a known good one and that way you'll know where you stand; it might even be off with the mercury battery for all we know.
Keep in mind that your camera is going on four decades, can't reasonably expect everything to be dandy out of the box so to speak.
Keep in mind that your camera is going on four decades, can't reasonably expect everything to be dandy out of the box so to speak.
JeremyLangford
I'd really Leica Leica
So would checking the voltage with a voltage meter by a good way to see if my battery is going dead?