msarkki
Member
Hi
I managed to get a Contax III in pretty good shape but with non-functional light meter. In reality the meter was not totally dead, so I cleaned the carbon track and the slider under the adjustment wheel. That helped a bit. Then I unscrewed the top holding the meter lid and took out the 2 screws keeping the ribbed glass (and cell?) in place. It seems that the glass/cell does not come off, but when I wiggled that part a bit, the needle jumped totally alive - so the cell is not dead.
However, when putting the whole thing together the meter went back dead and after some wiggling of the glass/cell it came back alive. To me it looks like a failed / corroded contact with the cell. Now the meter works, but I would like to fix it properly.
I tried to search forum and internet, but found out only Kiev IV related instructions, I understood that the meter in Kiev IV is a bit different from Contax III (Kiev III would have the same meter). How could I get to the cell, do I need to remove the camera's top plate in order to get to light meter internals and to get to check the cell contacts? How the cell is electrically connected to the meter (wires, solder, mechanical)?
I do have Tooke's and Maizenberg's books, but neither of those explain the internals of the actual meter.
I managed to get a Contax III in pretty good shape but with non-functional light meter. In reality the meter was not totally dead, so I cleaned the carbon track and the slider under the adjustment wheel. That helped a bit. Then I unscrewed the top holding the meter lid and took out the 2 screws keeping the ribbed glass (and cell?) in place. It seems that the glass/cell does not come off, but when I wiggled that part a bit, the needle jumped totally alive - so the cell is not dead.
However, when putting the whole thing together the meter went back dead and after some wiggling of the glass/cell it came back alive. To me it looks like a failed / corroded contact with the cell. Now the meter works, but I would like to fix it properly.
I tried to search forum and internet, but found out only Kiev IV related instructions, I understood that the meter in Kiev IV is a bit different from Contax III (Kiev III would have the same meter). How could I get to the cell, do I need to remove the camera's top plate in order to get to light meter internals and to get to check the cell contacts? How the cell is electrically connected to the meter (wires, solder, mechanical)?
I do have Tooke's and Maizenberg's books, but neither of those explain the internals of the actual meter.
KoNickon
Nick Merritt
I would be interested in knowing more about this also. My III's meter sounds like it's much the same. I have been able to resuscitate a meter for a folding Contessa (assisted by the instructions at Mike Elek's website), so I wonder if there are similarities in the designs.
Highway 61
Revisited
Yes of course. You have something interesting here.
"S.H." is an RFF member so you should get in touch.