JPD
Retina and Rollei user
Got this Dacora Dignette for free when I bought a Retina.
It has an exposure meter, but the only thing you can do with it is to set the ASA. The needle moves, but there's no pointer and you can't read it in any way. (The "dial" bext to it is just the rewinding knob with a film-type reminder).
The shutter is a Pronto-LK 1/15 - 1/250 sec. plus B. It has no automatic setting.
What's the reasoning behind having a exposure meter that can't be used, or am I missing something?
It has an exposure meter, but the only thing you can do with it is to set the ASA. The needle moves, but there's no pointer and you can't read it in any way. (The "dial" bext to it is just the rewinding knob with a film-type reminder).
The shutter is a Pronto-LK 1/15 - 1/250 sec. plus B. It has no automatic setting.
What's the reasoning behind having a exposure meter that can't be used, or am I missing something?
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farlymac
PF McFarland
If it's anything like one of my Zeiss Contina III's, someone has most likely over-torqued the meter knob, and the match needle is now MIA. Only remedy is to get another Dacora, and salvage a part. The meter is not coupled anyway, you still have to adjust everything after reading it. And since the match needle does not move with a constant motion, you can't try to figure out where it would be with so many turns of the knob. As old as it is, I wouldn't expect that the selinium cell is in that great of shape, so you would be lucky to get a decent reading. Best to get a more recent vintage CdS style meter, one that can be adjusted for Zero.
PF
PF
JPD
Retina and Rollei user
Not true. I saw another example on an auction site, and also the a page from the manual. Nothing is missing.
http://www.lindemanns.de/shop/migal/bilder/lima/57005d.jpg
Another model is said to have the meter needle in the viewfinder. Maybe that's possible in this case, but I can't see any needle or speed/aperture settings in the finder. And why would there be a meter window with needle on the top of the camera?
farlymac
PF McFarland
It was fairly common practice to put the meter read-out on top of the camera like that during the time period those cameras were manufactured. Am I looking at the needle of the meter, or the match indicator of the knob? If it is just a meter needle, then it most likely the window is to allow the needle shadow to be beamed into the viewfinder, where a bright-line frame with shutter and aperture settings would also be displayed. If this camera was 'repaired' by someone who did not know what they were doing, they could have damaged, or even removed the system used for this purpose, or stripped it out to use on another camera, and gave you their parts mule.
If the shutter and aperture are functioning properly, I would just get a hand-held CdS meter, and quit worrying about the built-in meter. Sure, it's one more thing you have to lug around, but it's that or put it on the shelf, unless you are good with the 'Sunny 16' method of exposure calculation (Shutter Speed = the reciprocal of ISO and Aperture = f16 on a bright sunny day, f8 on a hazy sunny day, and so on).
PF
If the shutter and aperture are functioning properly, I would just get a hand-held CdS meter, and quit worrying about the built-in meter. Sure, it's one more thing you have to lug around, but it's that or put it on the shelf, unless you are good with the 'Sunny 16' method of exposure calculation (Shutter Speed = the reciprocal of ISO and Aperture = f16 on a bright sunny day, f8 on a hazy sunny day, and so on).
PF
JPD
Retina and Rollei user
Yes, it's only the meter needle. There is no match indicator or even a knob other that for the ASA setting.
Nothing important, I'm not going to use it anyway. Got it for free when I bought a Kodak Retina. And I do have a couple of hand-held light meters.
Nothing important, I'm not going to use it anyway. Got it for free when I bought a Kodak Retina. And I do have a couple of hand-held light meters.