Expected Wein battery life

[jgwong]

Hi there,

I bought a Wein zinc-air battery for my Olympus 35LC a year ago. I've shot two rolls with it, then left the camera in storage. A few days ago I wanted to shoot film again and found out the battery has died.

Was I supposed to take the battery out? The previous battery was the original, old mercury one, never removed and lasted for -- literally -- decades. I expected this one to do the same.

Also, I had the camera with the lens cap on, I understand this turns off the meter, am I correct?

 

[konicaman]

After you have removed the sticker - about 3 months no matter the usage. When not in use you can take out the battery and reapply the sticker - gives a little longer life.

 

[v_roma]

Like Konicaman said, once the sticker is removed, the wein cell batteries start losing charge simply by reacting with air whether or not you use them. This is why people will often either recalibrate their cameras or get a voltage reducing adapter to use silver oxide batteries in cameras that take the old mercury batteries.

 

[jgwong]

Thanks for the answers. I'll have to look into recalibrating or adapting the camera then; three months is no good.

 

[jgwong]

Try hearing aid batteries. Cost next to nothing. Need to be changed once a month or so but not really a problem or is it?

Yep, adapting those 1.4v batteries seems like the best option so far. I think I have some of those in a drawer somewhere...

 

[TXForester]

You could try a cris adapter. A little pricey, but put in a silver oxide 386 battery and it adjust the voltage to what the camera requires. Since the batteries are cheap and last longer than zinc air batteries, you'll save money in the long run compared to wein cells.

 

[farlymac]

Use it or lose it. Nothing will last like the old Mercs. Other than the Wein cells, you can't get proper voltage anymore, but the silver-oxides come close enough you don't need to adjust or modify the circuit. Just have to use adapters with them most of the time.

PF

 

[jgwong]

You could try a cris adapter. A little pricey, but put in a silver oxide 386 battery and it adjust the voltage to what the camera requires. Since the batteries are cheap and last longer than zinc air batteries, you'll save money in the long run compared to wein cells.

So helpful! This C.R.I.S. adapter is indeed a better solution since shooting film is expensive to me and I can't shoot as much as I would love to. Zinc-air's limited battery life is too inconvenient.

In the interim, I'll practice my Sunny 16-fu. 🙂

 

[Moto-Uno]

Sunny 16-"fu"?
Peter

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

My 2d worth is to say that they need the air getting to them to start the chemical reaction and produce the electricity but you've no way of knowing if it's happened by accident in the shop or how long it's been in the shop. And once it starts it runs continuously and then dies, even if you don't use it.

Sometimes you are lucky and they last a long time and sometimes they run out quickly. The same applies to hearing aid batteries, sometimes the pack of 12 will be uselss by the time you're half way through them and other times the pack will last forever and a day...

My ideal is to find a place that will sell you one cheap hearing aid battery as and when you/I need it.

Regards, David

PS/Edit: I've just looked and the Wein cell I'm using at the moment was opened on the 1st August last year.

 

[jgwong]

Sunny 16-"fu"?
Peter

Sorry, too obscure joke. "Fu" as in "Kung-Fu." I meant, "Sunny 16 skills."
Check out Google-fu.

 

[jgwong]

Hi,

My 2d worth is to say that they need the air getting to them to start the chemical reaction and produce the electricity but you've no way of knowing if it's happened by accident in the shop or how long it's been in the shop. And once it starts it runs continuously and then dies, even if you don't use it.

I bought the battery around a year ago, so it's understandable it's already depleted.

 

[Kirbot]

As far as I know, Wein cells are nothing but overpriced hearing aid batteries with an adapter ring.

I got an old wein cell with one of my cameras, so I just pried the metal ring adapter off, and I use it with cheap hearing aid batteries.

 

[TXForester]

As far as I know, Wein cells are nothing but overpriced hearing aid batteries with an adapter ring.

I got an old wein cell with one of my cameras, so I just pried the metal ring adapter off, and I use it with cheap hearing aid batteries.

Yep. Rick Oleson and others show ways to do this. Here is a pretty comprehensive guide including making your own battery adapter or adapting the camera to itself.

http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/batt_adapt_us.pdf

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

An aside, I bought a good, cheap second-hand camera years ago. It worked OK and was sold "with new batteries" and I didn't check them as it was working OK.

Got home and found they were new but the smaller SR43's and a screwed up piece of tin foil. No real problem as I had cameras that took SR 43's and plenty of SR 44's...

But it did leave a nasty taste in the mouth, as the saying goes.

Regards, David

 

[jgwong]

Yep. Rick Oleson and others show ways to do this. Here is a pretty comprehensive guide including making your own battery adapter or adapting the camera to itself.

http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/batt_adapt_us.pdf

Thanks! I came across this great guide too.

 

[jgwong]

As far as I know, Wein cells are nothing but overpriced hearing aid batteries with an adapter ring.

I got an old wein cell with one of my cameras, so I just pried the metal ring adapter off, and I use it with cheap hearing aid batteries.

Was it hard? On Oleson's guide he uses a drill to make a hole on the old battery.

 

[mwoenv]

I've used 675 hearing aid batteries in this inexpensive adapter for years:

http://www.paulbg.com/Nikon_F_meter_batteries.htm

It provides the 1.4 volts. I take the battery out of the camera when not in use and cover the + side with the tab it came with and the battery lasts for quite a few months. The batteries are inexpensive.

The metering is accurate when used in my Yashica Mat 124, MInolta SRT201, Zeiss Ikon Contaflex Super BC, and Minolta Hi-matic 7S .

 

[Kirbot]

Was it hard? On Oleson's guide he uses a drill to make a hole on the old battery.

It might take some experimenting, but I wouldn't call it hard. Between a good pair of pliers, and maybe a hammer, it shouldn't give you too much trouble.

Might sound crazy, but I actually shot the old battery out with a pellet rifle at point blank range... Worked perfectly!

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

You can buy very nice adapters ready made to take 1.5v hearing aid batteries and cut the voltage to 1.35 or whatever s needed. Here's an example:
http://www.smallbattery.company.org.uk/sbc_mr9_adapter.htm

Regards, David

PS Cut a diagonal slot in the old ring from a Wein and then you cab tighten or loosen it to fit the next battery.