Just saw this on ebay

[Chuck A]

I was looking for a small meter to use and saw this Canon meter. I thought that one of the Canonites might like it.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7530993840&category=4702&ssPageName=WDVW&rd=1

 

[jlw]

Yup, this is the coupled selenium meter that works with the VI-T, VI-L, and P. I can't be sure from the picture, but it looks as if this is the later type with the swivel mounting foot, which allows you to pivot the meter out of the way so you can rewind film without removing it. It couples to the shutter speed dial (which is why it only works on the VI and P models) and provides direct readout in f/stops.

When found in working condition, this is a nice little meter, with two ranges and pretty good low-light sensitivity for a selenium model. The one pictured, though, looks a little odd. The meter is supposed to have a "fly's-eye" lens over the selenium cell; on this one, the lens appears to be missing.

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Does that mean it may be burned? Selenium meters don't need batteries but do need some protection or else they get "worn out", right?

Looks good...

 

[jlw]

I've heard all kinds of different stuff about why selenium cells go bad. Some people say it's exposure to light, and some say it's corrosion of the thin layer of iron that collects the charge from the selenium.

All I know is that the similar meter I have for my VI-T still works fine. It came to me in its leather case, and seldom was out of the case except when being used. That probably would give it some protection both against light and against excessive humidity, so doesn't support one theory or the other.

However, even with the missing fly's-eye lens, the eBay meter could still work OK as long as it had been protected from bad environments.

The main problem with the missing fly's-eye is that the meter's acceptance angle would be wider than usual. The lens usually limits a meter's acceptance angle to about 40 degrees, but without the lens it could be nearly 180 degrees.