Nikkormat EL Meter Issues

[farlymac]

A long time ago (maybe about eight years), a good friend of mine gave me an EL with the mirror locked up, and thus the shutter release jammed also. It wasn't an electrical issue as I recall, because installing a battery didn't help.

Anyway, after rummaging last night through my box of Nikon gear that needs work, I decided to give it a quick look. Took the base off, pushed a lever, and it was good to go. Took about three minutes, most of which was spent making sure the tiny screws didn't disappear.

This morning I put a new battery in it, and the BATT CHK light wouldn't come on, but the meter needle deflected to 1/1000. Put in on Auto, ran it through the apertures, and no needle movement. Put in in Manual, and basically the same thing, unless I was pressing the DOF Preview button. Seemed accurate when aimed at my desk lamp with f5.4 @ 1/125 from one foot away with an ISO setting of 125.

So, I don't see it as a resistor pad wiper fault, or even a switch failure, as the meter does work, just not in anything other than Stop-Down mode. Which as dark as the finder is, I'm not looking forward to operating it that way.

Has anyone else seen this type of problem with the EL, and know what is causing it?

PF

ps: I tried it both with AI, and Non-AI lenses, with the same results.

 

[sevo]

It will only do stop-down with later lenses (Series E, anything AF) that lack the pre-AI coupling prong.

Does the camera couple to the prong? Sometimes the pin can get pushed out of range so that it will not automatically engage.

 

[farlymac]

It will only do stop-down with later lenses (Series E, anything AF) that lack the pre-AI coupling prong.

Does the camera couple to the prong? Sometimes the pin can get pushed out of range so that it will not automatically engage.

Like I said, I tried it with both Non-AI and AI lenses. The AI one had the prong. I've been shooting Nikons since 1973, so this is not my first time at the rodeo. Just the first time with an EL.

PF