Prinzlite lightmeter

[Mauro]

I have just purchased a Prinzlite Auto Master CdS lightmeter: I paid a small price for it, and it is in good conditions.
As I do not have the instruction manual, I do hope that some RFF friend can help me to understand how the dial works.
Thanks in advance!

 

[konicaman]

Could you post a picture of it?

You could buy a manual here:
http://www.oldtimercameras.com/stock/Model.asp?Model=3016&ModelPage=true
but it would probably cost you more than the meter...

 

[payasam]

Please provide the photo for which konicaman asks. If I remember right, Prinz was the name that the Dixon's chain in the UK gave to some of the products it sold.

 

[Mauro]

Here attached you see the picture of my Prinzlite: I purchased it on the web and paid few Euros for it. I put a PX625 alkaline battery, but I know I should use an adapter because this meter was designed to work with a mercury battery.
By the way, it is not clear to me the use of the arrow on the big dial because I see a LO and HI marks. Moreover, can this 1.5 V alkaline battery (instead of the 1.35 V mercury battery) cause a wrong reading (lower EV values)?
Thanks in advance for your help, any advice will be welcome indeed

 

[konicaman]

I have never seen this model before, but I guess you press the little chrome button and get a reading from the red arrow? If so, you should probably read the number the arrow is pointing at and turn the dial untill that number show up in the EV window. Correct combination of shutter and aperture settings would then be shown by the 2 black rows.

As for the battery - yes you are most likely going to get a wrong reading with an alkaline battery, and it is not easy to compensate for this, as an alkaline battery does not supply even power over its life. An adaptor or a Wein Cell would be better. Check out:

http://www.smallbattery.company.org.uk/

I have boght from these guys before - both wein cells and adapters. And no I am not affillated with them in any way.

Happy shooting

 

[payasam]

The little chrome button is marked "Check" and the red letters are a DIN film speed scale. There may be a switch or a button on one side. Alkaline cells are worthless for this use. They are actually dangerous because of changing output voltage.

 

[konicaman]

Hmm... it sure does - forgot to put on my reading glasses 😱

 

[Mauro]

Dear Konicaman and Payasam,
thanks a lot for your help in understanding how the Prinzlite works. I put an Alkaline PX625 battery, it works but the exposure readings do not seem to be correct (a small difference); I shall use an adapter, and on the web I discovered a "DIY" model. Of course I will be glad to erad any other advice.

 

[payasam]

Are the instructions for the DIY thing the work of Frans de Gruijter? He used to sell ready-made ones too. I had three of them and they worked perfectly.

 

[Mauro]

Yes, dear Payasam: I have purchased the components last week at a local electronic parts store, and I will manufacture the adapater soon.

 

[borosphere]

Hello I'm new here. I got a Prinzlite Automaster cheap but not working. The battery compartment was green and the centre contact stuck. I had to clean it internally as well so I cleaned the switches too. Well built and simple so worth fettling.
I put a silver cell type 625S in and it worked, though over-reading. I intend to put a germanium diode between the centre contact and the switch. This drops a constant 0.2 volts and should work. I'll let you know.
The hi/lo ring is a switch and slides a pinhole mask in front of the sensor and moves the scale plate to compensate. To be honest the scale is so small and the parallax so bad it's not that accurate anyway but better than guessing.
Sorry this is late but I hope it helps someone.