Asahi Pentax S1 Light Meter
1,507 posts
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Posted 27/09/2007 - 17:13
There is a pin on the bottom which sits in the indent in the shutter dial. If you want the manual, you can download a copy from my website here: http://pentax-manuals.com/manuals/m42/m42manuals.htm
You can also get a copy of the meter manual there.
As far as the camera is concerned, I suspect that unless you know that it has been serviced in the last 10 years or so, you will find that the seals are soft and it is more than likely that the shutter will be "capping" on the higher speeds. If the seals are at all soft, I tell let you have a rough guide to check if it is capping and if so a service will probably cure it. Expect to pay around £40 for that.
If that all checks out and you are still looking for a meter, I may be able to help as I have a couple.
Kim
You can also get a copy of the meter manual there.
As far as the camera is concerned, I suspect that unless you know that it has been serviced in the last 10 years or so, you will find that the seals are soft and it is more than likely that the shutter will be "capping" on the higher speeds. If the seals are at all soft, I tell let you have a rough guide to check if it is capping and if so a service will probably cure it. Expect to pay around £40 for that.
If that all checks out and you are still looking for a meter, I may be able to help as I have a couple.
Kim
6 posts
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Posted 27/09/2007 - 17:57
Hiya Kim
Thanks for the reply. I have actually allready shot a roll of Black and White film with this camera. I used a digital SLR to get a rough idea of the corrct exposure, and the images turned out ok. Apart from a few being either over or under exposed. What do you mean by the seals?
What is capping?
Thanks
J.Sutton
Thanks for the reply. I have actually allready shot a roll of Black and White film with this camera. I used a digital SLR to get a rough idea of the corrct exposure, and the images turned out ok. Apart from a few being either over or under exposed. What do you mean by the seals?
What is capping?
Thanks
J.Sutton
Link
Posted 27/09/2007 - 18:09
The edge of the rear door fits in a groove in the main body. This should have a rubber strip in it to act as a light seal. After about 25 years, this goes soft and gooey. There should also be a seal around the door hinge although this tends to stay intact. It is a relatively easy job to replace them. If there is any stickyness when you open the back or very little in the grooves, the seals need doing.
Shutter capping is where the rear curtain tends to catch up with the front one and first becomes noticeable on the higher speeds. The S1 body is identical to the S3 body with the exception that the 1/1000 speed is not marked. If you go one click beyond 1/500, you still get 1/1000.
Set the camera to 1/1000 with the lens off. Open the back and fire the shutter looking through the back at an even light coloured surface. You should see the full rectangle of light as the shutter fires. Another way to do it is the balank off all but a strip at the edge and fire the shutter with your eye close the the "slit". Repeat for the other side. If there is a marked difference or if you don't see a full rectangle, then you have capping and the shutter needs a clean and re-lube. As a temporary fix, the problem can be overcome by increasing the shutter tension slightly. This doesn't cure the problem but only masks it and can cause early failure of the curtains. This is expecially true on the pre-Spotmatics which used a much stronger rubberized material for the curtains.
Kim
Shutter capping is where the rear curtain tends to catch up with the front one and first becomes noticeable on the higher speeds. The S1 body is identical to the S3 body with the exception that the 1/1000 speed is not marked. If you go one click beyond 1/500, you still get 1/1000.
Set the camera to 1/1000 with the lens off. Open the back and fire the shutter looking through the back at an even light coloured surface. You should see the full rectangle of light as the shutter fires. Another way to do it is the balank off all but a strip at the edge and fire the shutter with your eye close the the "slit". Repeat for the other side. If there is a marked difference or if you don't see a full rectangle, then you have capping and the shutter needs a clean and re-lube. As a temporary fix, the problem can be overcome by increasing the shutter tension slightly. This doesn't cure the problem but only masks it and can cause early failure of the curtains. This is expecially true on the pre-Spotmatics which used a much stronger rubberized material for the curtains.
Kim
Link
Posted 28/09/2007 - 10:14
J.sutton wrote:
Hello there,
I have recently inherited an Asahi Pentax S1. It has two good lenses with it and to be honest it seems like a very good sturdy camera. However, there is a problem. Unfortunately it wasn't supplied with the clip-on light meter from Asahi. I am trying to track down one of these light meters, where might be a good place to look? Also how do they fit onto the camera? I see that it slides onto the pentaprism protrusion and then clips into the viewfinder but how does it connect with the shutter dial?
Thanks
J.Sutton
P.S Please visit www.illustriousimages.co.uk to view a selection of my photographs.
Hello there,
I have recently inherited an Asahi Pentax S1. It has two good lenses with it and to be honest it seems like a very good sturdy camera. However, there is a problem. Unfortunately it wasn't supplied with the clip-on light meter from Asahi. I am trying to track down one of these light meters, where might be a good place to look? Also how do they fit onto the camera? I see that it slides onto the pentaprism protrusion and then clips into the viewfinder but how does it connect with the shutter dial?
Thanks
J.Sutton
P.S Please visit www.illustriousimages.co.uk to view a selection of my photographs.
This may be what you are looking for http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Light-Meter-Clip-on-for-Pentax_W0QQitemZ270169370407QQihZ0...
Link
Posted 28/09/2007 - 11:47
Hiya Stevejcoe,
That is indeed what I am looking for. I found it with a search last night.
Marvellous what you can find on Ebay.
Thanks for reply.
J.Sutton
That is indeed what I am looking for. I found it with a search last night.
Marvellous what you can find on Ebay.
Thanks for reply.
J.Sutton
Link
Posted 28/09/2007 - 12:05
So which is the best battery to substitute for the old 1.3 volt mercury?
J.Sutton
J.Sutton
Link
Posted 28/09/2007 - 12:14
Check out here:
http://www.smallbattery.company.org.uk/sbc_mercury_catalogue.htm
Matt
http://www.mattmatic.co.uk
(For gallery, tips and links)
http://www.smallbattery.company.org.uk/sbc_mercury_catalogue.htm
Matt
http://www.mattmatic.co.uk
(For gallery, tips and links)
Link
Posted 28/09/2007 - 15:52
The meter uses a similar "bridge" circuit to that in the Spotmatc. As such small differences in voltage will have very little effect on the meter accuracy. So, you can get away with either a silver or alkaline equivalent. The silver 625 are not easy to find but the alkalines are. I just use an SR44, the same as all the later Pentax's as I usually have some spares and it is easy to fit them because of the way the cap works.
Kim
Kim
J.sutton wrote:
So which is the best battery to substitute for the old 1.3 volt mercury?
J.Sutton
So which is the best battery to substitute for the old 1.3 volt mercury?
J.Sutton
Link
Posted 07/08/2008 - 11:36
Hey guys
I have decided to try and sort out the light meter for my Asahi Pentax S1 again — a previous bid on one at Ebay failed. I have recently managed to buy one from a user on Ebay. I managed to find this post again and found the site containing the many Pentax instruction manuals. However, the instruction manual for the clip-on light meter listed there is for the model 2. It appears that i have a slightly different model to that shown in the instruction manual (mine looks altogether rounder than that shown in the manual) maybe i have the earlier model? Is there anywhere that i can find an instruction maual for my model?
I'm not sure whether the battery needs replacing in my meter? The needle only moves a little when the meter is set on the B setting.
Thanks
J.Sutton
I have decided to try and sort out the light meter for my Asahi Pentax S1 again — a previous bid on one at Ebay failed. I have recently managed to buy one from a user on Ebay. I managed to find this post again and found the site containing the many Pentax instruction manuals. However, the instruction manual for the clip-on light meter listed there is for the model 2. It appears that i have a slightly different model to that shown in the instruction manual (mine looks altogether rounder than that shown in the manual) maybe i have the earlier model? Is there anywhere that i can find an instruction maual for my model?
I'm not sure whether the battery needs replacing in my meter? The needle only moves a little when the meter is set on the B setting.
Thanks
J.Sutton
Link
Posted 07/08/2008 - 14:59
Not exactly a user manual, but have you seen http://www.pentaximaging.com/files/manual/Clip_On_Exposure_Meter.pdf
Kim Coxon's (forum member) site, www.pentax-manuals.com is another good source of manuals.
Peter E Smith
My flickr Photostream
Kim Coxon's (forum member) site, www.pentax-manuals.com is another good source of manuals.
Peter E Smith
My flickr Photostream
Last Edited by Mannesty on 07/08/2008 - 15:01
Link
Posted 08/08/2008 - 11:54
Hi Mannesty
The link you supplied me with contains a slightly different looking exposure meter to the one that i have — mine isn't square like that but is more rounded. I think i must have some sort of earlier model as Kim Coxon's website has a manual for a "Clip-On Light Meter (Model 2)". That instruction manual explains a slightly different light meter to the one that have.
Can anyone help me track down an instruction manual for my S1 light meter? I can supply a picture of it if needed.
Also, i'm not sure that it actually works. The seller i bought it off stated that it works most of the time. Of course i'm not exactly sure of how it works so that dosen't help. There appears to be three settings: OFF, H, L and B.
Only when i turn the dial to B does the needle move and even then it only moves a small amount and stays there until the dial is moved back to one of the other settings. I was thinking that it could need a replacement battery?
Thanks
J.Sutton
The link you supplied me with contains a slightly different looking exposure meter to the one that i have — mine isn't square like that but is more rounded. I think i must have some sort of earlier model as Kim Coxon's website has a manual for a "Clip-On Light Meter (Model 2)". That instruction manual explains a slightly different light meter to the one that have.
Can anyone help me track down an instruction manual for my S1 light meter? I can supply a picture of it if needed.
Also, i'm not sure that it actually works. The seller i bought it off stated that it works most of the time. Of course i'm not exactly sure of how it works so that dosen't help. There appears to be three settings: OFF, H, L and B.
Only when i turn the dial to B does the needle move and even then it only moves a small amount and stays there until the dial is moved back to one of the other settings. I was thinking that it could need a replacement battery?
Thanks
J.Sutton
Link
Posted 08/08/2008 - 14:40
Are you sure you haven't got yourself a Spotmeter? I think they are of a round'ish design.
Why not just change the battery anyway? I would, simply to have the reassurance of knowing that it's not going to die on me the first time I need it.
A photo or two of the beast might help.
Peter E Smith
My flickr Photostream
Why not just change the battery anyway? I would, simply to have the reassurance of knowing that it's not going to die on me the first time I need it.
A photo or two of the beast might help.
Peter E Smith
My flickr Photostream
Last Edited by Mannesty on 08/08/2008 - 14:42
Link
Posted 08/08/2008 - 17:36
There are three different types of clip on meter, plus some variations.
Basically we have Model I (round), Model II (square) and Model SL (square). The last of these is for the Pentax SL, basically a Spotmatic without the TTL mater.
Best regards, John
Basically we have Model I (round), Model II (square) and Model SL (square). The last of these is for the Pentax SL, basically a Spotmatic without the TTL mater.
Best regards, John
64 posts
Link
Posted 30/10/2008 - 17:44
Having just purchased what would appear to be the model 1 clip on meter to pair with my S1a, I'm keen to hear if any information was found and also whether anyone has any experience withe the WeinCell batteries (MRB625 I believe).
Many thanks.
S Raff
Many thanks.
S Raff
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J.sutton
Member
I have recently inherited an Asahi Pentax S1. It has two good lenses with it and to be honest it seems like a very good sturdy camera. However, there is a problem. Unfortunately it wasn't supplied with the clip-on light meter from Asahi. I am trying to track down one of these light meters, where might be a good place to look? Also how do they fit onto the camera? I see that it slides onto the pentaprism protrusion and then clips into the viewfinder but how does it connect with the shutter dial?
Thanks
J.Sutton
P.S Please visit www.illustriousimages.co.uk to view a selection of my photographs.