Battery for the original QL17 NOT the GIII

You can also get adapters from battery.adapter@online.nl. He has them in stock and they cost around 16 Euro each if paid via PayPal. Shoot him an email to confirm availability.

Frans de Gruijter

Zuidkade 161

NL-2741 JJ Waddinxveen

The Netherlands

For my purposes, the 675 zinc-air hearing aid battery is the way to go. It's dirt cheap (I buy a card of 48 of them for less than $10 at Costco) and fits just fine in all my cameras and external meters that used the old mercury 625.

Usually with these cameras, the contacts are the top and bottom and often there's a spring to keep the battery snug up against the contacts. I find that this spring also does a good job of centering the undersized 675s, so I usually don't need an o-ring to keep it centered.

For cameras that have the contacts for the side of the battery, like my old Nikon F, for example, getting a ring that fits the outside of the 675 is the way to go. Jon Goodman and others sell the ring for cheap enough. As mentioned above, it's possible to knock a Wein cell out of its ring, so you can use that one just as easily.

I prefer these methods over soldering in a diode. Mostly the reason is because I own probably close to a dozen cameras that took the old mercury battery, and I just don't feel like having to do all the dismantling and soldering involved. Not when I can often just insert a battery and go.

I don't think it was mentioned above, so I'll go ahead and mention it now. One of the nice aspects of the old mercury batteries is its totally flat discharge curve. The 675 hearing aid battery mimics this discharge curve perfectly. So does the silver oxide type, from what I've read. But the SO battery does not have the correct voltage. The alkalines, on the other hand, have a sharply peaked discharge curve and I don't consider them to be reliable enough to be used for metering purposes.

It's worth mentioning that some cameras have a bridge circuit, in which case, a 1.5 volt battery will work reliably. Cameras like the old Pentaxes (KX for example), and the Canon EF have bridge circuits, so they can use the 1.5v silver oxide batteries and will still have accurate meters. But the Canon QL17 doesn't have a bridge circuit, so it will need a 675 or adjustment.

I added a Schottky diode to my G-III which is the part number 1n1157 and the diode ives me great results  I keep these on hand for all 1.3 volt cameras in case I need them

On 2/24/2018 at 9:17 PM, andyfalsetta said:

Looking at photos of QL 17 it looks like an easy job removing the bottom cover (two screws). Locating the positive battery wire should be pretty simple too since the battery compartment is in the bottom of the camera. I suspect there is ample space in there to permanently locate and solder in a diode (they are about as small as a grain of rice)

I had tried that a few times and the answer is no.. Not enough room. I install mine just above the meter which takes some practice. Best to try it on a Canonet 28 first

On 2/11/2018 at 8:27 AM, Mike Gammill said:

If estimating exposure is an option the cheapest way to get into Rollei is to pick up a Rollei 35 LED with a non working meter. The Triotar 40mm f3.5 is the same lens used in the B35 is performs fine if stopped down a bit. Shutter is 1/30 to 1/500 plus B. The original Rollei 35 (with Tessar or Xenar) lens might be another option inexpensive with non working meter.

I ended up purchasing a SPX27 battery at B&H Photo for under $12, shipping included for my Rollei 35 LED.  I am contemplating to add the Schottky diode to that camera now

For using a 625 battery in the original Canonet I used a sawed off piece of a dowel and wrapped foil around it to take up the excess space needed to make the 625 fit good

This is a re-post from back in 2018 in order to correct a LINK.

- - - - - 

My preference is for the much more stable "silver oxide" batteries.

That said, one should either acquire a reusable washer to slip over the "silver" battery for a 1.5V output, or

the BEST & highly recommended step-down adapter.<<< click

Further comments on battery choices are here: Silver, Alkaline & Zinc-Air batteries <<< click & scroll down for my input...

On 10/14/2023 at 1:38 PM, Gus Lazzari said:

This is a re-post from back in 2018 in order to correct a LINK.

- - - - - 

My preference is for the much more stable "silver oxide" batteries.

That said, one should either acquire a reusable washer to slip over the "silver" battery for a 1.5V output, or

the BEST & highly recommended step-down adapter.<<< click

Further comments on battery choices are here: Silver, Alkaline & Zinc-Air batteries <<< click & scroll down for my input...

The Energizer 357 battery is made with the silver oxide proprieties