Minolta Auto Meter IVF

I recently acquired a Minolta Auto Meter IVF with no documentation. Operationally

very similar to the Auto Meter IIIF I've used for many years. However there is a

consistent 3 stop discrepancy between the IIIF which I know to be accurate and the

IVF (IIIF reads f/2.8 and IVF reads f/8). This occurs with both ambient and flash

readings. Are there any ways to adjust the sensitivity of the IVF? I've messed around

with all the controls but no success. I can adjust my ISO and have the two meters

match dead on but would prefer not to do this.

Anyone with experience using the IVF that can help?

Thanks

That sounds like the standard problem with an older IVf. Mine did that also, and it turned out to be a problem w/ the little pin under the bayonet-on diffusion dome. 3 stops difference is the clue.

Try jiggling around that little pin and see if that changes the reading, I remember you can take off the back of the head w/ a jeweler's screwdriver, then clean the contacts at the base of the pin w/ a business card or something, that did the trick on mine.

I got a 2 part pdf manual for it online somewhere...

"Are there any ways to adjust the sensitivity of the IVF?"

Yes. Slide off the battery compartment door on the back of the meter. Above the battery, there is a +/- set screw to adjust the meter's sensitivity.

However, if the meter is off by 3 stops, I would seriously considering the meter to Minolta to be speced out. 3 stops is a huge amount for a modern meter to be off.

Thanks Neil for the tip. I followed your procedure and now the

two meters give exact readings. I'm not sure exactly what I did,

but it appears to have worked. Is this procedure you've had to do

on an ongoing basis?

Bruce McKinney

Bruce.

The problem is a dirty or corroded contact. You can get it to temporarily work by operating the plunger pin a few times. However, a meter you can't trust is worse than no meter! This test just confirms what the problem is.

The real fix is to take off the back of the head of the meter, 2 small screws require a tiny jeweler's screwdriver. Then look to where the pin goes through the body of the meter, it ends up pushing a tiny contact against another tiny contact on a metal arm. Take a piece of cardstock, like a business card and draw it between the contacts and rub it back and forth briskly a few times. to polish the contacts. Mine worked reliably after I did this. I got this tip I think from someone on PN who emailed minolta.

(Reminds me of how I used to tune a triumph motorcycle 30 years ago :), use a beer poptop to set the points gap, use a zigzag paper to see when points release to set timing, polish with the card from the zigzag pack , trade secrets:-))

<I>Reminds me of how I used to tune a triumph motorcycle 30 years ago...</i>

<P>

God help the Triumph rider who didn't smoke! :-)

<P>

In response to the question about whether this was an ongoing maintenance item or not, although I'm not familiar with this meter, it's been my experience that anything that gets dirty or corroded once will do so repeatedly. I'd plan on cleaning it on a regular basis, and checking it against a known good meter frequently.

Thanks Neil.

I have had a Minolta Autometer IVf since 95 or so, back when I was in photo school.

It was always 2 2/3 or 3 stops off and I just learned to live with it.

Your tip did the trick. It now matches the IIIf autometer from work which I know is good.

Actually the pin is pushed in to disengage a contact in the head. The problem is when the

ambient dome is on its not supposed to be disengaged. I rubbed a business card between

the contact point and it began working right away. So the meter thought it was

disengaged whether the pin was pushed in or not.

Thanks for the info, wish I had it 12 years ago.

Phil