Mercury Battery Replacement for Canonet

<p>Hey, Im looking for a battery opinion for a canonet QL17 GIII<br>

I have been looking at Wein Cell PX625 and another called AirCell<br>

does anyone have experience using these batteries? or would you recomend another??</p>

<p>I use the Wein Cell a lot and get great results. I have also begun using the Duracell 625 replacement battery and noticed that I got the same meter readings with it that I did with the Wein Cell, so I'm currently using it to see how it works out. It would last longer than the Wein Cell I'm guessing, but we'll see. If you can find some Wein Cells, they work quite well.</p>

<p>Is the duracell replacement an Alkaline? </p>

<p>yea il be sure to post some images up when I get the camera working</p>

<p>Yes, the Duracell is an alkaline battery. It may come down to the metering circuitry as to whether the batteries give the same readings. According to earlier postings on this topic, bridge circuits for metering are far less finicky about supply voltages.</p>

#675 zinc/air hearing aid batteries, available in most pharmacies at about $1. May need some shimming with aluminum foil. Constant output voltage (1.4 Volts).

<p>A suitably sized rubber O ring (10 cents at Home Depot) also works to size up #675 cells - it depends if your "shim" needs to be conductive or not. I have used a #675/) ring combination successfully in a number of older SLRs.</p>

<p>Another vote for zinc-air. Wrap the o-ring in aluminum foil if you need it to conduct.</p>

 

<p>The #675 hearing aid batteries are the most economical way to go. I bought loads of them from a seller in Hong Kong and they work just great in all of my 60's-70's rangefinders. A constant 1.4v instead of the mercury 1.35v and your camera will never know the difference.</p>

<p>excellent responses, I appreciate it!</p>

<p>Il be going with zinc/air then i guess. I've priced the Wein Cell and the Air cell and there is a significant price difference, so Air cell it is!</p>

<p>Andy</p>

The zincs do die after several months whether used or not, yet the cost is still trivial. They work well in cameras designed for alkalines, too. The discharge curve of alkalines is such that they spend much of their useful like putting out less than 1.4v, so cameras are designed to cope with that voltage. The only problem is that many drugstores no longer carry the 675 size because the new micro hearing aids use smaller cells. I get mine at Radio shack. I foresee the day when we will have to use smaller sizes with less capacity.

<p>I use an Alkaline equivalent on my QL19 and Canonet 28. They last a long time and are cheap. The Wein cells are great because they're the proper voltage but way too expensive. They die after 4-6 months. Same problem with the other Zinc Air cells longevity. To use the Alkaline replacements, simply set the light meter one stop lower than the film ISO. That means set 400 speed film at ISO 200. Works fine, even when metering through deep red filters.</p>

<p>I got my Wein cells at the dollar store, two for a buck.</p>

<p>#675 Zinc-Air cells are not a constant 1.4V as suggested... at least based on several charts I've seen, they output 1.4V at the very beginning of their lives but it quickly drops to 1.35V where it remains steady for the rest of the life, until it just finally dies, caput.</p>

<p>its pretty close to the mercury cell, it stays fairly constant, compared to alkaline anyway. or so it seems</p>

<p> </p>

<p>i just decided to check my Olympus OM-1n to see what cell it used, i havent checked it since i bought it 6-7 months ago. <br>

Strangely it has a Alkaline cell in it and my exposures have always been fine with no compensation, but it was too like the canonet designed for 1.35v cell, bizzare</p>

<p>i just decided to check my Olympus OM-1n to see what cell it used, i havent checked it since i bought it 6-7 months ago. <br>

Strangely it has a Alkaline cell in it and my exposures have always been fine with no compensation, but it was too like the canonet designed for 1.35v cell, bizzare</p>

<p>If you need an adapter that turns the #675 hearing aid (zinc-air) battery into a perfect clone of the old PX-13 or PX-625, please send me an email. I make these, they're guaranteed for life and they're $14 which includes free shipping to anywhere.<br>

Jon</p>

<p>Jon - I may take you up on this offer, but it will be in a few weeks time. I have a few cells coming with the camera, il decide which option Im gonna go for, so theres a chance if be going for the cheapest option, the zinc/air.</p>

<p>Thanks for your offer!</p>

<p>Another who has used the Wein cells, with good results.</p>

<p>Unless you are shooting with slide film, I'd not worry too much about a replacement battery. I own a Canon QL19 which is an older, larger version of your Canonet. Like your Canonet, it has manually controlled shutter speeds and aperture control. When shooting print film, usually either TMAX 400 or Tri-X 400, I used the tried and true sunny f16 rule with my Canonet.<br>

If you really must use a battery for the meter, the Wein cell has a voltage very close to the original 1.35 voltage requirement. However, since the Wein cell is zinc oxide, it will not last as long as a classic mercury cell. I stockpiled several EPX-625 mercury cells years ago. I store them in my refrigerator and periodically take them out and use them in my Canonet QL19, Canon A35F, Canonet 28, and Minolta AL-E. The batteries still have sufficient power to give me accurate readings when I used the meter. The Canonet 28 and Canon A35F are battery dependent, i.e require a battery to operate meter and shutter. (The Canonet 28 shutter will fire w/o a battery but only at 1/30 sec.)<br>

Bottom line...use the Wein cell if you need a battery...you'll just need to replace it more often.. Also, be aware that the voltage falls off quickly once the battery is near its' useful life so you will have to be careful and adjust your exposure accordingly.</p>

<p>The outer ring of Wein cell is removable when cell is exhausted. Just gently tap it with open pliers and a hammer. Then slip and tap it over a fresh 675 zinc air battery for a perfect fit. I saved the last couple of Wein cell rings and it works fine.</p>

Hello, I just picked up a Canonet 28 and have been reading all of posts about battery replacements. Most of these post

are from 2009 - now that we are in 2014 I was wondering if there is any news or development? Any information would be

appreciated. Thanks, JH