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<p>I am eagerly awaiting the completion of a CLA on a LN Canon F-1n that I bought from my trusted camera repairman. I have held it on the day I bought it but it went directly into the CLA process. He called me today to say it would be ready next week, but he wanted me to verify that I really wanted it to be modified to take the silver 1.5v battery. He explained that to some collectors, it would de-value the camera, a fact I was aware of thanks to being a devotee of this forum.</p>

<p>I told him to proceed with the mod. He had previously done so on my Canon Ftb and Nikon FTn, both black and beautiful. And I wil have my Canon F-1 (original) so modded when it is ready for a CLA. I have never sold a camera. I have given many away.</p>

<p>I would be interested in surveying your opinions on this. I know one can use zinc air batteries as a substitute for mercury, and I have several of the ridiculously overpriced C.R.I.S. adaptors that work very well, but being able to use silver cells is so convenient. I am an ardent environmentalist, having been born and raised in the city that was the home of the Love Canal. Niagara Falls was the birthplace of the electro chemical industry and during WW2 and for several decades after, over a dozen huge chemical plants were belching dirty smoke into the air. My father came from the coal mines of WV to spend 30 years producing cyanide at Dupont. All that remains are ugly rusted abandoned factories and a city where more than half of the population is on welfare. Niagara Falls Ontario is doing very well thanks to Casinos. But even as an environmentalist, wasn't the ban on mercury batteries for cameras a bit of a stretch?</p>

<p> </p>

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<p>I think that for the purist collector, this would be like tin-siding on a National Register nominated historic house -- that is, it would not pass.<br>

I wonder if you have considered having the adapter made for the cell (w/ resistor, etc.) , rather than altering the camera itself? There are, as you probably, know, websites on this on the www. Our very own Oleson used to have some instructions of this kind (check at <a href="http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/">http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/</a>).</p>

<p>FWIW, mercury is one of the most effective pesticides for eliminating <em>Homo sapiens</em> (and chimpanzees, for that matter), probably second only to plutonium and much quicker. It affects the central nervous system (remember the Mad Hatter? <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minamata_disease">Minimata</a>?).</p>

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Well I think it'S Ok and will likely pay dividends in continued use. My friend JDM seems to have missed that you already have CRIS adapters and/but still want to "modify" the hardware. There was a thread back a week or so ago about people modifying their cameras and I say do what you want and this seems hardly intrusive and I would see it as a benefit.

I'm a bit out of the hobby but I remember certain english sport cars of the 60s that required high-test (airplane) fuel.Something like 90+ octane. You can't even buy that fuel these days and I hear of people modifying the pistons/rings/valves to be able to safely use the motors. What good is a camera on a shelf. I seriously believe that it at least should be able to do what is was intended to do...not just sit and look pretty and win awards for "originality" I see what you're doing as OK. I think you need to think about it but come on..it isn't like these cameras are "one ofs"

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<p>They could have just placed a big 7 to 10 buck deposit on Mercury cells so folks would return them to say Radio Shack; and they most would not be tossed out.</p>

<p>CFL bulbs have about 3 to 5 mg of Hg; eco versions about 1. You have less Mercury being dumped compared to Edisons; because most US power is coal that has mercury.</p>

<p>Hat makers and Dentists have more Mercury in their systems.</p>

<p>I have test equipment that has D cell sized Mercury cells in a Microphone calibrator.</p>

<p>In the 1950's kids would pass Mercury around the classroom hand to hand; and it was well known as poison then too.</p>

<p>Places like New Zealand had concerns with Mercury poisoning because of dental fillings in ones mouth 35 years ago; in the USA the AMA and ADA often looks at these claims as quackery; they have a big moat to protect.</p>

<p>Many of us here would pay a 10 buck deposit on a dumb 2 buck camera cell; but that ancient idea did not fly with the beloved Government law makers eons ago</p>

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<p>I had the original Canon F-1 ca. 1972 and now have a Canon F-1n ca. 1977. I converted neither for modern non mercury power. I use alkaline, silver or heating aid batteries in all my old cameras using a DIY spacer where necessary and dialing my ISO down to where it agrees with one of my known cameras or handheld meters. Part of my shooting involves not paying that much attention to the meter reading based on 40 plus years of active serious amateur photography. </p>
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<p>Both Silver-Oxide and Zinc-air batteries contain Mercury too; it is just less than the old "Mercury Batteries"</p>

<p>http://www.mercvt.org/dispose/buttons.htm In some places it is against the law to dispose button cell</p>

<p>batteries in the trash; they have to go to a hazard cleanup day event.</p>

<p><br /><br /><br>

If you have kids; basic kid stuff like shallowing odd objects has killed off some kids:</p>

<p>http://children.webmd.com/news/20100524/swallowing-of-batteries-a-growing-risk-for-kids</p>

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<p>one of the problems with mercury was not that it had harmful effects but that old camera batteries were never recycled. nobody seemed to know or care. to make a short comment:<br>

the alkaline batters ( cell) has a sloping dischage- meaning if the camera is depending<br>

on a fixed voltage. it is NOT going to happen. Take a look at youe alkaline powered flaslight for proof.<br>

a FEW like the pentax spotmaticm, had a bridge or balancing circuit<br>

and could work sucessfully with an alkaline cell.<br>

Other cameras had a series circuit and needed that fixed and stable voltage.<br>

According to electrical laws ( noit like congressional laws)<br>

a resistor is NOT going to do it. It will initially make the meter correct, but very soon the meter will have a error. excepot the error will be different if NO resistor is used.<br>

A semiconductor Junction made of Silicon or germaniul or once in a while something else,<br>

has a fixed drop across the junction. A silicon diode typically a 1n400x or 1n4148 or<br>

a 1n914 -- all very common electonic parts has a fixed drop of 0.6 volts.<br>

this varies very slightly if ther power applied from the battery varies.<br>

troubel is 1.55v ( new alkaline) or 1.5 (new silver oxide)<br>

Minus 0.5 volts is not quite right for a camera meter.<br>

However there is a variant, called a Shottky diods that has the correct drop<br>

across it's junction and the camerqa sees almost excatly the right 1.35volts provided<br>

by the now unavailable mercury cell. Also the silber oxide cell shares another characteristic of the mercury cell. At the end of it's life in perhaps a year or so id abuptly dies.<br>

The zinc-oxide cell also dies quickly at the end of it's lifer and produces<br>

1.4 volts ( nothing additional needed) but dies in a far shorter time.<br>

Our often reccomended pal, the alkaline call, Just fades away. Who know what the meter readin willbe?<br>

and when th4e camera meter tells to expose 400 speed film at 1/60<br>

ad f/2.8 you MAY sense something is wrong.<br>

but in the meantime you have waster a lot of film in the previous weeks.<br>

The zinc-air short lived cell and the silver oxide-- with a shotky diode in series<br>

(the mod) warn you. Just like the old mercury cell did.<br>

History is repeating itself.<br>

some Incandescet bulbs are already banned the replacement the CFL<br>

contains mercury. Nobody is saying anything. but there are more bulbs in use<br>

than old cameras back then. Possibly despuite the ban on camera batteries, the greenies are telling us to use<br>

the new and better CFL bulbs that not only cost a LOT more but also create a mercury hazard.<br>

Sorry if you are a real enviomentalist, it is a good thing<br>

but you are often led astray by well meninmg KNOW-Nothing spokespeople.<br>

I hope we do not go back to candles and kerosene lams.<br>

I remember them.</p>

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<p>I would do it. It's like replacing a 6 volt system in an old Ford with a newer 12v so you could use it every day. If it was purely a collector that sits on a shelf when you're not playing with it, and not user camera, I wouldn't bother. I would think many collectors would appreciate having the newer conversion if they were to buy it from you.</p>
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<p>I read somewhere about a "real collector"<br>

with a gold plated anniversary model<br>

never took a photo<br>

would not let someoen actually touch the<br>

"Wonderful camera a work of art"it is a sacrilige<br>

sling it arounmd your neck<br>

go out to the game or flea market or take a ride into the county and snap away<br>

so what if dirt gets on the outside or film bits in the inside or a bird flies over when it is pointed UP.</p>

<p>Do you notice that old RADIO collectos listen to them<br>

and that MOST old car collectors drive them?<br>

ONLY cameara collectors box them up.</p>

<p>there is a story about a man who bought a brand new Mercedes sl300.<br>

he kept it in the packing crate. And only brought it out for car shows.<br>

it was REALLY 100% original. I think he had his fill of "perfectionists"</p>

<p>His car was downgraded and did not wil the best of show or whatever they call it.<br>

he later sued ( probably to make a poinjt) that HIS car was the ONLY original factory perfect car at the show. All the other cars, the winners, had hundreds of thousands of custom body work so they were PERFECT IN EVERY WAY. In other words The were no longer real.<br>

At least camera collectors do not go that far.<br>

Darn it is intended to be USED .</p>

 

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<blockquote>

<p>ONLY cameara collectors box them up</p>

</blockquote>

<p>This entire forum is a very clear bit of evidence that this is not a valid generalization. I use my old cameras, and have not had to butcher them to do so.</p>

<p>Go eat mercury if it makes you feel better. That bit about fluorescent lights, by the way, is not actually a "comforting" statistic.</p>

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<p>Do whatever you think is necesary to make it more useful to you. It is still one of the best classic cameras ever built and, I doubt it would ever have that much of an actual collectors value anyway. There were just too many of them made. Besides that, as you said, you never sell cameras and, even if you did, it is only an adjustment that could easily be reversed. </p>
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<p>James- I just realized that I really didn't answer your question- I got caught up in the mercury debate. I think collectibility is dependent upon what the camera is worth to someone right now. Years from now, it's possible that any modifications may not have an appreciable affect on value. If this camera is going to be used a lot, the modification is worthwhile. If only serving as an occasional shooter with the intention of resaling later, maybe call off the conversion. You can always pick up another in user condition and get it modifed later if you want to have your cake and eat it too. <br>

Let us all know what you do and be sure and post some photos from your camera when you receive it.</p>

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<p>When film is no longer available and can be found only in museums, the question will be moot. Until that time, does it really matter how it is powered, so long as the camera is being used by someone who appreciates and values it?</p>
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<p>I wouldn't sweat the conversion - all the cameras that you mentioned are great user classics, but not necessarily one-of-a-kind pieces. It's not like you're performing an ai-conversion on a tick-mark Nikkor or dropping a Chevy small-block in a Mercedes 540K. I bet there are more buyers out there who would prefer a camera with the battery conversion than those who would be concerned with their originality. </p>
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<p>I have two MR-9 adapters. Right now one is in a Canon F-1 and the other is in a Canon FTbN. If you are not changing cameras every day then two would be enough for most user-collectors. The exception might be if you have a camera which by itself takes two PX-13 size batteries. I have a few Gossen CdS meters which take two such batteries. Normally I would use a hand held meter only with a medium format camera or with a 35mm camera which either has no meter or has one which doesn't work. This would be for shooting outside in good light or inside with a flash so I use my old Gossen Scout II selenium meter. I did not have the best luck with the meter on a Konica Autoreflex T2 which was converted for use with MS-76 batteries so I had it switched back. The meter in the Autoreflex T3N which was converted works fine. For the pre-T3 Konicas I just use the 675 zinc-air batteries. I have used these batteries with the rubber O ring in FTbN cameras too. <br>

I really don't like CFL bulbs. When they first came out they were very expensive. Now they are cheap but also cheaply made. The part of the glass bulb which attaches to the base is prone to cracking. If you use the bulb base side down and with adequate space around it and if you don't turn it on and off too frequently then it can last for a while. When a CFL bulb is used base side up its life is drastically shortened. I had a "high-hat" fixture in the basement of my old house and when I put a CFL bulb in it, the bulb went after five minutes. The quality of the light from most CFL bulbs is also dreadful. I hope that LED bulbs can be improved and made useful for more applications because CFL bulbs stink. </p>

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<p>Thank for all the interesting replies and advancing my knowledge on mercury. I am going to get it done, and hope to use the camera frequently. My wife has a good eye for photography but is totally uninterested in any of the technical details. She has gone to Europe several times with my daughter leaving me to stay home and take care of our dogs. I don't mind. Unless you travel first class, air travel has become pure torture for a tall person like me. My daughter takes a Canon A95 which I gave her, and my wife takes a Canon A620. I put 4 brand new lithium AA batteries in each, make sure that they have another 4 batteries for backup, insert an empty memory card in each with backup cards, and they return home with hundreds of good photos. I tweak them using Picasa or Paint Shop Pro and get them printed at Costco. Everyone ends up happy. For exceptional photos, I will take the time to use photoshop and will make 8 by 10 inch prints and on rare conditions 12 x 18 inch prints. My wife can not tell any of my cameras from each other and she has a long standing threat to throw one helluva garage sale in the event of my demise. Imagine picking up a LN Leica M6 classic for $5. I am engaged in cataloging all my cameras to avoid such a situation, and I would advise her to satisfy our children first (I think they know that film actually exists) and then take them to my trusted camera repair person, and offer him a 20% commission on all he can dispose of. My wife's knowledge of computers is limited to email. Camera prices are so volatile that who knows what anything is worth anymore. It all boils down what it is worth to you. I have a vast collection of photography books and manuals, but they are hardly Gutenberg bibles. I am a certified pack rat.</p>
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<p>I'm a bit of a nut on never making irreversible mods, but in this case I wouldn't hesitate for a second. On the mercury topic, though I don't want to trash the environment, I don't think mercury button cells amounted to much of an issue for camera meters, as they often lasted for many years before replacement was needed. The old hearing aids that used them were a much more serious problem, as they constantly went dead. I just dumped a bunch of mercury cells at the local hazardous waste collection event (I'm missed it for over a decade because they always have it when I'm out of town) and had accumulated quite a box full, including those huge cells used in old test equipment. The amount of mercury in any of those cells, including the buttons, vastly exceeds the tiny amount in a CFL. Mercury has some wonderful properties when used in batteries (and bulbs). The mercury based cells had, of course, the flat discharge curve, though there was also a variant that was optimized for energy, not constant voltage. Standard batteries also used a minor amount of mercury to, I think, prevent gas buildup or something. IMHO, the regulations are a bit overboard if reasonable precautions are taken. Minamata was certainly the horrible result of not doing so.</p>
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<p>I have not had any of my old Canons modified. I just use modern batteries with adapters.</p>

<p>Oh I suppose for a purist collector this modification would be horrifying. But, hey, are you takeing that F-1 out to shoot pictures or to introduce it to Antiques Road Show?</p>

<p>Another thing: This is not a rare camera. It is not a Ming vase. It is not even a prototype with a magic serial number. It is a very common but very good old professional camera. Use it and enjoy it.</p>

<p>Guess what I did? I had DAG alter my M4 to take a modern Leicavit, Rapidwinder, Leica motordrive. I also bought an M2 that had been repainted black and put a black Rapidwinder on it.</p>

<p>I am glad. </p>

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<p>I would definitely have the modification done. Keeping it standard so it will work with mercury cells is pointless because no one will be making mercury cells for it any time in the future.</p>

<p>I assume the mod is the inclusion of a schottky diode in the battery connection. If so, this hardly modifies the camera and is in any case, reversible.</p>

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