Does MR9 battery adaptor fit in Minolta HiMatic 7s?

[pikabike]

I bought a used HiMatic 7s in the early 70s and used it occasionally. Much later I got a Nikon F3HP and

replaced the stock focusing screen with the plain matte screen. When I wanted autofocus for

photographing wildlife or my dogs, I used an N90s.

 

However, in the last 10 years my eyesight has been declining. I understand that Nikon made diopter

adjusters for the F3 but not anymore. So that option is one of "wait and search" for a used one. Also, I still

have the stock focusing screen with the little focusing circle in the middle--but I still don't like it. To add

to the problem, my N90s's autofocus has been unreliable and, again, Nikon no longer makes replacement

parts for that body.

 

Soooo...the little 7s has become more appealing, especially in light of (pun) the fact that it only needs the

battery for exposure metering.

 

Problem is with the battery itself. I have heard and read there are several alternatives to the original 1.35V

mercury buttons. The one that I would like to try first is the MR9 adaptor (I think that's what they're

called).

 

My question: Does the MR9 adaptor shell fit well in the 7s's compartment? The shell's thickness is greater

than that of the original battery. Exposure accuracy matters, since I shoot mainly slide film.

[bill_delehanty1]

Yes, the MR-9 adaptor does fit into the battery compartment of the Minolta 7S rangefinder. It may be that the cover screws in another 1/2 turn or so with a 625 mercury battery; but, the MR-9 with battery installed fits nicely and the battery cover is very nearly flush with the bottom of the camera-- I don't think it's going to fall out. I can't say for sure about the accuracy for slide film; but, I just checked a room in the house which handles 400 speed film with an exposure of 1/30 @f/2.8 (7S reading of EV 8)and that is what the 7S meter read with the MR-9 adaptor installed.

[tim_huggins]

The MR-9 metered dead on in my Pens. It is the perfect replacement for the mercury oxide cell. Just be sure to use a silver oxide cell, NOT an alkaline cell!

 

As for the vision issue, I solved that with my OM's by getting the standard eye cup, then cutting down an eyeglass lens to fit in it. Use a dremel tool to cut and grind the lens to shape. It works much better than a diopter as the lens was made specifically for your eye.

[pikabike]

Thank you! It's good to hear it'll work. I really like the 7s's lens.