Fixing the Weston Master II

[heqm]

<p>As I mentioned in my description of the <a href="/classic-cameras-forum/00dI5n">Agfa Super Silette</a>, when I graduated from Instamatics to a real camera I got a light meter at the same time (now there were adjustments to make, and the camera had no installed meter). The meter was a Weston Master II, silenium cell (no batteries required), reasonably antiquated even at the time. As with the camera, after some hard use the meter was pretty beat-up: the cover glass had broken, the needle was broken off; one couldn't use it. And as with the camera, I was told by repairman after repairman that it wasn't worth fixing. But I never got rid of it.<br>

Finally, a few years ago I heard about Quality Light-Metric there in Hollywood, and sent them the meter. George Milton fixed it up good as new: needle, cover glass, calibration. It still looks new (on the left in the photo below).<br>

In the meantime, while stuck with a broken meter, I moved to England and found another Weston II in a camera shop there. Although the design was now thoroughly antique, I stayed with it. It's there on the right. I used it for many years, until the leather cover was falling apart, things were loose inside, and I distrusted the low-light readings. Still functional, though.<br>

In the mean-meantime, when I was separated from the second Weston, I found the GE meter there in the center, and picked it up. It was sold "as-is," with no guarantee of calibration or even that it would work at all. It seemed functional, though I didn't trust it at low light levels.</p><div></div>

[heqm]

<p>Last month, with one good-as-new meter and two that probably needed calibration at least, I called up George again. He was happy to take the GE and the second Weston. In fact he called the GE a "collector's item," and was impressed at its good condition. He did a superb job on the Weston, replacing the high-low light baffle, the calculation dial (which had a bit of its paint scraped off)--indeed, the whole front plate--and found a good-as-new leather case for it! To top it all off, he also had an original user's manual. It's the sort of job that old camera people like us dream of.</p>

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[heqm]

<p>Note that it's prominently marked in 1/3-stop intervals. That's rather finer than you really need for most picture-taking, but it does encourage you to think precisely about what you're doing. The meter is calibrated in candles per square foot, so you can translate directly to the Ansel Adams books if you're so inclined. Also, the range from underexposed (U) to overexposed (O) is seven stops, a bit less than current emulsions can handle; and the center (the silver arrow) is not exactly in the middle of this range.</p><div></div>

[heqm]

<p>The GE is also marked in 1/3-stops, but calibrated in foot-candles, since when you take off the hood entirely it's an incident-light meter. I've never used it that way, though.<br>

Comparing the Weston to the formula in Ansel Adam's book (calculating from candles-per-square-foot to exposure, there in chapter 4 of <em>The Negative)</em>, I find the Weston giving 1/3 stop less exposure. And doing some research I find that old Weston ASA figures are indeed different from others; George said 2/3 stop, which may apply to the current system. Some systems measure from a certain base-fog-plus-density, and Adams framed his calculation in terms of medium gray, which may account for part of the diversity. I leave it to an expert to explain the matter. I haven't had a problem with any consistent under- or overexposure; I suppose my picture-taking is not precise enough.<br>

Ironically, a Gossen Luna-Pro I bought later in order to have an up-to-date meter sees almost no use. It took the old mercury battery, and the Wein cells that replace it have a short lifespan.<br>

Anyway, Geoge Milton does an excellent job. Again.</p>

[rick_drawbridge]

<p>Great to see someone restoring old meters, <strong>Alan</strong>. There's nowhere to send them in my part of the world, and the freight costs to and from the US make such repairs impractical, unless something really special is involved. The black Westons really are classics, and three of the four I have are still working and accurate. I've used one of the later Euromasters for years, along with the Luna-Pro, which I kept in service by lashing out and purchasing a couple of the battery adapters. Great job on the General Electric; there's something archetypically US about the design and construction of those meters. Thanks for an interesting post.</p>

[john_shriver]

<p>Gossen makes a conversion kit for the Luna Pro to use Silver Oxide batteries. I have one, but I did find I needed the meter recalibrated. Makes it a wonderful meter, super nice to use, but large.</p>

[charles_stobbs3]

I think Weston published their own emulsion speeds which were about 80% of ASA speeds.

[chuck_foreman1]

<p>I too have a love of, and sentimental attachment to these Weston Meters. I think I hae three. MY first was broken and repaired back in the mid 1980s.  It was calibrated then though to the ASA statndard as Weston had it's own scale.  These do read in feet/candels which as  someone has pointed out is consistent with and correlates to Ansel Adams. MY original borke a second time the bakelite case was broken but the meter swung Ok. However after I glued the case back together the needle didn't swing anymore at all? Baffled?!? I tool it apart and so it remains. I made a tool for the screws BTW. I then, broken hearted bought another Weston II later design with a Gossen Pro-Six. I have the battery adapter kit but the Weston is not properly claibrated in strong light it underexposes. I then got a Weston III in the USA and after purchase sent it to our man in CA and it has worked for me quite well for the last five years... that said .. I noticed that it too is sometimes erroneous in bright light. </p>