Bettendorf Posted February 18, 2022 Share Posted February 18, 2022 I've never tried a Wein or 386 converter, just dealt with 625s as per above. The FTb doesn't have voltage reg circuitry, but the EF does. Ken adjusted both of my EFs when he CLA'd them and they are both dead-on against my Gossen Luna-Pro meter. Whether or not he or anyone can adjust an FTb meter to react correctly to 1.5 volts, I do not know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck909 Posted February 19, 2022 Share Posted February 19, 2022 (edited) DO NOT use the 625A. Best to use a Wein. My experience was that the first time I replaced the original 625 1.35 volt with a 625a 1.5 volt in my F1, I knew something was wrong. Two or three readings and I was going WTF. A lot of us use a 675. Very cheap but they work fine. Edited February 19, 2022 by chuck909 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck909 Posted February 19, 2022 Share Posted February 19, 2022 I have wondered about a possible voltage change. He surely would have written this on the invoice but there is nothing there about it. I don't think he has mail either. Do not change the voltage of your FTb. New 625A batteries have been discontinued by the big guys, and the off brands are getting harder to come by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danac Posted February 19, 2022 Author Share Posted February 19, 2022 I ordered two of the Wein batteries from Amazon earlier today. They get here next Tuesday and will get tested alongside the AE-1. It will be great to get this problem under control. 1 A book's a great place to hide out in - Trevanian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck909 Posted February 19, 2022 Share Posted February 19, 2022 I ordered two of the Wein batteries from Amazon earlier today. They get here next Tuesday and will get tested alongside the AE-1. It will be great to get this problem under control. A short note about the Wein - they do not last more than about 9 months and it's not a bad idea to check for leaks more often than you would with some other batteries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danac Posted February 19, 2022 Author Share Posted February 19, 2022 Will do. A book's a great place to hide out in - Trevanian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim_bielecki1 Posted February 19, 2022 Share Posted February 19, 2022 I ordered two of the Wein batteries from Amazon earlier today. They get here next Tuesday and will get tested alongside the AE-1. It will be great to get this problem under control. I've used Wein cells in my original F-1. Work well, but as already mentioned, they don't last terribly long. I've also read that you can buy newly-made Russian 1.35V mercury batteries on eBay. I may try this someday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barryreid Posted February 20, 2022 Share Posted February 20, 2022 Do remember that Wien cells need plenty time to stabilise after you peel the tab and start the chemical reaction by exposing to air. If you test straightaway the readings can be miles off! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert_bowring Posted February 20, 2022 Share Posted February 20, 2022 Never had good luck with the Wein cells. The best solution I have found is the adapter from CRIS camera. It takes a silver cell and lowers the voltage to 1.3 volts. Silver cells are pretty stable like the old mercury cells and give a constant voltage over their lifetime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck909 Posted February 20, 2022 Share Posted February 20, 2022 Never had good luck with the Wein cells. The best solution I have found is the adapter from CRIS camera. It takes a silver cell and lowers the voltage to 1.3 volts. Silver cells are pretty stable like the old mercury cells and give a constant voltage over their lifetime. Which silver cell does it use? - and how much for the adapter? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bettendorf Posted February 20, 2022 Share Posted February 20, 2022 Which silver cell does it use? - and how much for the adapter? #386, $39.95 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert_bowring Posted February 20, 2022 Share Posted February 20, 2022 Which silver cell does it use? - and how much for the adapter? The adapter is about $40.00 and uses a 386 silver oxide battery. It may sound expensive but is much cheaper in the long run. The cost of Wein cells and screwed up film will be more than $40.00 very quickly. And it can be used in any other older cameras you may have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acinos Posted February 20, 2022 Share Posted February 20, 2022 I don't know if I have posted this link before but I find this text very helpful with the 1.35V issue. www.buhla.de - Mercury-Oxyde Battery Problem https://www.buhla.de/Foto/batt-adapt-US.pdf 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony-S Posted February 21, 2022 Share Posted February 21, 2022 I’ve had a CRIS MR9 adapter for 386 silver oxide cells for many years and it works great. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danac Posted February 22, 2022 Author Share Posted February 22, 2022 (edited) The new Wein battery arrived this morning. After removing the seal for two hours I installed it into the FTb and tested the meter against the A-1 and AE-1. For the test I used the same lens for all three. Happily the FTb agreed perfectly with the other two cameras. So the problem is solved. Given that the battery adapter seems like the best long term option, I ordered one and some 386 batteries. I am so relieved! Now it's time to load some film and go nuts. Thank you all so much. In a moment of frustration several days ago, I placed an ad for this camera in the classified section. I don't really want to sell it now but there seems to be no way to delete the ad. Edited February 22, 2022 by danac A book's a great place to hide out in - Trevanian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck909 Posted February 22, 2022 Share Posted February 22, 2022 Thank you all so much. Glad to be of some help. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bettendorf Posted February 22, 2022 Share Posted February 22, 2022 Glad you still have the FTb instead of smelly old money. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bettendorf Posted February 23, 2022 Share Posted February 23, 2022 (edited) Just enter SOLD in the next comment box if you withdraw the item. Edited February 23, 2022 by Bettendorf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony-S Posted February 23, 2022 Share Posted February 23, 2022 Given that the battery adapter seems like the best long term option, I ordered one and some 386 batteries. I am so relieved! Now it's time to load some film and go nuts. Thank you all so much. Did you order one with a resistor that drops the voltage to 1.35V? Some of them only adapt the battery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danac Posted February 23, 2022 Author Share Posted February 23, 2022 Did you order one with a resistor that drops the voltage to 1.35V? Some of them only adapt the battery. Yes indeed. The Criscam has a voltage regulating zener diode built in. 1 A book's a great place to hide out in - Trevanian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martinjones Posted February 23, 2022 Share Posted February 23, 2022 I think that it is actually a schottky diode. I have instructions somewhere on how to build one of these adapters using a dead mercury cell as a starting point. Lots of steps including deconstructing the original cell and then fitting the diode inside the perimeter of the empty cell casing etc etc. The $40 for a commercially made adapter would be money well spent. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danac Posted February 23, 2022 Author Share Posted February 23, 2022 (edited) Here is an interesting fact. I checked all 282 pages of this forum and this is the longest thread ever posted on the Canon FD forum. Yeah, I need to get a life. Edited February 23, 2022 by danac 2 A book's a great place to hide out in - Trevanian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Katz Posted February 23, 2022 Share Posted February 23, 2022 The longest thread on the Nikon forum is 870, so we are doing fine here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glen_h Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 From the collector's point of view, sure, go for the AT-1. But it has nothing to offer that your other camera don't have. As an all-manual A series, it was never popular. My dad, a Canon user since about 1959, got an AT-1 after his Pellix was stolen. (Out of the trunk of a rental car.) Also, that was not long before I got an FM. I think 40 or so years ago, I liked the idea of a manual camera, especially being used to using a Canon rangefinder with external meter. Using a manual exposure camera with built-in meter reminds you to meter on different parts of the subject. Though one things I learned with the center weight FM, is that it doesn't matter so much as I might have thought. But yes, there are backlit cases, or otherwise with a bright light source in frame, that you have to meter carefully. After using a manual exposure camera for some years, I might be better at identifying situations that need careful metering. -- glen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glen_h Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 I just tried this with both the AE-1 and FTb cameras set at 400 ASA and the same aperture and speed. Adjusting the FTb ASA dial as you said produced identical results with the FTb set to 100 +2/3. That's pretty handy but I wonder if a 1.35V Wein battery or a 386 watch battery inside of the M9 Criscam converter would be more permanent but just as accurate.. This would explain why my negatives were so lifeless (too pale with little contrast) especially since I was often adding more light to expose for the shadows. I just assumed that the camera had a voltage regulator that held the power supply to 1.35 volts or so. If your "easy" solution were to become my MO for this camera would I develop at box speed or pull down to the new adjusted ASA? With many cameras, 1.5V instead of 1.35V gets less than a half stop off. Mostly I don't worry about it, but I do know about Sunny 16, and think about how close or far off I am. In any case, some cameras are more than one stop off, and it might depend on the actual light level. But usually I just shift the ASA knob a little. The Wein batteries are nice, but I usually don't want to spend more on battery than camera. The going rate for the FTb is close to $10, and also the AT-1. Canon: Canon FTb QL Price Guide: estimate a camera value -- glen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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