murray_twelves

Hi Tony -

I once had a Capital light meter. Assuming they are the same model, I can tell you that the L is for low light, the H is for strong light, and the BC is for Battery Check.

My Capital meter used a CdS cell for measuring light, which required a battery.

"Light Meter" is a generic term. Incident light meters, reflected light meters, and spot meters are 3 types of light meters.

Your meter is not a spot meter, though the angle of acceptance is more selective than you would get with a selenium cell meter. You point the front of it at your subject, you press the button on the side to take a reading, and you release the button. When you release the button, it locks the needle and the reading.

The white plastic piece that slides over the CdS cell is the lumisphere, as already stated. When you slide it over the CdS cell, you stand at the position of your subject (or equivalent) and you point it towards your camera. This measures the light falling on your subject. It gives you the same kind of reading you would get by pointing the meter (with the lumisphere moved away from the CdS cell) at a neutral gray card.

It's a decent little meter, and it should serve you well.

Hi Todd -

Here, in reverse order, are my responses to your points:

3. This strap is really great. Hope you can find one. A friend of mine recently gave me the URL (sorry, not a hyperlink) of a person who sells old camera straps. Might be worth a try: wglass@neocomm.net

2. The later Autocords had a Citizen shutter. When I got my first Autocord, a CdS-III, I noticed that chirp at 1/30, 1/60, and 1/125, and I wondered if something was wrong with my shutter. It worked fine taking pictures, though. Years later, I got an Autocord I, and it does the same thing. Don't worry, it's a good shutter and a great camera.

1. My Cds-III developed light leaks, which we had a hard time figuring out. I ended up sending mine to a technician, who put a new seal into it. I'm obviously not as handy as you are.

Anyway, Todd, I congratulate you on the purchase of an exceptional camera.

There are a number of photography forums that I have frequented over time. I have found that his one has done the best job of holding my interest, and I have been pleased by the general civility among the participants here. I agree with other posters who want to keep this forum open to all, the way it has functioned thus far.

You could create segregated forums for professionals and amateurs, but you would still have amateurs crossing over into the professional forum, and professional photographers complaining about the amateurs elbowing into their sanctum. I don't think much would be achieved.

I use older Japanese TLRs, and I see no reason to apologize for it, or to consider myself less of a MF photographer. When using these cameras, my approach to photography is quite different from my approach to 35mm photography. I would hate to see this forum broken up along lines of "social class", between those who can afford or require extensive systems of equipment and those whose equipment needs are simpler.

I've heard it said that the greatest creativity in photography is to be found among serious amateurs, as we are not bound by the conventions and trends that rule commercial photography. My point here is not that commercial photographers aren't creative, but that amateur photographers should not simply be dismissed out of hand, either. We do have something to contribute.

Hi Steve -

The Autocord strap that fits the later Autocords is pretty unique. It attaches securely and it allows some pivoting. It's easily attached and removed.

I saw one of these advertised on eBay, one time. You also might try some of the traditional dealers of used equipment listed in Shutterbug magazine. This item might not be easy to find.

I don't think the Rollei neck strap will work, as the lug it attaches to looks considerably thinner than the Autocord lug, which attaches to a very different (and I think superior) fitting on the Autocord neck strap.

Good luck in your search. You have an excellent camera!

Hi Warren -

I have a couple of neutral density filters, of different values, that were made by Rollei, in your size. I picked mine up used, so I know they are out there. eBay has a lot of filters offered for sale, and B&H Photo sells filters in your size, made by B+W, which are expensive, but of top quality. Your camera takes lens accessories in the size "Bay-1" (Also: Bayonet-1, B-1, and even B-30). You might watch for a lens shade, also.

Enjoy your Rolleicord -

- Murray

Hi William -

The CdS series of Autocords has an excellent zone-type meter. I have found mine accurate enough for reliable exposures on slide film.

The battery is a mercury cell, no longer in production, at least in the US. Eveready calls it EPX 1, while Varta names it V 1 PX. I think it is generically PX-1. The rating is 1.35 volts. I still have a few of them hoarded in the refrigerator for my Autocord CdS-III.

I have heard proposed as a replacement, the use of one of the zinc-air replacements for the PX-625 and PX-13. These latter batteries are of the same diameter as the PX-1, though they are several times thinner. I don't know what difference that make in battery performance. Some have proposed using one of these zinc-air cells with a spacer for the Autocord. It's possible that the meter would require an adjustment by a technician to make it work properly (I frankly don't know. You might ask a technician.).

I hope you find a way to make that camera work for you, as it is a great one.

- Murray

Hi Antonio -

I have a Yashica Mat EM, and the selenium cell meter still works, though I often use more modern handheld meters instead. From what I've read, the CdS cell meter in the later Yashica Mats is only marginally adequate for slides, so I would probably use my handheld meters with it much of the time, as well.

I prefer the grid focusing screen on the EM to the simpler and coarser screen I have observed in the 124G, and I found the 124G very plasticky compared to the EM. Personally, I prefer my EM, which has proven to be a great camera.

I normally prefer to use my Minolta Autocord TLRs, but one feature of the Yashica Mat that makes it easiest of many TLRs to handhold is that you can see the entire screen when looking through the waist-level finder's magnifier. It makes it something of a semi-eye-level camera, when needed.

Again, I think the EM is a great camera.

Hi Leif -

I've heard that the Pentax has very good lenses, but that the vibration from both mirror and shutter can be hard to tame, sometimes even with the mirror locked up, as the huge focal plane shutter can generate a fair amount of vibration on its own.

The Mamiyas in question, having leaf shutters, would create less vibration. They would have a lower top shutter speed (1/400), but would allow flash synch at all shutter speeds. This would be useful if you are using fill flash outdoors.

I can't really speak to the relative quality of RB and RZ lenses. I believe many of the RZ lenses are newer designs, however.

In your consideration between the RB and the RZ, I would look at the difference between mechanical shutters (RB) and electronic shutters (RZ). Since each lens has its own built-in leaf shutter, the electronic shutters, controlled from within the camera, would have more consistent performance from one lens to the other. With the RB lenses and their mechanical in-lens shutters, especially when purchased used, the shutter performance from one lens to the other could be different. What most photographers usually do in this case (especially when shooting slides) is test and learn the characteristics of each lens shutter and compensate as needed.

Good luck!

Hi Francis -

I got started with 35mm SLRs, and I still use them, however I find myself drawn more and more to my TLRs, a Minolta Autocord in particular.

Years ago, when shooting 35mm rectangles, I saw a Hasselblad booklet on square composition, and I was amazed. I have preferred square composition ever since then.

For me, the square is a rectangle with more depth, which is an effect I love. I really like the way a square is filled - I can rarely fill a 35mm rectangle as effectively. Sometimes I shoot a vertical with 35mm to get the vertical depth - sometimes it works, and sometimes I resent the narrow column that it makes of my composition.

It's hard to put it into words, but the square warms me, and I find an effective square composition especially rewarding. I don't think of it so much in terms of the square border, which at times can seem a little awkward. I see it in terms of the square plane that hosts the image content in an incredibly harmonious and balanced way! As I stated before, it seems to have a depth which adds another dimension to the rectangle.

Hi James -

The only part of your query that I might be able to shed some light on is the reason for the red window on the back. I've read that some older cameras had you wind to the first frame, only, using the red window, after which the wind knob or crank automatically stopped at proper intervals for the rest of the frames.

- Murray

Thanks for the second reply, Nolan.

I think I'll try your suggestion that I send the camera to Paul Ebel, trusting your judgement that he is a capable technician. Is he particularly familiar with Autocords, and where is he located?

Though the shutter speeds, apertures, and metering all seem to be working well together, I don't know when this camera was last serviced. It might be a good time to send it in for a CLA and to have light seals checked. I would look forward to hearing his verdict on this matter. It is such a nice example of an Autocord that I would like to have it working up to its full potential.

Thanks again to all. When I find out more, I will post my discovery on this thread.

Regarding Rick's proposal of light leaks, I don't think it applies here. I have been careful removing rolls from the camera, always with this in mind, so I don't think this is likely.

If it were a light leak in the camera, I would expect it to affect every frame in approximately the same way, depending on the brightness of the light falling on the camera from outside. The problem has been inconsistent even when the light falling on the camera was consistent.

As I stated before, I never noticed this effect when shooting slides, possibly because of the slower film. I have not observed it in all rolls of B&W, either. When it does show up, it tends to be in one or more of the frames towards the middle of the roll, and the affected frames are not necessarily together.

Going back to Nolan's question about the transport, I am now wondering if "winding style" might have an affect on film flatness in these cameras. Having had a Yashica Mat in the past that was prone to winding failures, I might be winding this camera too gingerly. I think I'm winding it positively enough, but I do worry about overloading the mechanism. This could conceivably result in an uneven winding action when reducing the push towards the end of the stroke. I know I am grasping at straws here, but does this make sense to anyone else?

Thanks again to all -

- Murray

Hi Nolan - I had you in mind when I posted this question, as I remember reading an earlier post of yours about good film flatness in these cameras.

I double checked the pressure plate, though I haven't shot 220 in a long time, and it is properly set, with good spring tension to keep it in in place. The rollers seem properly located and roll easily and smoothly. Your suggestion of a problem with the film transport is one that had also occurred to me, though I was hoping for something more clear-cut.

Thanks for the response!

- Murray

I have one of the last Minolta Autocords - a model CdS-III, and I have

shot lots of slide film with it, with no problems. More recently,

however, I have started shooting black & white, mostly ISO 400, and I

have noted that sometimes on one or more of the inner frames there

appears to be a slight buckling of the film. This shows up in the

form of a darkening of the central portion of the negative, to either

side, outside of the actual image frame. The effect within the image

is more subtle.

Has anyone else had such an experience and do you know what I can do

about it?

Thanks!

Murray Twelves

Moses Lake, Washington

I have one of the last Minolta Autocords, a model CdS-III, which sounds just like one described above. It has a zone-type meter, whose area of sensitivity is represented by a circle in the finder. I've found it fully up to the task of metering accurately for slides; as such I have never felt a need to use my handheld meters with this camera. I have also been very pleased with with the results I have gotten on transparency film, which is 95% of what I have used the camera for.

My Autocord is beautifully made, and I have managed to find a number of Minolta accessories for it. Unlike other reports posted here, and in other places, the focusing on my camera has always been light, with just the right amount of drag, and silky-smooth. I would suspect stiff focusing on many of these cameras has been more the result of old organic lubricants breaking down with time.

I'm really pleased to find a forum where we can talk about this camera, which some have called the TLR next best to the Rollei.