Selenium cell source?

[Dez]

I am in the process of rebuilding an accessory light meter with a dead selenium cell. I am looking for a cell 29 x 17 x 1 mm. The last time I did this particular job, I recycled the meter cell from an old Kiev, and had to do a fair amount of grinding and filing to make it fit. I guess I can do the same again, but I am hoping that someone has a source of these components. I know it is still possible to get replacement cells for an old Weston meter, but I wonder about smaller rectangular sizes. Does anyone know the dimensions of the cell in the old Leningrad meters?

Cheers,
Dez

[Red Robin]

Does anyone still make new cells or maybe a workable substitute?

[thundertwin72]

Hi:

Can you use the selenium cell for Zenit camera?

Selenium Cell for Zenit ET

Regards.

PD: In Tigers Lair page describes how to replaced a selenium cell by solar cell from an old calculator. In Zenit Repair Project>Ligmeter Repair section

Sorry for the translator: I don't speak english.

[Dez]

I don't know, but I'll contact Oleg and get the dimensions. Thanks very much for the link!

Cheers,
Dez

[PMCC]

Originally Posted by Red Robin

Does anyone still make new cells or maybe a workable substitute?

Credible hearsay: try Edmunds Scientific (online) for silicon-based photo-electric cell material that can be cut to fit. Of course you'll have to calibrate it, but that can be done by E.I. adjustment. Not tested by me, but my camera tech says he's done it and it works. I'd be interested in verification.

[Dez]

I actually experimented with that a couple years ago, as a good long term solution. I found that the response seemed to be non-linear, reading too high with low interior light and too low in sunlight. I gave up on it when I found a suitable Se cell to do the job, but later the probable reason dawned on me. Si cells are very infrared sensitive, and I was working with incandescent bulbs indoors. To do this conversion I would need to add an IR blocking filter. Maybe I'll try this again- I still have the Si cell I cobbled up from then, somewhere.

Cheers,
Dez

[Rob-F]

Try contacting Quality Light-Metrics in Los Angeles. They are googleable, and they do repair selenium cell (and other) meters.

[Dez]

Originally Posted by PMCC

Credible hearsay: try Edmunds Scientific (online) for silicon-based photo-electric cell material that can be cut to fit. Of course you'll have to calibrate it, but that can be done by E.I. adjustment. Not tested by me, but my camera tech says he's done it and it works. I'd be interested in verification.

It looks like Oleg is out of stock for the Se meter cell.

Cheers,
Dez

[Nikos72]

Speaking of Selenium based light meters, I have managed to get a mint Kiev-4 and after reading all these about depleted selenium light meters I have started to worry about its light meter. What is the best way to protect it? I have been keeping it shinny on my drawer for a few days (meter cap closed) but now I have retracted it back to its ugly and pretty worn case.
Would keeping it on my desk with the meter cap closed be enough to prolong the life of its light meter?

[sevo]

Originally Posted by Nikos72

What is the best way to protect it?

Dry and dark does help somewhat - but I've seen mucky meters that have been used hard for decades work like new, while some otherwise mint-in-box drawer queen cameras had dead meters. The sealants on some cell types seem to disintegrate by now no matter how they have been treated.

[Nikos72]

So I guess it is much a matter of luck ending up with a depleted meter. I will start piling up supplies of selenium while available. I hate having things that do not or partially work.

[David Hughes]

Hi,

Camera repairers do meters too. I've had 1930's ones fitted with replacement cells that were made from stock. So you shouldn't have a problem.

Regards, David

[Dez]

I ended up buying a functioning light meter module from an old Retina Reflex camera on ebay for ten bucks. The Se cell was quite a bit smaller than the original one, but did the job just fine, and the meter is back together and accurate. One thing about Se cells, the drive to a good high-resistance galvanometer seems to not vary much with size, so one can get away with substituting a smaller cell. Here's the meter I was working on, definitely worth some effort.



These meters, for the Nikon SP/S3/S4, are often quite expensive, even not working. This one is cosmetically like new, and now it's spot on as well!

Cheers,
Dez