Muggins
Junk magnet
"Candles per square foot" - what a wonderfully obtuse unit of measurement!As a result of your recommendation, I got myself a very nice Weston Ranger 9.
Weston Ranger 9 by Vince Lupo, on Flickr
Fortunately I already had two of the MR-9 battery adapters and this meter is right on the money. The only thing that I don't have for it is the incident cover, but I think I can suffer without it.
Vince Lupo
Nobody's Mentor
Guess if we didn't have that, we wouldn't have had Moonrise, Hernandez
raydm6
Yay! Cameras! 🙈🙉🙊┌( ಠ_ಠ)┘ [◉"]
Foot-Candles - for the technical and non-technical:
ChrisLivsey
Mentor
Initially you described this as a Euromaster and most of the replies were towards repair of those and similar models, this is an earlier meter the last black body was a Weston Master III, Euro etc onwards from the model IV were all silver bodied. You need to revisit the instructions and use those relating to those earlier meters, good luck.
ChrisLivsey
Mentor
As a result of your recommendation, I got myself a very nice Weston Ranger 9. $18 plus $6 shipping.
Weston Ranger 9 by Vince Lupo, on Flickr
Fortunately I already had two of the MR-9 battery adapters and this meter is right on the money. The only thing that I don't have for it is the incident cover, but I think I can suffer without it.
The Ranger 9 had a tiny invercone not going to be easy to find one of those I bet they sold loads as spares: picture on here
Shame it doesn't have the Ansel Adams overlay though.
Vince Lupo
Nobody's Mentor
There are printable versions online if I care to add that overlay. Not that important to me.
Muggins
Junk magnet
Errr.... this is the same meter as mine, and that's definitely not a silver back to it.
Weston Euro-Master Light Meter + Invercone works with Leica Hasselblad Nikon etc | eBay
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DownUnder
Nikon Nomad
Another Weston Master aficionado here. I love them and I've used them since the 1970s.
My current collection is - a II, a III, two Vs, and one Euro-Master. All made by Sangamo in the UK and all working, more or less. I say "more of less" as now and then the Vs (bought secondhand in Sydney in the '80s, so likely dating to 1960 or before) seize up, much like their owner, if not used regularly, and I have to give them a light 'tap' to get the needles moving again, and off they go, surprisingly accurate, tho' as always, not much good on cloudy days or in dim lighting. The Westons have an usual multi-setting dial system and there is detailed info on this in the original owner's booklet, but I'm maths-challenged and I could never figure out how this works.
I had the Vs checked and serviced in the early 1990s (for $15 each - ah, the good old days). I don't recall what the repair center did to them, it was so long ago, but they go on working, so well and good for me.
I also own several Gossens and a few other odd brands of meters, but the Westons are, well, legendary. If I could find a Ranger 9 as Vince Lupo and x-ray did, I would buy it in a millisecond, I've used one before and it's a wonderful tool.
Chris Crawford in his post here has summed up the Westons well, but many of us love them and we go on using them.
Being me I would never do a home repair on a Weston, or for that matter any of my photo gear. A Rolleiflex TLR I bought once (sight unseen on Ebay, naturally, silly me) had been home-tinkered with and it cost me a packet to get fixed. Never ever again. Life is too short.
In Melbourne I recall an expert camera repair man, Vic Plant, used to do basic servicing on Westons, I rarely use film cameras now so I've no idea if he is still around and doing repairs, he was long associated with the (now defunct I believe) Camera Exchange. So he may be worth chasing up to ask if he can do remedial work on old Westons.
My current collection is - a II, a III, two Vs, and one Euro-Master. All made by Sangamo in the UK and all working, more or less. I say "more of less" as now and then the Vs (bought secondhand in Sydney in the '80s, so likely dating to 1960 or before) seize up, much like their owner, if not used regularly, and I have to give them a light 'tap' to get the needles moving again, and off they go, surprisingly accurate, tho' as always, not much good on cloudy days or in dim lighting. The Westons have an usual multi-setting dial system and there is detailed info on this in the original owner's booklet, but I'm maths-challenged and I could never figure out how this works.
I had the Vs checked and serviced in the early 1990s (for $15 each - ah, the good old days). I don't recall what the repair center did to them, it was so long ago, but they go on working, so well and good for me.
I also own several Gossens and a few other odd brands of meters, but the Westons are, well, legendary. If I could find a Ranger 9 as Vince Lupo and x-ray did, I would buy it in a millisecond, I've used one before and it's a wonderful tool.
Chris Crawford in his post here has summed up the Westons well, but many of us love them and we go on using them.
Being me I would never do a home repair on a Weston, or for that matter any of my photo gear. A Rolleiflex TLR I bought once (sight unseen on Ebay, naturally, silly me) had been home-tinkered with and it cost me a packet to get fixed. Never ever again. Life is too short.
In Melbourne I recall an expert camera repair man, Vic Plant, used to do basic servicing on Westons, I rarely use film cameras now so I've no idea if he is still around and doing repairs, he was long associated with the (now defunct I believe) Camera Exchange. So he may be worth chasing up to ask if he can do remedial work on old Westons.
Last edited:
pyeh
Member of good standing
Downunder, good to see you back at RFF. Camera Exchange is still going. They moved out of their city shop several years ago (over10 years I think) to an industrial unit in Box Hill. It's much harder to get to without a car, so I never go, but they have a website.
Vince Lupo
Nobody's Mentor
See what you guys caused
Weston Model 650 by Vince Lupo, on Flickr
1936 and is still reasonably accurate!
Hmm wonder if I should send the registration card in?
Weston Model 650 by Vince Lupo, on Flickr
1936 and is still reasonably accurate!
Hmm wonder if I should send the registration card in?
Muggins
Junk magnet
That is gorgeous, what a lovely bit of Art Deco!
Vince Lupo
Nobody's Mentor
Once I start going down a given rabbit hole, there's no hope.
Muggins
Junk magnet
I know that feeling...
DownUnder
Nikon Nomad
Yes, it's good to be here again. I needed time away, and maybe RFF needed time away from me. Ditto with my photography, for most of this year I've taken maybe two thousand images (I hope, a few worth keeping!), most unlike my usual spray/pray approach.
Thanks for the update on the Camera Exchange. I dealt mostly with them in their city days. Box Hill is a little too far for me (a non-driver) to be easily commutable.
Is Dave Shaw still there? After Derek left (this goes back many years, to the good old Melbourne CBD shop days) Dave was the only staffer I would deal with. Do you recall Roger, now sadly deceased, who predated everybody in the place other than the owner? Always pleasant, he knew zilch about cameras but always asked someone who did for advice, and he gave me ten percent off everything I bought. All good traits. Ah, nostalgia.
To return to the Westons, over the years I've found that the needles stick (an age-related issue) and a very light tap suffices to get them moving again. Not a hard bash, and never drop them on the floor (as we have do), which can do fatal damage to their sensitive innards.
Of my collection, the most accurate is the II, dating to circa 1950. My two Vs read - 1/3 stop under, okay for color slides but not so good for negative films. It also helps to remember that most Westons (not the Vs) had their own ISO film speeds, which differed from the manufacturers' recommended ones.The brochures usually included a list of Weston speeds for the most popular films of the time. Using Kodak Panatomic-X at ISO 20-25 was rather a chore...
The Invercone was (and for me still is) a useful tool, but one needs practice with it. Once mastered, it works truly well.
Not to be overlooked is the sheer pleasure of the Weston ergonomics, somehow they feel right in the hand and they look good round one's neck. 1930s technology at its finest, an ideal accessory with a Rolleiflex TLR, a Barnack LTM or an old Contax.
The 650 I've never seen, but if I ever find one in good nick I will buy it, if only for display.
A recent test of my Westons showed all still reasonably accurate, at most a third stop under. The II (my oldest) is the best, then the III, finally the Vs. Somewhere I think I have a Euro-Master (or maybe I loaned it, or gave it away, I've forgotten). Or it's in a box in the garage. Or under a bed. Whatever.
All this to remind us that even 80-90 year old photo old gear is still well worth acquiring and using. Will my Nikon D90, D700 and D800 ever attain such a venerable age...
pyeh
Member of good standing
Sorry to not actually contribute to the Weston meter discussion, but to reply to Downunder on Camera Exchange, I'm sorry I don't recognise any of the names you mention. I don't really know the shop that well, but I think the original owner is still there.
I hope you and I can catch up some time. I am often in Melbourne. Mostly I fly but sometimes I drive there from Sydney.
I hope you and I can catch up some time. I am often in Melbourne. Mostly I fly but sometimes I drive there from Sydney.
Muggins
Junk magnet
What's a bit of digression between friends?
DownUnder
Nikon Nomad
Agree. Digression ("a temporary departure from the main subject in speech or writing," says Wikipedia) often keeps a set topic flowing, especially when posters have exhausted the intent of the original post.
This thread has "''learned' me some interesting things about Weston meters, as well as an update on what was in its time the best secondhand camera shop in Melbourne. For the former, many thanks to all who posted. For the latter, a special 'ta' (in '70s British slang) to yeh and muggins.
Like the Grammar Gestapo, a few Malcontents their panties tied in a tangle when threads digress. Most of us see no wrong in now and then going sideways on a set topic. This refreshes the brain and helps to move things along.
Yes, this thread is about Weston Masters, hence a question. Has anyone any good advice to offer on how to best use the Invercone on a V? The brochures (mine date to 1965) provide some basic data, but I've long wondered if I missed out by not correctly using those slip-ons. They came in small cases, very elegant, a nostalgic reminder of how camera gear was packaged back then. I believe Ansel Adams, Minor White and other masters of their time used Westons. Even maybe, Edward Weston, he of the same name.
On a whim I Googled "Sangamo Weston" and found a few interesting threads. The company started production in the mid-1930s, with the 617. The 650 so beloved of many here dates from 1936.
It's interesting that the company was founded by one Edward Weston (1850-1936), an English-born electrical engineer who moved to New Jersey. He patented the first electric photo meter in 1932, and the first Weston Master, the II (aka the 735 and 736) was made from 1945. The V (model 748) from 1963 to 1972.
So much information online on these meters for those who care to look for it. (Google "Weston Masters history" and go from there.)
This thread has "''learned' me some interesting things about Weston meters, as well as an update on what was in its time the best secondhand camera shop in Melbourne. For the former, many thanks to all who posted. For the latter, a special 'ta' (in '70s British slang) to yeh and muggins.
Like the Grammar Gestapo, a few Malcontents their panties tied in a tangle when threads digress. Most of us see no wrong in now and then going sideways on a set topic. This refreshes the brain and helps to move things along.
Yes, this thread is about Weston Masters, hence a question. Has anyone any good advice to offer on how to best use the Invercone on a V? The brochures (mine date to 1965) provide some basic data, but I've long wondered if I missed out by not correctly using those slip-ons. They came in small cases, very elegant, a nostalgic reminder of how camera gear was packaged back then. I believe Ansel Adams, Minor White and other masters of their time used Westons. Even maybe, Edward Weston, he of the same name.
On a whim I Googled "Sangamo Weston" and found a few interesting threads. The company started production in the mid-1930s, with the 617. The 650 so beloved of many here dates from 1936.
It's interesting that the company was founded by one Edward Weston (1850-1936), an English-born electrical engineer who moved to New Jersey. He patented the first electric photo meter in 1932, and the first Weston Master, the II (aka the 735 and 736) was made from 1945. The V (model 748) from 1963 to 1972.
So much information online on these meters for those who care to look for it. (Google "Weston Masters history" and go from there.)
DownUnder
Nikon Nomad
Another thought. We who are getting on in years, often have nostalgic memories of "how it was like" in past decades when we all used film and darkrooms were the norm. And we were also younger...
Maybe another thread on TGODs of the pre-digital era. Has this already been done? Or am I opening a lions' cage here?
Maybe another thread on TGODs of the pre-digital era. Has this already been done? Or am I opening a lions' cage here?
raydm6
Yay! Cameras! 🙈🙉🙊┌( ಠ_ಠ)┘ [◉"]
There are several "Nostalgia' threads here on RFF @DownUnder - some specifically around a product or topic:
Here is a general one:
Just for the enjoyment of it, or maybe it's Nostalgia
Are there any cameras that you shoot, just for the enjoyment of using that camera. Maybe it doesn't create the sharpest images, or the most subtle bokeh, or one of a million other traits that some other camera may do better. But just because you love holding it in your hands, interacting with...
rangefinderforum.com
nikon_sam
Shooter of Film...
I bought the Master II many years ago at the Pasadena Antique swap meet, it came with the box, instruction book, film speed booklet, case and lanyard...at first it worked but soon after quit. I eventually sent it to George @ QLM in early 2009 along with a Gossen Pilot for service. George also sold me the invercone and baffle for it.
I have two of the Ranger 9 meters that were also sent off to George for service and battery upgrade.
I really don't use the Master, sometimes use the Ranger but mostly been using the Pentax Spotmeter V.
I have two of the Ranger 9 meters that were also sent off to George for service and battery upgrade.
I really don't use the Master, sometimes use the Ranger but mostly been using the Pentax Spotmeter V.