Minolta Meter - Can this be right ??

[jvora]

Hello All :

Just last week I posted a question about Repair Centers for Minolta Meters and now I am a bit puzzled - Let me explain -

My Incident Meter, Minolta IV F was providing me with incorrect readings ( Over Exposures in the range of 3 to 4 f'stops ) and figured it was out of wack and needed calibration - Thus the need to look for Repair Centers.

At present, we in South Asia are in the midst of the Monsoons Season ( i.e. high humidity ) and after a shoot I had left the meter on the shooting table in the Studio.

It was when I used the meter the following time, about 3 to 4 days later, did I note the Over Exposures.

In addition since the past 2 to 3 days, I had been storing the meter in a relatively low humid environment as compared to the Studio.

Today, I borrowed a Minolta F Spot Meter from a friend and performed a test by using a 18% Kodak Grey Card and compared these reflected Ambient and Flash readings to that of my Minolta IV F Incident Meter - To my surprise, the readings were pretty much the same ( 0.1. to 0.2 f'stop difference ).

Now, I am puzzled as to what was is/was going on - The only explanation I can think of is that the exposure to High Humidity in the Studio was the culprit and as I had the same meter in a low humid environment since the past few days, errors were corrected and now is back to normal.

I will continue the testing to be certain, but in the meanwhile can anyone confirm my conjecture - Can high humidity bring on such errors - Does this even make sense ??

Anyone face similar situations/experiences ??


Jai

[Ellis Vener]

Are you sure you have the right batteries?

[jvora]

Hello Ellis -

Yes - The Minolta IV F takes regular "AA" batteries -

When I noticed the error readings, the very first thing I did was to replace the old with fresh "AA".

Then when I continued to get incorrect readings thats when I felt that the meter may need calibrations - For this, I had posted another post asking for where Minolta Meters could be repaired/calibrated noting that the company itself does not exist. Actually, you were kind to answer my query and point me in the right direction.

By this time, I was storing the meter in a lower humidity room than before where it had been exposed to higher humidity/moisture levels in the Studio - A few after, I borrowed the Minolta F Spot Meter from a friend and was able to compare the readings between the two meters - To my surprise, they both were very, very similar - Both for Ambient and Flash readings !

This got me to think as to what may have helped correct the erroes - The only thing that I could tell that had changed was that the meter was no longer stored open in the Studio and was moved to a room where the AC is kept on from time to time, ( i.e. lower dew point ).

It was this that got me to consider if the errors were due to moisture / high humidity levels that existed in the Studio where it was kept initially and the error readings recorded.

Hope this further helps understanding what has transpired.


Thanks,

Jai

[JeanMichel]

Hi,
If two meters indicate the same or very close to the same exposure and your images are overexposed by some 3 or 4 stops the problem is probably somewhere else: camera shutter, ISO setting, etc.
Jean-Michel

[jvora]

Hello JeanMichel :

Perhaps, my post has been mis-read -

At no time were reading by BOTH meters providing over exposures results on the Camera - ONLY with the Minolta IV F and when in was left unattended in a high humid environment over a couple of days.

When this meter was stored in a relatively "sealed" room where the humidity is lower as an AC is used from time to time, the meter "seems" to have corrected it's errors. I say this as it was after storing the meter in this low humid room over a few days I had the chance to borrow a friend's meter ( Minolta Spot F ) and compared the readings - This time around, both the meters had very similar readings and the resulting images seemed to be exposed correctly.

So I am still trying to understand and conclude if the high humid environment was the cause of errors.

Hope this better explains what transpired - I wanted to learn if others have had similar experiences or could better explain other possibilities and the experience I underwent.


Thanks,

Jai

[ashley]

I've been working with handheld light meters for about 25 years ranging from the ancient Weston meters right through to Minolta, Gossen and more lately Sekonic but none of them has ever suffered from problems of humidity. I used to be based in Milan where the humidity could get really bad at times and when it's pouring with rain for weeks in England it would be hard to conclude the humidity levels are low.

Having said all of the above there does seem to be some evidence here that in your case the meter is giving wildly incorrect readings when the humidity levels are particularly high and I can't think of a solution other than trying to keep your meter protected from the extreme humidity, however we should try to do that where possible with any camera equipment. Indeed most electronic equipment comes with humidity level specifications for when they can be safely used.

How about storing the meter with bags of silica gel as a possible help? I don't think this is something you'll be able to get repaired, so if it's really a problem I'd suggest getting a different meter that may be less sensitive to humidity. I'm very happy with my Sekonic L-758D that has both spot and incident metering.

[jvora]

Hello Ashley :

Many thanks for the reply -

Absolutely correct - I do store all my gear in ziplock bags ( one with the gear inside it and then I put all of that in another bag to make it "double-proof" and each bag contains 2 silica gel packets each ).

But for some reason for that particular shoot, I kept the meter on the shooting table while the camera and lenses were promptly stored in the ziplock bags as described above after the shoot.

Not only that, but during the monsoons, each time I open any of the ziplock bags to access the camera gear, I make sure I "re-activate" the silica packets by placing them in the microwave for a few secs - This gets them to change color to light blue indicating that the moisture they had "trapped" has been dispensed.

I do try and take these precautions but the meter did slip by that time           





Thanks again,

Jai

[ashley]

It sounds like you are doing everything reasonably possible and this is clearly an extreme situation, though certainly not something I have had to deal with personally. I am sure the Minolta is still a good meter on the whole and probably just as accurate as any other under normal conditions but that doesn't help you in this instance.

My L-758D is an incredible meter, though I'll concede there are times when the size is a little tricky, which is why I also have a small L-308. Just looking at the specs the L-758 is listed as being Dust-proof and splash-proof (JIS Standard Water Resistance Class 4) and particularly good in humid conditions. None of this was a particular reason for me to choose this meter but in your case it might just be the right answer.

[jvora]

Ashley :

While I was getting the incorrect readings, I figured I would "have" to invest in another meter - The Sekonic L-478D appealed to me - Seemed to have the main features I needed + fit the budget ( which a-prior did not exist and had to be "created" ) - Having the Spot meter function would be great, but not sure if I need one - Till the end of the year there is a special going on in the US where a x-rite color chart was bundled together with the L-478D.

Appreciate your confidence in my current meter, lets hope it continues to perform well   



Thanks,

Jai

[ashley]

I don't use the spot meter that often myself but have occasionally found it incredibly useful when I cannot get physically close to the subject. The accuracy will put a smile on your face.

The other great feature on the L-758D is that you can calibrate the meter to your specific camera so that readings are balanced to take account of the individual sensor characteristics. There have been times when it gives a very different result to other meters and when looking on the LCD it looks too bright but when opened in Lightroom it became clear the exposure was perfect. I seem to recall you can use that X-Rite chart to calibrate the meter.

The Minolta meters were always good and I had the legendary Flashmeter III that was pretty foolproof. I guess the only problem with Minolta meters nowadays is that if they go wrong repairs can be a problem. I certainly wouldn't criticise your Minolta but if you ever decide to move on and get the Sekonic I think you will be impressed by the build quality and the way it handles. It's not small due the inclusion of the spot meter but I don't think there is a better all round meter available today. 

[01af]

The latest-generation Minolta light meters and colour-temperature meter are still in production today—by Kenko. Maybe they also service older Minolta meters ... could be worth a phone call.

[ashley]

The latest-generation Minolta light meters and colour-temperature meter are still in production today—by Kenko. Maybe they also service older Minolta meters ... could be worth a phone call.

I could be wrong but seem to remember them saying they wouldn't repair Minolta branded meters. In this instance though I'm not convinced the meter is actually broken. It just couldn't operate accurately in very humid conditions.