Light meters
Minolta Auto Meter II User manual
User manual for Minolta Auto Meter II. 23 pages in English. Read the original PDF, download or print a copy without registration.
23 pagesEnglish1.8 MB PDF
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Document details
- Brand
- Minolta
- Model / document
- Minolta Auto Meter II
- Document type
- User manual
- Language
- English
- Pages
- 23
- File size
- 1.8 MB
- Category
- Light meters
- Document date
- Not specified in catalog
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Find a term, then jump to its page in the original PDF. Image-only pages may not be searchable; check the PDF for exact wording and diagrams.
Page 3 · Read text
Your Minolta Auto Meter ll features effortless one-hand operation with a
motorizedmovingscalethat givesinstant,direct readingsautomatically- no manual
djal alignmentor needlereadingnecessary.
Its high-sensitivitysilicon photo cell and fully transistorizedcircuit yield clear
incident or reflected-lightreadingswith high accuracyover a singleunusuallybroad
rangewithout changeover.
The light, shock-resistantunit has automatic over- and under-rangewarning,and
accessoriesattach quickly and positivelyby bayonet mount or socketon its rotating
headfor wide versatility.
For bestresults,it is recommendedthat you readand observeall applicablesections
of this manual.
www.butkus.usView original page 3Page 6 · Read text
Accessory-receptor jack ll lu minanceconversiontable Battery-chambercover Battery-checkbuttonView original page 6
Page 7 · Read text
B A S I C S
lnsert a six-volt silver-oxide battery (Ever-
Insertingbattery eady No. 544 or equivalent) with plus (+)
1 . Slide of f battery-chamber cover as and minus (-) ends positioned as indicated
cated. inside the chamber.
www.butkus.usView original page 7Page 8 · Read text
Checking battery
While depressing the unlocked measuring
button, push the battery-check button. lf the3. Align and replace cover securely. battery+heck lamp lights, the battery is service-
able. lf not, replace the battery with a fresha a I t - r -r ^ \ l
one. lf the battery is not inserted correctly, the
Auto Meter ll will not operate.View original page 8Page 9 · Read text
Use the molded lucite grips to turn film-
speed setting disk until the desired film-speed
graduation line is set to the ASA or DIN scale The regular spherical, optional reflected-
index. Lines between ASA numbers are for film light attachment, ND spherical diffusers, and
speedsas follows: Spot Mask ll are attached and removed as
follows:
1 2 . o 2 5 . o 5 0 o o 1 0 0 o o
16 20 32 40 64 80 125 160
Align the dot on the rim of the diffuser or2 O O o o 4 O 0 . . 8 0 O o o
250 320 500 ilo 1000 1250 mask with the receptor-bayonet index; insert
the bayonet into the mount over the receptor;
1600 o o 3200 o o 6400 and turn the diffuser/maskclockwiseas far as it
2000 2500 4000 5000 will go (about 1/8 turn) to secureit.
www.butkus.usView original page 9Page 10 · Read text
To remove
Turn the dif f user/mask counterclockwise
until the dot on it is aligned with the receptor
bayonet index and lift the diffuser/mask out of
the receptor mount. lVleasuring-buttonlock lever
This has two positions. When the meter is
N O T E not in use, the lever should be turned as
The optional Viewfinder 10o is attached and indicated on it so that the white mark on its
removed as explained on p. 12: the mini recep- collar is aligned with the index dot. This locks
tor, as on p. 17. the button so that it cannot be pushed.
When the lever is moved so as to click into
I ncident/reflected selector place in its other position pointing toward the
This is set by grasping its grooved white receptor head, the button is unlocked and may
outer surface and turning it until it clicks into be pushed to take readings.
place with its red index at "lNC." position for
incident-light readingsor at "REF." for reflect- C A U T I O N
ed-light readings. lt is not intended to be set at Do not move the lock lever while pushing
any intermediate point between these. the measuringbutton.
Z^\ W V)View original page 10Page 11 · Read text
"T't (timel scale
Black figures on this indicate their recipro-
cals as shutter speedsin seconds,e.g., "8000" =
1/8000 sec., "2" = 112 Sec.,etc. Red f igures
with appropriate time-unit initials are used to
indicate exposure times of one second or more,
9.9., "4s" = 4 seconds,"8m" = 8 minutes, "Zh"
= 2 hours, etc.
"f l" (aperture) scale
The figures on this are lens f-numbers with
intermediatemarks indicating 1/3 stops.
When the light has been measured,correct
exposure for any time or aperture value is
indicated by the value on the scale exactly
opposite it. For example, if the indexes for
"125" on the time scale and "8" on the
aperture scale are exactly aligned, the range of
speed-aperturecombinations indicated that will
yiefd proper exposure includes 1 I2OOOsec. at
f 12,2 sec.at f 164,113Osec.at f l1O,etc., as nrell
as 11125sec.at t18.
www.butkus.usView original page 11Page 12 · Read text
Cine scale speed applicable; e.9., at a frame rate of 32fps
The figures on this represent frame rates of with a sector opening of 45o, the effective
128, 64, 32, 16 and 8 frames per second (fps) shutter speed would be 11250 sec., and the
and appear above the shutter-speed indications aperture called for would be found opposite
(for 11250, 11125, 1160, U30 and 1/15 sec., "25O" of thg "T" scale.
respectively) at those rates with a sector open-
ing of 180". The dot at the right ot "64"
indicates a rate of 48fps; that right af "16,"
12tps. The red line between cine.scale figures
"32" and "16" stands for 24fps.
Metering light for movie exposure is the
s€rmeas with still cameras, but for convenience
direct readings may be made from the lens-
opening values appearing opposite the appli-
cable cine-scale indication, as long as the
shutter sector opening is 180". For example,
the lens aperture for a frame rate of 24fps with
a 180o shutter sector would be read opposite
the red index indicating the effective speed of
1 /50 sec. For other sector openings, read the
aperture value opposite the effective shutter
*. .; ..ii-:.r" r.'[+. ;;.;:"d,... . . -.,....i,i.*!i!.*;at*.".," ,*View original page 12Page 13 · Read text
Under /over-rangewarn ing changing to one or the other of the spherical
lf a red area extends beyond the central ND diffusers 1p.'l7l; otherwise, by reducing
index of the under-/over-rangewarning window subjectillumination or adjustingother exposure
as shown when a reading is taken, light is conditions.
beyond the brightness range of the meter and lf a red area extends beyond the window
the speed-aperturecombination indicated will index from the other side as shown, a reading
not yield correct exposure. lf this happens, below the meter's measuring range is indicated,
conditions should be adjusted so that the index and exposureconditions should be adjusted,as
falls within the green area. For incident read- by increasing light on the subject, until the
ings, this can usually be accomplished by green area extends beyond the index.
www.butkus.usView original page 13Page 14 · Read text
1 . Be sure that the sphericaldiffuser is proper-
ly attached (p. 6 ) .
2. Set the applicable f ilm speed (p. 6). Be
sure the incident lreflected selector (p. 7) is
set to " lNC."
3. Hold the meter at the subject position (with
the receptor head turned if necessary) in
such a way that the spherical dif fuser is
pointed toward the camera and is receiving
the same light as the subject.
4. With the lever in its unlocked position
lp.7l, push the measuring button all the
way in to take the reading. lf neither over-
or under-rang warning is indicated in the
window (p. 10), read the indicatedexposure
from the scale desired when the dial stops
moving. Releasingthe button will prevent
the d ial f rom moving with changing I ight
and preservethe reading.
Incident readingsmay also be made with the
optional min i receptor (p. 171, 4X or 8X
spherical N D diff user (p. 1 7), or f lat diffuser
(p. 15) for specialpurposes.View original page 14Page 15 · Read text
For ref lected light measurement bayonet index as shown, inserting its bayo
Reflected-light readings are taken with the net into the receptor mount, and turning
optional Viewf inder 10" or ref lected-light the ring clockwise as far as it will go. (The
attachment. To use these: dot will be out of sight; the Viewf inder 10"
can be removed by turning the ring until the
V i e w f i n d e r 1 O dot is once more aligned with the index and
1. Attach this accessoryto the meter head by lifting the bayonet out of the socket.)
positioning it and the red dot on its grooved 2. Be sure the incident/reflected selector
attaching ring aligned with the receptor- ( p . 7 ) i s s e t t o " R E F . "
www.butkus.usView original page 15Page 16 · Read text
Set the applicable film speed. Rotate the meter's receptor head to the right 180' or so that the eyepiece is at a convenient angle for viewing on the front side of the meter above the exposure scales.View original page 16
Page 18 · Read text
5. Read the value indicated by the EV-number
index as soon as the scale has stopped
1. Attach the flat diffuser to the Auto Meter | | movtng.
as indicated on p. 6. 6. Convert the reading to the desired units by
2. Set incident/reflected selector to "lNC." referring to the table of the back of the
( p . 7 ) . meter (e.9.,an indication of EV 10 converts
3. Set a fitm speed of ASA 100 (p. 6). to 2500 luces or 230 foot-candles).
4. With diffuser disk in the desired position
(normally, parallel and as close as possible
to the surface where light is to be measur-
ed), push the measuringbutton.View original page 18Page 19 · Read text
t1 6 To determine laghting ratios Steps'differenceon Approx'brightness
1. With the incident/reflected selector set at ratio of brightness reference scare "lNC." (p. 7) and the flat diffuser properly source to other
attached (p.6), point it directly at the 0 1 : light source - viz., continuous lighting units 1 2 : such as floods or spots, but not bulb- or 1-1t2 3 : electronic-flash equipment - to be meas- 2 4 : ured from the subject position. 3 8 : 2. Push the measuring button and note the 4 1 6 : point indicated by the index on the refer- 5 3 2 : ence-number scale.(There are three indexes,
each of which enters the scale range at one (For example, if the first reading indicates"9"
end when another one goes off the other by the index with no plus number beside it and
end. f f "+1O" or "+2O" appears to the left the second moves the "*10" index to "2" tor a
of the index, add this number to the vafue of 10 + 2 = 12, the number of steps
indicated value for the correct reading.) difference is 12 - 9 = 3, and the second light
3. Then follow the same procedure to take a source is approximately I times brighter than
reading from the light source to be conF the first.)
pared. Similarly, the referenceor EV scalecan also
4. Find the number of steps difference bet- be used with the Viewfinder 10" with the meter
ween indications on the reference-number set on "REF." to take readings of various
scale. Then determine the approximate subject areas. Comparing them by means of the
lighting ratio from the following table: table will yield the subject contrast or bright-
nessratio between them. I
Lv www.butkus.us .r' *View original page 19Page 20 · Read text
Minr receptor
This very small remote receptor is used to
measure inc ident conti nu ou s but not bu I b or
electronic flash in otherwise inaccessibleposi-
4 X a n d B X s p h e r i c aNl D d i f f u s e r s tions. lt is especially useful for close-ups and
Each of these spherical diffusers incorpe photomacrography. To use this accessory:
rates a neutral-density element and is used 1. Insert the single-prongplug on its cord all
when light is too bright to be measured the way into the accessory-receptor jack on
otherwise. With the 4X diffuser, the meter's the receptor head of the Auto Meter ll.
upward range is thus effectively extended by 2. Set the incident/reflected selector to "lNC."
two stops (2 EV); with the 8X, by 3 EV or ( p . 7 ) .
th ree stops. 3. Metering is done in the same way as f or
Instructions for use of either ND diffuser usual incident-light measurements (p. 11).
are the same as for the regular spherical The flexible shaft can be bent and shaped to
diffuser (p. 1 1). facilitate taking readings in many hard-to-
reach positions.
U9View original page 20Page 21 · Read text
Spot mask tor determinirrgenlargingexposure
1. Attach the spot mask to the Auto Meter ll 4. Project each subsequent similar-quality
as indicated on p. 6. negative on the easel and set the lens to the
2. Set the incident/reflectedselector to "lNC." same aperture as used for the test enlarge-
( p . 7 ) . me nt.
3. To calibrate: Make a satisfactory test en- 5. Place the meter and spot as in step 3 above
largement by trial and error without using and push the measuringbutton.
the meter. Then with all conditions the 6. After the scales have stopped moving, read
same, turn on the enlarger again, place the the requ ired exposure time opposite the
meter on the easel with the mask's spot aperture+cale f-number at wh ich the elr
toward the lens in an area of medium larger lens is set.
density in the projected image, and push the Alternatively, if you wish to u se the same
measuring button until the scales have exposure time as for the test enlargement,
stopped moving. Next align the enlarger-lens note the value (e.9., 7 at tl8 for 8 sec.)
f-number and the time used to make the test indicated by the index on the reference-
print (e.9., tl8 for 8 sec.) on the meter's number scale in step 3, and proceed with
expoilre dial by turning the film-speed steps 4 and 5. While keeping the measuring
settingdisk (p. 6). button depressed in the latter, adjust the
aperture of the enlarger lens until the
reference-number-scaleindex points to the
same value as in step 3 (viz., 7l-. Then leave
the enlarger lens set at that aperture for
exposu re. lf the same value cannot be
obtained at maximum or minimum aper'
ture, use a higher or lower reference number
and adjust exposure time by one stop for
each step's difference (t.9., at 6, double
exposure time to 15 sec.; at 8, halve it to 4
sec.).
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TECHNICAL INFORMATION
Type: Multi-purpose photoelectric exposure meter with single-rangemotorized dial
Receptor: Silicon photo cell . 1 9
Measuringmodes: lncident light with spherical diffuser or optional 4X or 8x ND diffusers or
mini receptor
Reflected light with optional Viewfinder 10" attachment! llluminance or lighting ratios with optional flat diffuser
Enlargingexposure with optional spot mask
Scale ranges: Film speeds:ASA 6 to 25,000, DIN 9 to 45
Apertures: tl1 to tl9O
Cine frame rates: 8 to 128 fps (with 180o sector opening)
EV: -8 to 25
Exposure times: 1/8000 sec.to 2 hrs.
Circu it: Transistorized type that compensates for cell characteristics and other
conditions and combines with extended-range motor unit for maximum
responselinearity
Power source: One 6v silver-oxide battery, Eveready No. 544 or equivalent
Other: Bayonet-type receptor mount on head rotates 300", measuring button lock,
button-lamp type battery checker, EV-to-lux/ft-c conversion table on back of
body, separate-receptorjack, over-/under-rangewarning
Accessories: Included with unit: spherical diffuser, neck strap, soft pouch case with
drawstrings
Available-optionally: Reflected-light attachment (angle of acceptance: Ap-
prox. 40"), Viewfinder 10o (reflected-light attachment with 10o angle of
acceptance),flat diffuser, 4X spherical ND diffuser,8X spherical ND diffuser,
mini receptor (each common to Minolta Flash Meter ll), Spot Mask ll
Size: 4 2 x 6 7 x 1 3 1 m m ( 1 - 5 / 8 x 2 - 5 1 8 x $ 1 / 8 i n . )
Weight: 27Og (9-112oz.l
*:i.t;*.i*;-'. .:,,J;iilGi*'View original page 22Page 23 · Read text
CARE AND STORAGE
20 Do not touch diffuser surfaces with the
fingers; keep them clean by using a soft
brush on then from time to time. lf they
become soiled, remove loose matter with a
blower brush, then wipe gently with a soft
cloth.
Do not allow solvents or other chemicalsto
contact meter or receptor surfaces.
Avoid subjecting your Auto Meter ll to
vibration or shocks.
The unit should never be placed or left in
glove compartment or other placesin motor
vehicles or elsewhere in which it may be
subject or to relatively high temperatures.
Further, do not store it in humid places or
in corrosive conditions.
lf the Auto Meter ll is left unused for more
than a month, be sure to remove the
battery.
r When the unit is to be stored for a long
time, it should ideally by placed in its case i
and sealed in an air-tight container with an
appropriate quantity of a dehumidifying
agent such as silica gel.
:-;1.. ::r**,,,;:o*",.* www.butkus.us -*f,aee*r*,S|L-, iIView original page 23From the M. Butkus archive. Original publisher and archive notices are retained.
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