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Extinction Lightmeters

OPTEK

So far I have found 4 variations of this light meter. They all come in a small blue cardboard box with different symbols on the box and the front of the meter. They all have OPTEK on the back, which I assume is the manufacturer and some have Leningrad. on the back..

The manual is on line!

Basic instructions: Open the white cover, find the lowest number that you can read, set the dial to it, and read the settings off the dial for your film speed.

Comment: This shows the basic problem with extinction light meters, different people's eyes have different sensitivity to light and they may get different readings!

KIV2LM

I have just recieved this lightmeter. It is very different from the rest of the Soviet light meters. More to come!

Basic instructions:  Find the lowest number that you can read, set the dial to it, amd read the settings off the dial for your film speed.

TT extinction lightmeter

This is the only example of this type of Soviet light meter that I have ever seen.

Basic instructions: Look through the eyepiece, find the lowest number that you can read, set the dial to it, amd read the settings off the dial for your film speed.

Electronic Lightmeters

FED Lightmeter

This is a round selenium lightmeter calibrated in GOST. This is by far the highest quality lightmeter that I have ever seen. It is every bit as well made as the camera. It was made for only a little while before the war and most do not work.It came in a brown leather case marked FED.

Basic operating instructions Set film speed, transfer meter reading to dial read matchingfstop and shutter speeds and transfer them to the camera.

WARNING: Selenium cells have a finate life always close the case when not in use to protect the cell.

KIEV

This is probably the highest quality Soviet lightmeter that I have seen other than the FED lightmeter. It is far heavier than any of the other meters. It has a film speed range of gost 4 to gost 250. It has time settings from 1250 of a second to 8seconds. Aperatures from f1.4 to f45 are provided for. The passport is dated 1956. Although it is named Kiev there is no indication that it was made at the Arsenal.

Speculation: The top speed of 1250 would seem to indicate that this meter was made to be a companion to the Kiev rangefinder cameras. the brown version is very rare!
Of course, the question that arises is:. Was buying the camera and the seperate lightmeter any cheaper than just buying the camera with the lightmeter built in?

WARNING: Selenium cells have a finate life always close the case when not in use to protect the cell.

Leningrad

This is a selenium lightmeter calibrated in Gost. It allows the use of aperatures from 1 to 22 and shutter speeds from one onthousandth of a second to 60 seconds. It has one range and accepts film speeds from 11 gost to 700 gost. There is a film speed conversion table on the back of the meter. A white filter is provided for use as an incident light meter. It is made of black bakelite and comes in a brown leather case.

WARNING: Selenium cells have a finate life always close the case when not in use to protect the cell.

Leningrad-2

This is a selenium lightmeter calibrated in Gost. It allows the use of aperatures from 1.4 to 22 and shutter speeds from 1 one thousandth of a second to 15 seconds. It has one range and accepts film speeds from 4 gost to 320 gost and is also calibrated in DIN. It also has an auxillary scale. A white filter is provided for use as an incident light meter. It is made of black bakelite and comes in a brown leather case.

There is a variation that has a film speed conversion table on the back of the meter and does not have DIN on the dial. This appears to be identical to the Moscow meter.

WARNING: Selenium cells have a finate life always close the case when not in use to protect the cell.

Leningrad-3

As near as I can tell the odd numbered lightmeters do not exist.

Leningrad-4

This is a selenium lightmeter calibrated in Gost and Din or in ASA and Din on the export model. It allows the use of aperatures from 1.4 to 22 and shutter speeds from 1one thousandth of a second to 15 seconds. It has 2 ranges and accepts film speeds from 4 gost to 1000 gost, 6 to 30 DIN, 3 to 800 ASA. It also has a CINE scale and an auxillary scale. There was even a commerative lightmeter made for the Moscow Olympics. A white filter is provided for use as an incident light meter. It is made of gray, black, brown or green plastic and comes in a black leather case.

WARNING: Selenium cells have a finate life always close the case when not in use to protect the cell.

Leningrad-5

As near as I can tell the odd numbered lightmeters do not exist..

Leningrad-6

This is a silicon cell lightmeter calibrated in Gost. It has a reflex viewfinder in the middle of the dial. It allows the use of aperatures from 1.4 to 45 and shutter speeds from one two thousandth of a second to 2 minutes. It has 2 ranges and accepts film speeds from 6 gost to 1400 gost, 2.8 to 33 DIN. It also has an auxillary scale.. A sliding white filter is provided for use as an incident light meter. A 625A battery is required for operation. It is made of black plastic or a very rare varient has a gray top and comes in a black leather case.

Leningrad-7

This is a silicon cell lightmeter calibrated in Gost and Din or in ASA and Din on the export model. It allows the use of aperatures from 1.4 to 22 and shutter speeds from 1 two thousandth of a second to 30 seconds. One fo the unique things about this meter is that it has 3 ranges and accepts film speeds from 2.8 gost to 1400 gost, 6 to 33 DIN, 3 to 800 ASA. It also has a CINE scale and an auxillary scale. A white filter is provided for use as an incident light meter. There was even a commerative lightmeter made for the Moscow Olympics. It is made of black plastic and comes in a black leather case.

Comment: This is the exception to the rule, an odd numbered light meter!

Leningrad-8

This is a silicon cell lightmeter calibrated in Gost. I appears to be a simplified Leningrad 7. It allows the use of apertures from 1.4 to 22 and shutter speeds from one four thousandth of a second to 2minutes. It has2 range and accepts film speeds from 3 gost to 3200 gost, 6 to 36 DIN. It also has an auxillary scale.. A white filter is provided for use as an incident light meter. It is made of black plastic and comes in a black leather case.

Leningrad-10

This meter is very rare and for some reason people are willing to pay more for it than what an better Gossen or other brand would cost This is  a modified Leningrad 4..Many of them have defective contacts between the rotating head and the meter body. next to the meter are shown the 3 different covers for the metering head.

Moscow

The moscow appears to be a close copy or just a renamed Leningrad-2. This is a selenium lightmeter calibrated in Gost. It allows the use of aperatures from 1.4 to 22 and shutter speeds from 1 one thousandth of a second to 15 seconds. It has one range and accepts film speeds from 4 gost to 320 gost. There is a film speed conversion table on the back of the meter. A white filter is provided for use as an incident light meter. It is made of black bakelite and comes in a brown leather case.

WARNING: Selenium cells have a finate life always close the case when not in use to protect the cell.

Electronika

After close examination of this meter I believe that after a little modification it was renamed Sverdlosk 2.

Sverdlovsk

As near as I can tell the odd numbered lightmeters do not exist.

Sverdlovsk-2

This is a silicon cell lightmeter calibrated in DIN andGost. It has a reflex viewfinder in the upper left cornerl.It allows the use of aperatures from 0.7 to 64 and shutter speeds from one four thousandth of a second to 30 minutes. It has 2 ranges and accepts film speeds from 1 gost to 2000 gost, 3 to 36 DIN. It also has an auxillary scale and tables on the back... A sliding white filter is provided for use as an incident light meter. The original Soviet battery for this meter is no longer available but it can easily be modified to use three 625A batteries for operation.  It is made of gray plastic and comes in a black leather case..

There is an extremely rare commerative meter celebrating the 30 th anniversary of the end of World War II.

Sverdlovsk-3

As near as I can tell the odd numbered lightmeters do not exist.

Sverdlovsk-4

This is a silicon cell lightmeter calibrated in Gost/ASA. It has a reflex viewfinder in theupper corner, .It allows the use of aperatures from 1.4 to 45 and shutter speeds from one two thousandth of a second to 2 hours. It has 2 ranges and accepts film speeds from 3 gost to 3200 gost, 3 to 36 DIN. It also has an auxillary scale and tables on the back... A sliding white filter is provided for use as an incident light meter. The original Soviet battery for this meter is no longer available but it can easily be modified to use three 625A batteries for operation. A battery pack is also provided that uses 3 AA batteries. The meter is used by looking through a little window and turning a wheel until a Led comes on. It is made of black plastic and comes in a black leather case.

Sverdlovsk-5

As near as I can tell the odd numbered lightmeters do not exist.

Sverdlovsk-6

This is a silicon cell lightmeter calibrated in Gost/ASA..It allows the use of aperatures from 1.4 to 22 and shutter speeds from one two thousandth of a second to 60 secondss. It has 2 ranges and accepts film speeds from 3 gost to 6400 gost, 6 to 39DIN. It also has an auxillary scale and tables on the back... A sliding white filter is provided for use as an incident light meter.The original Soviet battery for this meter is no longer available but it can easily be modified to use three 625A batteries for operation.

Rapri E-201

This is a spot meter only . It uses 6 PX625A batteries.

Basic operating instructions Set film speed , while looking through the window turn the dial until the led just lights. Read matching fstop and shutter speeds and transfer them to the camera.

SPECIFICATIONS :