The light meter of my Praktica LTL3 just went crazy.

Tom Sawyer · Apr 21, 2009

I was finishing a roll of APX 100, shot the last few pictures, then I loaded roll of color film because I was planning on shooting a few birds with my new tele lens the next day.
So far so good, the next day I picked the camera and the meter goes up all the way even at 1/1000 and f/22, indoors...
I set the Iso rating correctly, in fact, I didn't even change it because the new film is ISO 100 too just like the APX.

So, could it be an exhausted battery that is causing this? I haven't changed it since I got the camera second hand. But it doesn't seem likely, I'd think the meter would just stop working if the battery wasn't good anymore.

I know that if it's broke, it's probably not worth fixing, unless I get another body for parts, but I'd like to know if I should bother to get a new battery or if anybody has any tips.

Thanks!

ully · Apr 22, 2009

Try a new battery first.

compur · Apr 22, 2009

Ditto.

If that doesn't help you can use the battery in your replacement body.

Dwig · Apr 22, 2009

Tom Sawyer said:
...I'd like to know if I should bother to get a new battery or if anybody has any tips.

Thanks!

You say the "meter goes up". Which way does the needle go when turned off or when the battery is removed?

If the needle rests either centered or "down" when unpowered (off or no battery) and "up" when on then the meter is "broken" in some way. A common reason for this type of meter to swing from the rest position to one extreme end of the range when on is a failure of the meter cell. This type of cell (Cadnium Selenide or Cds) can fail by shorting out (zero electrical resistance). Zero resistance is seen by the rest of the metering circuit as infinitely bright light causing the needle to peg and not center regardless of how high a shutter speed is set or how little light actually reaches the cell (small aperture or even leaving the lens cap on).

If the needle is swinging to the same place that it "returns" to when unpowered then it could be simply a dead battery.