Weston "Euro" meter

[Bill_1856]

While the old Weston Master exposure meters always had a great reputation for reliability, my "Euro" doesn't. I bought it new (long time ago and in a Galaxy far, far away) and within a year it was unreliable. A couple of years ago it was sent to Quality and came back perfect, but now is way off again. My real question is: do I have a stinker, or do the Euro models have a bad reputation. Do I send this one back to Quality again, or buy a used III or IV still working after all these years?

[John Cook]

I used a Weston Master V (purchased in that very same Galaxy) for years with no problems. Still have two nice shiny ones (somewhere in the studio). It is, I believe, essentially the same as the present Euro model.

My impression was that the only thing (other than dropping out of a helicopter) that could go wrong with those was that the seal on the silicon photo cell would begin to leak. When that happened, it meant a very costly cell replacement was the only remedy.

Dumb question: Have you tried zeroing the needle with the tiny screw on the back?

Here is a useful website, an interesting history of all Weston meters, with some good links:

http://www.westonmeter.org.uk/

One of those links, at the bottom of the “Company” menu page, is the website of Megatron, the company who is supposed to be still producing these meters. Their e-mail address is there also.

In my experience, Weston’s seven-stop lighting system, as displayed on the meter dial, is far superior to Adam’s Zone Thingy. (Wash my mouth out with soap!)

[Bill_1856]

Thanks, John. You mentioned a silicon meter cell. Mine has an old-fashioned Selenium cell. Are we talking about the same instrument?

[ronald moravec]

He just misspoke. Selenium cells die after 10/20 years. Keep away from humidity and light when not in use.

[John Cook]

Bill, Ronald is quite correct. It is indeed selenium. The Catch 22 is being old enough to remember these meters without being too old to remember them correctly.

[Frank Petronio]

I had a new one from Megotron during a retro Leica phase. The new ones are excellent too.

[Emmanuel BIGLER]

I do not know wheter this personnal note may help the community, but I've been using a Weston Euro Master made in East Kilbride, Scotland since 1982 with no problem at all. At the beginnig I was very careful to always let the exposure meter with the needle freed as mentioned in the user's manual. I graduated as a student in Physics at a time when moving-mirror galvanometers where still in use and had to be locked before being re-located from one room to another. After that, analog volt- and am-meters became more sturdy and were soon replaced by 100% digital stuff ;-);-) but I did not forget the old story when I bought my Weston !!

Since, years after years, I never noticed anothing wrong with my Weston Euro, I became gradually lazy with this question and now I have no idea wheter my Weston has the needle locked or unlocked 'at rest'.

The only thing which is a bit annoying is the locking button itslef, it is made of plastic and it is a current "disease" of weston meters that the locking button gradualy wears out and looses the slot required for unlocking the needle. An real improvement would be to replace this "weak" plastic push/turn button by something metallic. Having it replaced in combination with a check-up and re-calibration once every 30 years is not a big deal however and doing so you re-start "fresh" for 1/3 of a century at least ;-);-)

[Scott Sharp]

I have a Weston Euro-Master II and I love it. I bought it from Mr. Cad in England several years ago and have used it with great results ever since. I was curious Emmanuel what you meant by the needle locked or unlocked at rest. Does it matter which way you store the meter with the needle free to move or locked in position? It would be good to know for the longevity of the meter. Older Weston meters had no lock button from the Master III on down.

[John Cook]

Scott, the movement to which the needle is attached is a precise and delicate electrical instrument, like a fine Swiss watch, subject to damage from external shock in handling.

As with all professional volt-ohm electrical meters I have used in electronics repair, the meter movement can be locked when not in use to prevent the needle bouncing around when in transit. If you are careful and don't jar the meter, this is not necessary.

Also, a lockable needle can be useful if you are reading something in a position where you can't see the dial to read it.

[Emmanuel BIGLER]

Sorry if I was not very clear.
The official users' manual for my Weston Euro Master states that if the meter has to be stored quietly on a shelf for a long period of time, the needle should be preferably unlocked, probably because it is better to the delicate system to stay free "at rest" when not in use for a long time with no foreseeable shock.
For normal use, when carrying the meter (exposed to various shocks) you should keep it locked like old needle instruments that had to be locked before being moved from one place to another. Of course you un-lock the needle temporarily when taking a meter reading. Locking the needle is very convenient when you use the incident light method with the Invercone or when selecting areas in reflected metering.

I became lazy in the sense that I now leave the meter locked all the time like most Weston users probably do.
At the beginning I had prepared a small cardboard warning sign written "meter is unlocked ; lock it before use ; re-unlock after use". I used to leave the cardboard warning sign on the shelf and unlocked the meter when coming back home.