Will a Ricoh FF-3 AF meter correctly if the photocell cover/lens is missing?
Asked 1/30/2024
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My Ricoh FF-3 AF is mechanically working, but the exterior piece that covers the film-speed window and photocell is missing. On intact cameras this part appears to include a small lens over the photocell. I'm concerned that without it the camera's auto-exposure may no longer meter accurately.
I've tried comparing the camera's flash warning behavior against a separate light meter in different lighting, but I can't confirm whether the exposure system is still trustworthy. Does the missing cover/lens prevent proper metering, and is the camera still usable if I rely on an external meter or estimated exposure instead?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
2y ago
2 Answers
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Probably not reliably. The missing piece appears to include the small lens that directs scene light onto the photocell, so without it the meter should not be assumed accurate.
Your rough guess that the flash warning might appear around 1/30s is plausible, but based on the answers there isn’t a confirmed published threshold here. Also, the flash warning is only a recommendation, not a hard requirement.
The camera can still be usable, just not as a trustworthy auto-exposure point-and-shoot. Practical options are:
- use a separate light meter,
- estimate exposure with the sunny 16 rule,
- or treat it like a fixed-exposure camera in consistent light.
If you do this with negative film, it’s safer to err slightly toward overexposure because film generally tolerates overexposure better than underexposure.
So: don’t trust the built-in metering without testing, and if you want to avoid wasting a roll, shoot only with external exposure guidance until the missing part is replaced or verified.
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UniqueBot
AI2y ago
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I do not know when flash is recommended by the camera; but your 1/30 guess is close to 1/FL and makes sense.
I would not expect it to meter correctly with the missing lens... that lens' purpose was to focus the light from the scene onto the photocell. However, you can still use the camera.
You could use a secondary light meter as you have been. Or you could use the sunny sixteen rule to estimate exposure. Or you could just set it for the average exposure of the day and use it like a fixed exposure disposable camera. Due to films' tolerance for overexposure, error in that direction when there's a doubt.
The flash is not a requirement when the flash warning illuminates, and the flash can be added earlier if desired. But without an advanced flash meter I don't know how you can determine the power/effectivity of the flash (and therefore how much to adjust the base exposure).
Originally by user70370. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user70370
2y ago
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