[Leica] Re: Battery adapter wanted (became a long story)

[Hans-Peter.Lammerich@t-online.de]

A couple of weeks ago I e-mailed Leica info service on the mercury
battery problem for my SL and CL. Their response was some kind of
standard letter, recommending the zink-air button. In addition Leica
service has bought some stock of mercury batteries which is expected to
last for two years from now (but they did not quote their price). They
did not mention the cris adapter at all.

Because I heard that Rollei has authorised a meter recalibration for
their 35 to take the 625U button (1.5V, alkali-mangan), I asked Paepke
in Duesseldorf for the cost (for the Rollei 35 and the SL, forget to ask
for CL). They do it for DM 76 + VAT, but mention a risk that the higher
voltage may fry the cds cell! And the battery needs to be replaced after
6 months due to voltage drop, making the meter inaccurate.

After all I find it stupid that EU and US legislators banned mercury
batteries instead of just requiring that new cameras, hearing aids etc.
shall work with mercury free batteries. Mercury cells in my cameras seem
to last for years instead of the 4 to 6 weeks quoted for zinc-air cells.
Are 30 to 60 zinc-air cells that I would need to purchase over five
years better for the environment than a single mercury cell, even
without recycling? Where is the proper environmental impact assessment
to prove that zinc-air is better? Why legislators are bashing the
minority of classic camera users, but not owners of 3 ton, 400 hp "sport
utilitiy vehicles"? Zinc-air is probably ok for hearing aids which suck
any battery in 4 weeks, for occasional use and low current applications
like photoelectric meters mercury is hard to beat. I am not really
willing to accept the limited life of the . Because the battery is
hidden inside the Rollei 35 and Leica CL, you can replace it only in the
dark or when you change the film. 

Particular in bigger German stores, the mercury buttons are now
difficult to find and their zink-air replacements seem to be totally
unavailable in 625 size. Now I search small shops for old stock of
mercury cells. Last week I stepped into a special shop for hearing aids.
The owner understood my problem well and even said that mercury is
better for nearing aids, too. But he had no mercury and no zinc-air
cells in 625 size. At the end he gave me little "six-pack" of PX675HP
1.4V mercury buttons. He did not want money. The weird story behind is
that (1) he is not allowed by law to sell mercury cells, that (2) a
photo dealer next door sold them to me for money, and (3) that on the
other hand some of his clients (war veterans etc.) still get mercury
cells for their hearing aids free of charge from government which seems
of have a large stock. 

I found that the smaller PX675HP 1.4V work well in my Leica SL and
Rollei 35 which both have a metal screw-in cover for the battery
compartment. Despite the 0.05V difference to the PX625 the light meters
are on-spot. Unfortunnately the small 675 cells do make proper contact
in my Leica CL and my Yashicamat 124G. 

Hans-Peter