Bolex P2 light meter

[Guest]

Does anyone know what kind of battery i can use to replace the light meter battery in a Bolex P2? They don't make the original mercury batteries anymore.
If a replacement isn't available, I could use a separate light meter. Does anybody know how much to adjust the exposure given by an external light meter to comepnsate for the light split off for the finder in the P2?

[H8rex]

Radio Shack sells a zink air cell that has worked for years in my P2. It requires a copper wire coiled up like a spring to make contact. ~ The voltage is close to being the same as required and exposures were always fine in the center of the meter regardless.
I do hope your meter works, many don't, if it does you have a treasure there.
Michael

[FlyingO]

12 years later.. I use a 675 hearing aide battery and a rolled up chunk of aluminum foil to fill the gap and Bob's your Uncle it works like a charm! Accurate until the voltage drop off months down the line.

[silverhalide]

There are battery adapters available on ebay that contain a teeny-tiny voltage regulator and employ readily-available modern batteries as the power source. If you search on "MR9 adapter", for instance, you'll see. I bought a couple for a Bolex 150 Super and they work great.

B&H offers one for Gossen meters which accepts/replaces two cells. It also works great!