2026-08-14 Capital L-1 Lightmeter

This Capital* L-1 CdS lightmeter came with a loose plastic window cover. Looking at the back there was a needle zeroing screw and two screw “wells” thoroughly plugged with a material similar to plaster.

These screw hole plugs take different forms. I have encountered small rubber plugs, plastic caps and even something close to wax. These are the first I have met that had a hard crumbly texture, but I persisted. I was using a metal tool a lot like a cupped sharpened spoon for the first plug. I dug and dug and 3/16 inch down I hit a chrome slotted screw head. Having got a grip on the problem, on the second well I used a slotted screwdriver to simply twist the material out of the way, a layer at a time.
Once both holes were cleared I unscrewed the fasteners, but the case stayed reasonably tight together. With gentle prying the case separated but I must confess there were some unexplained fragments of black plastic inside once the case was open. In my defense, when the case was being reassembled I found the halves snapped together almost without needing the screws. I put the screws back anyway!

I found the hard plastic window had popped off its glue bedding. I have some amazing fish glue I bought years ago—it is used as a fast clamping wood furniture glue—that I used to re-stick the window in place.

While the case was open I got to marvel at the off/on high range/low range switch and the relatively flimsy wire from the battery to the meter electronics. It is unlikely this meter will be pressed into service as it uses the banned (mercury) PX-625 battery and the 675 air cells are expensive short term replacements.

*Capital—a Japanese manufacturer— made a series of meters, going into some pretty complicated designs. The L-1 model shown weighs 47 gm without a battery.

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