Just removed batteries from my M6

darkosaric · Jun 27, 2018

Am I the only one that finds those blinking lights in the viewfinder irritating? In any case - since I use B&W films only, I don't need light meter. Now M6 viewfinder is more like in the M3, less distracting.

Theo Sulphate · Jun 27, 2018

The directional arrow lights should be steadily lit; they'll blink if the battery is low.

I don't mind them, but I understand your preference.

GarageBoy · Jun 27, 2018

Pay a premium for the Leica with a meter only to not use it...
I personally would be more distracted by not knowing the exposure, esp if the meter is available

Ces1um · Jun 27, 2018

darkosaric said:
Am I the only one that finds those blinking lights in the viewfinder irritating? In any case - since I use B&W films only, I don't need light meter. Now M6 viewfinder is more like in the M3, less distracting.

Why does black and white film not need a meter?

darkosaric · Jun 27, 2018

Ces1um said:
Why does black and white film not need a meter?

If I miss stop or a two in B&W - for me it does not matter (I always overexpose when I can anyhow). For slides it does matter. And when I use my other Leicas - they don't have meter at all.

darkosaric · Jun 27, 2018

GarageBoy said:
Pay a premium for the Leica with a meter only to not use it...
I personally would be more distracted by not knowing the exposure, esp if the meter is available

I have found myself using M3 much more than M6. Beside better and bigger viewfinder for 50mm - reason was also clarity and empties of the finder. The same goes for Nikon F with plain prism. Joy to use, no info - only your frame.
If only I could get rid of 75mm lines in my M6 ... but that cost too much.

ic-racer · Jun 27, 2018

A light meter is for the photographer, not the film. The film does not care how the exposure settings came about.

Marcelo Paniagua · Jun 27, 2018

darkosaric said:
Am I the only one that finds those blinking lights in the viewfinder irritating? In any case - since I use B&W films only, I don't need light meter. Now M6 viewfinder is more like in the M3, less distracting.

So far, yeah, you are the only one

For me it is a thing about mood (my mood, not the camera's) and shooting conditions.

If I plan on shooting outdoors, normally use a non meter Leica (either the M4-P or a LTM).

If things seems that they may include indoors, I use the M6. Don't really find them annoying or anything.

On the other hand, you may enjoy the M5 better. No blinking lights and good light meter

Regards

Marcelo

darkosaric · Jun 28, 2018

Marcelo Paniagua said:
So far, yeah, you are the only one

It looks like I am . From another side - I have seen that some APUGers did purchased pure mechanical M-A, not MP .

Helinophoto · Jun 28, 2018

Have both the M3 and the M6 and I prefer the light-meter on my M6, it's very easy to gauge exposure and give the film one more stop exposure.

With the m3, I need to use an external meter, or I get lost trying to guess.

pentaxpete · Jun 28, 2018

you're Lucky that your M6 meter is still working -- I'm fed up with my 1986 M6 -- second time the meter circuit has failed meaning a very expensive repair so i use my 1960's British Weston Master V or my 1950's Master II -- good old BRITISH engineering!

GarageBoy · Jun 28, 2018

German electronics... Sadly, you're not the only one with a dead m6 meter

darkosaric · Jun 28, 2018

Well - if somebody has a M6 0.85 with dead meter - I will gladly exchange it with 0.72 with working meter.

Huss · Jul 1, 2018

darkosaric said:
I have found myself using M3 much more than M6. Beside better and bigger viewfinder for 50mm - reason was also clarity and empties of the finder. The same goes for Nikon F with plain prism. Joy to use, no info - only your frame.
If only I could get rid of 75mm lines in my M6 ... but that cost too much.

I had DAG do that to my M5, M7 and M-A. It was 'only' $180 each and that included him recalibrating the RF (as it had to come apart).
So, if your M6 needs its RF adjusted anyway, it's a good time to do it.

I hated the 75mm frame lines - I'd never use that focal length and it just clutters up the 50mm view.

Ko.Fe. · Jul 1, 2018

darkosaric said:
If I miss stop or a two in B&W - for me it does not matter (I always overexpose when I can anyhow). For slides it does matter. And when I use my other Leicas - they don't have meter at all.

Not really. Slides are usually ISO100 and best at sunny days. It means S16 applies easelly. Even ISO400 C-41 film, not a big deal if you are not chasing shadows in the night.
I gave my exposure meter to our neighbor son, who has family Zenit as film learning tool.

And I'm agree, I have Bessa R2M as backup and to get its lights not flickering is quite a procedure. I think it is Auto or Manual.

mshchem · Jul 1, 2018

I use a M6ttl. I'm a incident meter fan. I do use the in camera meter for some shots. One really useful thing, if you leave the lens cap on ,all the leds flash. Hard to be a retro chic cool dude if you get caught taking snaps with the cap on.

Ai Print · Jul 1, 2018

I took the batteries out of my M6TTL years ago, just too distracting for me. I use a Gossen Digisix with all my film bodies anyway so I don’t miss the in camera meter.

narsuitus · Jul 2, 2018

darkosaric said:
Now M6 viewfinder is more like in the M3, less distracting.

I think removing the batteries from the M6 is a splendid idea. I think I will do the same so my M6 will perform like my Nikon F2.

Leica M6 & Nikon F2 by Narsuitus, on Flickr

guangong · Jul 2, 2018

With modern batteries, unlike the old mercury battery, if camera is likely to sit unused for a while removing batteries is not a bad idea.
When M6 was first introduced I looked through an M6 viewfinder and decided not as bright as earlier M cameras.
I prefer my M4 and M3 cameras for regular use, and M5 with match needle if I want a TTL meter. Diods too hard to see in bright light.

darkosaric · Jul 2, 2018

narsuitus said:
I think removing the batteries from the M6 is a splendid idea. I think I will do the same so my M6 will perform like my Nikon F2.

Yes .

Huss · Jul 2, 2018

guangong said:
With modern batteries, unlike the old mercury battery, if camera is likely to sit unused for a while removing batteries is not a bad idea.
When M6 was first introduced I looked through an M6 viewfinder and decided not as bright as earlier M cameras.
I prefer my M4 and M3 cameras for regular use, and M5 with match needle if I want a TTL meter. Diods too hard to see in bright light.

This is a slight digression but that is one reason I prefer the match needle metering with the AE head on the Minolta XK vs the LEDs on the AE-S head. The diodes are impossible to see on a bright day, and blind you at night.

But I have no issue with the LEDs with the M7 (in manual mode it behaves like the M6TTL, no?)

guangong · Jul 2, 2018

Huss said:
This is a slight digression but that is one reason I prefer the match needle metering with the AE head on the Minolta XK vs the LEDs on the AE-S head. The diodes are impossible to see on a bright day, and blind you at night.

But I have no issue with the LEDs with the M7 (in manual mode it behaves like the M6TTL, no?)

The last Leica I bought was an M5. I bought a voightlander to use Leica lenses with LEDs and can’t see them in bright light either. I also prefer match needle. Minolta lenses are certainly no slouches. The only Minolta I ever owned was similar to the one that NASA used for space flight in c1960, given to me by folks at Minolta in NYC.

darkosaric · Jul 3, 2018

My first Minolta that I had was Hi-Matic F. Rangefinder with automatic functions - but the Rokkor lens was superb. Still find the print from 2006 made with Hi-Matic one of my favorites:

Dead Link Removed

Laurent · Jul 6, 2018

darkosaric said:
Am I the only one that finds those blinking lights in the viewfinder irritating? In any case - since I use B&W films only, I don't need light meter. Now M6 viewfinder is more like in the M3, less distracting.

One of the reasons I only have unmetered cameras now is I found it too distracting to have to read the exposure in the same place I was composing.

Just removed batteries from my M6

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