Newbie Leica M6 meter question

pressureworld · May 5, 2014

Hello to all. I just purchased a very nice, M6 classic. I immediately changed the batteries, but cannot get the exposure meter to work. Is it supposed to work even though there is no film or lens on the camera. All help would be greatly appreciated.

erikg · May 5, 2014

It won't work without a lens.

pressureworld · May 5, 2014

Thank You much, I was almost worried

erikg · May 5, 2014

Been there. Enjoy the M6.

Oren Grad · May 5, 2014

I just grabbed one of my M6 bodies to check this. It works fine without a lens - the meter lights up and responds to changes in the shutter speed even without a lens mounted. This is what you'd expect, because the only "communication" between lens and body in an M6 is the mechanical linkage with the rangefinder mechanism.

summicron1 · May 5, 2014

make sure the battery is good, make sure it is put in correctly, make sure the battery terminals are clean -- rub them and the battery ends with a pencil eraser.

But, yeah, the meter should do something without a lens. Make sure you cock the shutter and pull the wind lever out so the meter is switched on. Or does the m6 have an on-off switch? Whichever...a stroll through the appropriate owners manual is always a good thing.

Xmas · May 6, 2014

don't use eraser qtip is ok
battery and battery contacts
door and door contacts
sweep the ISO dial
LEDs come on on 1st pressure if the shutter is not on B.
mine flattened batteries in gbag but I always wind on and leave at /125
http://www.butkus.org/chinon/leica/leica_m6/leica_m6.htm
if you still have a problem try/borrow another door

it is a spot so you need to use carefully

darkosaric · May 6, 2014

summicron1 said:
make sure the battery is good, make sure it is put in correctly, make sure the battery terminals are clean -- rub them and the battery ends with a pencil eraser.

But, yeah, the meter should do something without a lens. Make sure you cock the shutter and pull the wind lever out so the meter is switched on. Or does the m6 have an on-off switch? Whichever...a stroll through the appropriate owners manual is always a good thing.

Make sure you cock the shutter --> important.
Wind lever out --> not needed for M6, just half press shutter button.
On-off switch --> put in on Bulb, lightmeter goes off.

250swb · May 6, 2014

If it did work with the old batteries it is probably a corroded contact. Batteries 'settle in' and corrosion can form around the contacts, and then a new battery doesn't touch the same clean part. If it didn't work with the old batteries why did you buy it? As meters are difficult to repair you might want to think about taking it back before scrubbing away at the contacts and doing something the seller can blame on you.

But yes, no doubt, the meter should light up without a lens, there is no electrical or mechanical connection affecting the meter between body and lens.

Steve

Tony Egan · May 6, 2014

A while ago I googled this problem with my m6 draining batteries in a matter of days and followed this advice pasted below. A poke with a pencil and a small slice of electrical tape over the contacts and my last set of batteries has been going for almost a year now. Frustration over!

"Unscrew the battery compartment lid and take out the batteries. Then take a pen or pencil and run it over the two silvery dots at the bottom of the battery chamber. If you can feel that these are above the level of the base of the battery chamber, lightly push on them so that they slide below the base. I improved upon that by taking a small piece of thin, electrical tape and punched out a small circle and stuck it over the two contacts. They are part of a circuit that the technicians use a probe on. They have no function for the metering circuit and if they are too "high" they draw current from the batteries and will drain them quickly. My TTL 0,85 used to through a set of batteries every week or so, but after the 'surgery" they have lasted for several months. I suspect that these contacts are only a push-fit into the base and vibrations from air-travel or cars can cause them to shift slightly and cause the drain."

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=003Eto

erikg · May 6, 2014

erikg said:
It won't work without a lens.

I'm so sorry! I didn't try it with the body cap off! How stupid of me, I was just going on memory. I apologize for passing on faulty information. I hope you get your camera working properly and I'll shut up now.

E. von Hoegh · May 6, 2014

RTFMD guys, always a good place to start.
http://www.butkus.org/chinon/leica/leica_m6/leica_m6.htm
Reading this thread just makes me shake my head...

Start simple, are the new cells installed correctly? Are they indeed good? Sheesh.

John Koehrer · May 6, 2014

First, last and always, check the battery.

Knjy · May 7, 2014

Very useful Tony, I have this problem and it occurs erratically which had me baffled - some batteries draining some not. I will try the fix
Kevin

250swb · May 7, 2014

E. von Hoegh said:
RTFMD guys, always a good place to start.
http://www.butkus.org/chinon/leica/leica_m6/leica_m6.htm
Reading this thread just makes me shake my head...

Start simple, are the new cells installed correctly? Are they indeed good? Sheesh.

I imagine so far people have responded to the OP in the accomodating way of assuming he isn't a complete idiot, so why assume all the respondents are dipshits just for being polite?

Steve

Newbie Leica M6 meter question

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