21mm Super Angulon and Metering

[nasmformyzombie]

For once for all, will either version of the wonderful M mount Super Angulon meter on a Leica M body (M5, M6, M7, M8, M9, M240, M262, etc.)? This includes a S-A with a modified flange to allow mounting of the lens on most (if not all Leica M) bodies.

 

[michaelwj]

For once and for all....🙄 nothing is ever final, this is the internet 😀

Apart from the M5 which I don't understand 😀;

The SA protrudes deeply into the M body.
So deep that it blocks some or all (depending on focus) of the light reflected from the spot on the shutter curtain from reaching the diode (located in the upper left of the flange). Therefore, it will give incorrect readings on all these cameras (non live view metering). Some have reported that it is off by fixed amount on these cameras, but it depends on near or far focus position as to how much reflected light will get to the diode.

On live view cameras in live view metering, it should meter okay. See above for 'classic' metering with these cameras.

So, someone with an M5 and an SA needs to run some tests.

 

[maddoc]

No TTL metering with the M5 because the arm carrying the CDS cell keeps locked.

 

[a.noctilux]

Very nice lens is Super-Angulon 21mm.
I use S-A 4/21 on all my M but each time in manual speed setting.

As I'm curious to know how far is the discrepency of TTL metering.

-in M6, the lighting must be very high to pretend measuring and the setting can be 5 to 6 stops far apart as measured and with the focus at 40cm
( setting is 1/125 when read 1/2)

-in M 262, almost the same but the difference is less if focus is 40cm or infinity, so 5 1/2 or 6 stops less than reading is fine

Arnaud

 

[nasmformyzombie]

The next obvious question is: while shooting with the Super Angulon, do you use a hand held meter or some variation of 'sunny 16'?

Any real world experience you can share is appreciated. Most of my M shooting has been with an M7, M6 or M5, with my favorites being in order, M7 and then M5.

 

[michaelwj]

I use an incident light meter or sunny 16. Mostly sunny 16.
The field of view with a 21 is so large that there is typically a huge range of light in the scene. I find reflected metering a waste of time in this case. Of course if my life depended on it, I would take very careful spot readings of the subject. Luckily it doesn't and I'm still alive!
But this is how I meter all the time, so I do nothing special with the SA. 😀

 

[Glenn2]

I've been shooting with a 21 SA for close to half a century. What works for me is a handheld meter. An incident meter is great, but a reading from palm of hand with a reflected meter + open a stop isn't bad either. After a while you get used to seeing changes in light and don't need a meter as much.

For street shooting a held held meter doesn't signal your intentions like holding a camera to your eye while fiddling with knobs. I like to be able to trip the shutter immediately, not play with settings.

The SA is one of the reasons I didn't keep an M5, mine wasn't able to retract the meter cell and damage would result if mounted.

The next obvious question is: while shooting with the Super Angulon, do you use a hand held meter or some variation of 'sunny 16'?

Any real world experience you can share is appreciated. Most of my M shooting has been with an M7, M6 or M5, with my favorites being in order, M7 and then M5.