Best Leica M at night time

[chikne]

I have been shooting M4 and M3 for quite awhile with a Gossen meter. They work great for most of the time, especially during the day time. But I realize that I shoot much slower under very low light condition, because reading the meter and focusing the objects are quite time consuming.
I started this forum to find out if you have same problems and solution to this challenge. M7 with improved MP viewfinder seems to be a solution, but I am open to other suggestion. Thanks

Your pain sounds very familiar..... How about flash?

 

[feenej]

I was photographing in a nightclub on Monday night (Shank Hall in Milwaukee). It was so dark in there that I could not see the controls enough to read the aperture number (my darkness setting is f4, unless I'm trying to get a pic of a single individual). Forget about seeing the RF patch. I set the shutter speed to B, focused by the feel of how far left or right the focus ring was. looking forward to seeing the results when I develop the film. Actually, not; it will be a blurry mess with flat light.

 

[BigSteveG]

The poll indicates a clear preference for the MP. But only a few comments promoting that camera. I do prefer my MP over my M2 for low light. The 0.85 VF + magnifier make for easy viewing and accurate focusing of my faster lenses. The in camera metering is very convenient. I used to have the M6TTL and the VF was a flare monster. Upgrading the VF is fine. It solves only the flare issue. But the real MP VF is still 30% brighhter and a joy to use. My only real wish would be an MP w/ 0.58 (or maybe MP3) instead of the M2. Now that woulld be a rocking kit.

 

[MichaelM7]

Well, I can only comment on the M7. However, I think it is very good, since in AE mode you can see, what kind of exposure time is used, even in complete darkness. Maybe, it is lack of experience, but in (near) total darkness, I have a problem in finding out, which shutter speed I have selected (and I always forget from last time). Especially in hectic situations (bars, clubs, etc.) or when you would like to make a quick shot of a difficultly illuminated scene, it takes some time to find out. By then, the shot could have been gone forever.

 

[visiondr]

I voted for the M7. It just seemed logical for all the reasons previously stated.
If, however, you are using any M up to and including the MP, you can count shutter speed dial clicks to find out your selected speed even in total darkness. It's easy to do. Just try it with your eyes closed.

 

[vrgard]

I agree with others that one can learn to count clicks in the dark to set a manual camera. My approach, and maybe this just means that I'm too lazy to learn the click counting trick, is to have a small led flashlight on my keychain. That way I can quickly check my camera settings in any lighting condition should I feel the need to do so. Also useful for checking a handheld meter reading, loading film, etc., under the same conditions.

-Randy

 

[ferider]

When it's so dark that you cann't read the shutter dial you need more than 1 sec and a stop watch anyways 🙂

On the older M's you can also "feel" which shutter speed you have by looking for the little hole in the dial made for the MR meter.

Roland.

 

[BigSteveG]

So that's what the "hole" is for....

 

[Matthew Runkel]

M5, for the reason Sepiareverb stated--though it can sometimes be tricky to read the meter.

 

[Keith]

M5, for the reason Sepiareverb stated--though it can sometimes be tricky to read the meter.

I always found with my M5 that it needed sufficient light coming through the little prism window beside the rangefinder window to illuminate the shutter speed scale ... poor light was reasonable with a bit of juggling but candle light or similar ... forget it. Aside from this though they are nearly the perfect camera! 😛

 

[sirius]

Not sure which is better, but I've had sharp photos down to 1/4 second with my Leicas (M2 & M6) and R-D1. A wider angle lens helps too.

 

[projectbluebird]

M3, but it is the only M I own.

I agree that the lens/film is the most important for low light. I have a v1 summilux, and a SM summarit, all of the other super-speed lenses were out of my budget. For low light film I like to use kodak 3200.

There was a poll about available light recently that summed it up well, "If I can see, so can my camera!"

 

[nobbylon]

I prefer an led meter myself, M6 or MP for evening and late night shooting. During the daytime though I prefer match needle like the OM's, very quick and easy to approximate how many stops under and over but a PITA when you are searching for a bright part of the scene so you can see the needle.

 

[furcafe]

I haven't found there to be much of a kick from the M8's shutter when it's actually exposing a shot; analogous to using a Hexar RF or Kyocera Contax G2. Most of the vibration seems to come from the re-cocking of the shutter, so it's more of a problem when shooting in continuous mode.

I'm a little surprised that the M8 has garnered so many votes already ... I think the kick from the shutter makes it very hard to get a sharp image below 1/30 ... my M3 has produced surprisingly sharp pics down to 1/8 sec.

 

[edodo]

Digital imaging rules when it comes to picturing darkness! So the M8 wins this one. But any Ms is a good candidate as well, also don't shoot AE, shoot manual as you decide what kind of picture you want and not the electronic 18% gray device wich is dumb and blind and don't know what YOU are actually shooting (unless you always shoot gray subjects!)

 

[Keith]

I'm surprised the M6 has rated so poorly ... I've never seen or held an M6 so I can only gather the finder is not so great in low light?

I was looking through the viewfinder of my M3 tonight and was a little disappointed actually ... mind you the camera is very early ... out of the first 5000 in fact ... plus I had just had a look through the finder of my Ikon! 😛

 

[ferider]

I was looking through the viewfinder of my M3 tonight and was a little disappointed actually ... mind you the camera is very early ... out of the first 5000 in fact ... plus I had just had a look through the finder of my Ikon! 😛

Not the brightness of the finder that matters in low light, but the contrast of the patch. And alignment with fast lenses helps, too (better than 3cm close-up anyways) 😛

 

[crawdiddy]

Mmmmmm. Durians.

I didn't answer the poll. As my hero Donald Rumsfeld would say,

You do night shooting with the M you have, not the M you would like to have.

 

[chikne]

Mmmmmm. Durians.

I didn't answer the poll. As my hero Donald Rumsfeld would say,

You do night shooting with the M you have, not the M you would like to have.

Just curious,

are you referring to the known unknown that is unknown to the unknown that we know to be unknown or to the stuff that is unknown to the known that is known to the unknown?

 

[WoolenMammoth]

Not the brightness of the finder that matters in low light, but the contrast of the patch. And alignment with fast lenses helps, too (better than 3cm close-up anyways) 😛

This information is IMO the only relevant discussion which addresses the original question. The camera could matter less. Its the patch that has the most contrast that will allow you to focus in the dark. I have an M3 that I love but can only use in the daytime because the patch is pretty faded.

If you plan to use a cl (or an m5) in the dark make sure you pack a flashlight with you so you can shine it through the lens to "charge up" the meter, it needs to register a light source before it begins to meter accurately.