First test roll, checklist?

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Captain Kidd

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I recently bought a leica m6, with my first roll i want to carry out a few tests to see how well its working, film speeds, apertures, light metre and bracket a few shots to +2 and -2 to see how the pictures are exposed compared to what the light metre is recommending.

I was just thinking if anyone has any tips on what else I should be trying and looking out for please let me know. Im going to put a sheet together so i can take note of all the setting for each shot.

Im guessing people have done this before so any tips would be great,

Thanks
 
Sounds like a good plan. Do a lot of dry firings first (no film), so you can get used to the feel of the controls, and the sound of the mechanics. Then after you load the film, it'll be easier to tell if there is anything out-of-the-ordinary going on.

PF
 
Seems excessively methodical.
Before using a camera for something important, I would just walk about town and take a wide variety of shots to get a feel for if further testing was needed.
But if you are going down a checklist, also test the rangefinder at close up, mid distance and infinity.
 
Thanks for that, ive already played with it for quite a bit so am familiar with the mechanics, and FrozenInTime, you're right, it is excessive but im a little unsure about the light meter accuracy so want to do some exact tests, figured if theres anything else worth testing this would be the place to ask.

Thanks
 
I do test new cameras for me from time to time. I'm using 50 or 100 ISO bw film for it.
Outdoors for high shutter speeds, shadows for moderate and indoors for low.
Also print lens checking target and take few shots of it with camera on the tripod and release cable to check RF.
I'm sure yours M6 will pass all of it with flying colors!
 
Leica does NOT recommend shooting empty..
Use a blank film.
When you go shooting, try close ups, max aperture.
Check infinity and medium distance.
See what frame shows and what is really there..😡
Enjoy.
 
FrozenInTime said:
Seems excessively methodical.
Click to expand...
You can't be too methodical because that contact sheet will be a great reference to check all camera parameters.

This is what I do with every new camera:

Setup camera on a tripod and frame a scene with a wide dynamic range (e.g., down the street with bright sky and dark shadows under trees). Run through all exposure times, all aperture settings. Your contact sheet will show beautifully if some of the exposure times are off (and you might be surprised how they vary, even on a camera that had a recent CLA!).

Do one bracketing test (from -2 to +2) to check if the correct exposure time has an offset.

Then shoot along a fence and do a focus tests with a 50mm lens (a few shots from closeup to infinity) to check if the rangefinder is accurate. Put a postit on the fence post you focus on so you can check later on the negative if the focus is off.

Last, do a few flash shots inside your house with exposure bracketing.
 
Don't forget to use a film, developer, and process that you are very familiar with and have other examples to compare against. Preferably the lens too if possible. Fix all other variables to isolate the one you want to test.

And have fun!
Rob


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Hi,

As you are taking a notebook with you (I hope) I'd advise you to list the shutter speeds and apertures available along the top or bottom of the page and tick them off when used. The distance you focussed at is also a good idea. It's easy to finish the test and realise you missed something like (say) a metre away and wide open and so on.

Have fun. Regards, David
 
Not sure what you trying to accomplish with that. You can develop the film only at one speed. If you develop at 400, then the shots that you took at 800 will be overexposed.
 
The reason I am considering in mid roll to move from 400 to 800 asa is because i have a concern that the light meter is overexposing a little. For instance today, which is bright sunny, no clouds, I would expect f16 at 500 set at 400 asa, but instead the camera is insisting on f8 at 500 at 400 asa, that might be normal but when i switch the camera to 800 asa its telling me what i was expecting ie. f16 at 500.

Its the reason im doing a test roll, just to see how accurate the light meter reading is. Though if I have 400 asa film in the camera, and take a picture with the camera set to 800 asa, using the light meter for exposure, and the picture comes out perfectly exposed, would that be telling me that the cameras light meter, when set to the correct asa that matches the film, is actually over exposing? or underexposing? it gets confusing.

It gets confusing
 
Huss said:
The OP has a Leica M6. I just read the M6 manual, there is no mention of this.
Or in any of the other Leica manuals that I have read (M3, M4, M5, M7)
Click to expand...
Leica NJ and Solms (at the time) did NOT recommend shooting empty.
Suggested using a blank film..
Luckily Leica M3 world's best camera doesn't suffer these things 😀
 
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