Leica CL - dead meter cell - please advise

[Charles S]

Just got myself a Leica CL, always lusted for it and saw a good deal on the great auction site from a reputable dealer.
Was aware of dead meter cells and upon arrival I checked and I think I might have gotten a lemon. I performed the following tests:

1) Put in a battery – after pushing the battery test button the meter moves. This means that the circuit board is in working order as well as the meter.
2) Took off the lens. When the shutter is cocked, the light meter is in front of the lens as it Is supposed to. The cell looks clean,
3) When changing the shutter speed dial, the light meter moves – this means that the mechanical connection is working.
4) The light meter centers when set on ½ second exposure at 400 ISO and moves when the ISO value is changed
5) When moving the aperture ring, the diaphragm closes but the light meter does not move.
6) When aiming the camera at a lamp or to a dark surface, the light meter does not move.

Also,before buying the camera I downloaded the manual and studied it, so I think I know what I am doing.

Would appreciate any suggestions of tests I overlooked. Also any indication of repair cost would be appreciated. Am based in Switzerland but will ship it to wherever to get it fixed.
Many thanks in advance.
Charles

 

[Al Kaplan]

It's a great little camera with the best pre-aspheric lens that Leitz, Minolta, Leica ever made. Pretend that it doesn't have a meter. Get yourself a seperate light meter.

 

[wlewisiii]

What Al said. That's how I used a CL with a bad meter for as long as I owned it. I used it with a Canon 28/3.5 LTM lens, a collapsible 50/2 Summicron (collapsed just fine) & a 90/4 Elmar. Great travel package.

William

 

[Charles S]

thanks. just put my first roll through it and love it.
However, the meter thing does bother me.

 

[kknox]

You have to wind the film advance, then wind again till it stops like 1/4 advance that activates the meter. The meter will not work unless you wind the lever out the second time. Try that, good luck.

 

[wlewisiii]

I believe that Sherry at Golden Touch is considered the best at the CL but is pretty busy. You might ask your dealer who he recommends?

William

 

[md2008]

I second the external meter. I recently picked up a VCII meter and it works great with the CL (even though my CL meter works). It's still a very compact package and you get peace of mind. Before, I was always worried about "will the CL meter conk out? when will it go?", but now I don't care if the meter dies (and it will go at some point on all these CLs).

 

[photokalia]

You have to wind the film advance, then wind again till it stops like 1/4 advance that activates the meter. The meter will not work unless you wind the lever out the second time. Try that, good luck.

Hi Charles,

I second this advice. From what you are describing, the meter is working as expected. I had the same problem and was puzzled and bothered for a while. I later found out from somewhere online that the CL meter somehow will only meter once after cocking the shutter, and subsequent changes to the aperture are not registered. To get the meter to take another reading, you need to push the film advance lever back to the closed position and then do the 1/4 re-cocking motion to re-activate the metering.

Hope this works. If not, Sherry Krauter should be able to get you sorted out 🙂

 

[Trius]

That (re-engaging the film advance) is a strange way to implement meter operation. I can't imagine it not being documented.

 

[Al Patterson]

That (re-engaging the film advance) is a strange way to implement meter operation. I can't imagine it not being documented.

Well, it is, if one can find a copy of the manual. However, these are 35 year old cameras. Some of them WILL be somewhat non-functional.

Both of mine have working meters, so I would suggest that the OP double check whether he has a non-functional meter or if it is user error. (For the record, I thought one of my CLs had a dead meter when actually I had not figured out the proper way to test the meter. the CL is a weird beast for sure...)

 

[Charles S]

Sent it to Leica and got it fixed

Sent it to Leica and got it fixed

All,

Thank you for your empathy and advice.
First used the camera for a bit with a handheld meter. Worked out OK for 400CN B&W film, which is quiet tolerant of exposure mistakes. However my attempts to use Velvia 100(?) were quiet disastrous. Decided in the end that to get full use and pleasure (the reason I got it in the first place) out of the camera, I should get it fixed. I called Leica Switzerland and got the repair tech on the line, who gave me some advice as to what the causes could be and approximate repair cost. So cool to talk to the guy doing the actual work instead of some CSR in some call-center somewhere.
Anyway, total repair and CLA was CHF 500 or roughly US$450. Economically boarderline senseless, but I figured better spend the money and have a fully checked camera than participate agian in the 'bay lottery.
When I got the camera back it felt differently, probably all in my head.

Will start using it intensively and lookign forward to sharing my best work on this forum.

 

[Trius]

Charles: It's wonderful that you were able to speak with the tech. Good luck, and we look forward to your results.

 

[ed1234]

It maybe a bad cell or it maybe a bad contact, it need to have the film advance lever pull out to have the power supply to the cell (act like a on off switch). When the lever being pull out, it actually push the contact to touch each other. If you are a DIY guy that can use an screwdriver, u can take open the top cover to check it, with the film cover off, turn the camera up side down, u will see 2 screw holding the strap holder(or whatever u call that), twist open the (1) round thing on top of the film advance lever and (2) the round thing around the shutter release button. Then with (1) out you can take the film advance lever out with the washer (remember the orders of the washer). Now u will see there is another screw hiding under the film advance lever and unscrew that as well and you can take the top cover out. The power contact is where on the back side of the camera, on the edges close to the film advance lever, gold in color hard to miss.

Remember you open your camera at your own risk.

 

[MPerson]

I later found out from somewhere online that the CL meter somehow will only meter once after cocking the shutter, and subsequent changes to the aperture are not registered. To get the meter to take another reading, you need to push the film advance lever back to the closed position and then do the 1/4 re-cocking motion to re-activate the metering.

Strange! I have just checked my CL's and the meters on all three adjusts to changes in aperture and/or shutter speed. I have also read the manual and can find no reference to this.

Once you have fired the shutter you then have to re-cock to meter again.

 

[Charles S]

Can't believe it. Lightmeter broke again. Only put two rolls through it. Back to Leice again

 

[Charles S]

Well, Leica "fixed" it. It turned out that the Weincell was runnign out, somehting I could have figured out myself, but the battery was only three months old so it seemed to me that that couldn't be the issue. The fix consisted of giving me a new Weincell and not charging for it, looking at it or postage. Great service !