Leica M6 Meter Problem

[MikeTinsley]

As my M6 is a new baby (for me!), I'd be grateful for some help! I suspect I have a strange problem with the meter - it is fine and accurate when both arrows evenly lit, when it belives I am about to overexpose the leftward pointing arrow (in right of viewfinder remains lit no matter how many stops over I will be. However, the right pointing arrow on the left of the finder disappears completely as I get to around a stop underexposed and doesn't illuminate at all unless I am within one stop of correct exposure!

I need to know a) if this is normal and b) if not, is it a recognised problem - easy or hard to fix?

I have tried fresh batteries.

I have tried just now and this problem seems to kick in at slow shutter speeds - somewhere around 1 sec at f16, but not at all when I point it out of the window and set the shutter to 1/30th, no matter how much I stop down the lens!

I'm even more confused than ever!!!

Please help - I'm probably being really stupid!

 

[former member]

This happens on my Nikon F2S and one F2AS with the same type of electronic arrow meter. Sometimes cleaning the resister element fixes it up. Try a CLA. At worst, the meter circuit needs to be replaced.

 

[aizan]

maybe it's out of coupling range.

 

[former member]

What does it do at other shutter speed/f-stop combinations? Is it tied to the Shutter Speed, or the exposure value? Does 1/2th-F11, 1/4th-F8, etc work when 1s and F16 does not? Does it change with the film speed that you select?

My F2AS had a "dead" spot over a certain exposure value that the indicator did not work. It gave the correct exposure, and the indicator worked at the very low end and the high end. But a "Bad Spot" of about 3EV in the "middle" area was bad. The underexposure LED would not come up. As the "Correct" exposure LED always works, I got used to it.

 

[MikeTinsley]

I have experimented further in my now dark bedroom, lit by a single lightbulb. pointing the camera at a plain wall, I get a correct exposure of 1/4 at f2.8 with 100iso. All lights go out at f8 and do not reappear on further stopping down.

I then tested at all shutter speeds and on every one, the lights go out at f8. Next, I tested at iso speeds all the way up to 6400, and still the exposure meter lights go out at f8. I also tried the same tests with my summicron as well as the elmar I was using. Still the same!

From this I can deduce that below a certain amount of light coming through the lens, the meter is totally inactive, irrespective of the fact that the exposure may even be spot on! Sounds pretty weird to me, especially as the camera is supposed to excel in low light!

If, however, I point the camera at a brighter part of the room (lampshade), I cannot get the fault/feature to manifest itself, even at iso 6!!! In other words, following my analysis, there is sufficient light getting through the lens to make the meter work!

Does this now make more sense to anybody???

 

[former member]

Here is an online manual for the M6TTL.

http://www.joe-chan.com/manuals

It states that if the light value is below what the meter can operate over, the left hand arrow should blink. I am not sure what the M6 "classic" does. It sounds like your light turns off instead of blinking. I do not think you are going below ev-2, 8sec at F1.4 w iso 100 film.

 

[mad_boy]

Hi Mike,

I repeated your experiment with my M6 TTL (one bulb in the room pointing at the wall).

I get a similar reaction albeit at f11 (may depend on whiteness of the wall and the strength of the bulb). From that point onwards my left arrow blinks, indicating that the light is too low (out of the range of the lightmeter).
(A M6 blinks in out of range situations, I do not know what the M6 classic does;
I bet that the arrow does not light up; what happens with the cap on?; what is in the manual?)

Playing with iso settings or shutter times does not influence this problem. it is the sensor that can no longer give a signal. The iso setting / shutter time merily multiplies the sensor-vallue with a correction (iso/time) factor, but 0*x always is 0.
Hence, it seems that you hit the limits of your lightmeter.

Be honest, a dim lit room with one bulb is not lightly lit! and the meter still works up to f5,6. I would think that is not too bad. It means that at it would also work at f1.4 with 1/8th of the light you currently have. (i.e. if you now have a 100W bulb it would still work with a 12.5 watt bulb). Now that is little light indeed!

If you do want to use high F values in low light, then first measure the light at f2, and set the timing correctly. Then forget the meter, just keep the same ratio between f-no and Shutter time. Close the F-stop by increment, and at the same time double the shutter time (This gives the same exposure), repeat untill you hit the limit (1 sec) or continue using B value and tripod and release cable.

Leica's are great low light camera's. Not because of the light meter but because:
- They have enses with very high quality at very high speeds
- The shutter is quiet (sound equals shock/vibrations, etc) which means that you can use longer shutter times hand-held than with most other camera's.

Mad_boy

 

[MikeTinsley]

Thanks guys, I'm agreeing that it would seem I have a non-flashing, too dark to meter problem - that's a relief as I reckon I can live with that until a CLA is really needed! According to the manual, the m6 classic should also flash when it is too dark.

I will now have to start saving for a lens that will let me play with metering at f1.4 as f2 is the best I can do at the moment!

Cheers,

Mike