Leica Virgin

[gabefredrick]

Now I have that Madonna song rattling in my head.

I've been spying on these forums for the last three months gleaning as much knowledge as I can before taking the immaculate leap to a Leica M6. So thanks for all the help you didn't know you were giving. Now to my question:

My M6 didn't come with a manual and I'm having a hard time getting info on the metering system. Meaning: how big is it? does it have any characteristics that would cause it to skew one way or the other in certain situations? is it merely a guide?

Again I want to say thanks to all the knowledge that you all have and that you share. It made the leap a lot less stressful.

 

[x-ray]

Hope you enjoy your M6 as much as I do mine. It's a really fine camera that will serve you well.

Take the lens off and look into the body of the camera. Wind the shutter and note the white spot. This is exactly what the meter sees. The meter cell is in the top above the white spot and angles so that it sees the white area. It's a very accurate meter and very tough to trick. It's only active when the shutter is wound and it's enough of a spot to be very selective but not like a true spot. The only conditions that will fool the meter is when you have extreme flare in the lens. It's one of the best in camera meters that i've seen.

Enjoy and make great images!


http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=5045

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

What X-Ray said. Also, I vaguely remember reading that it's about 21% of the frame coverage (of the focal length you're using at the moment).

 

[egpj]

I believe that it is the same spot meter in the MP as well. If that is truely the case then it covers 13% of the entire image area (center spot). I believe that I read that in a ShutterBugb magazine review of the MP. Personally, I do not like the ttl meter and prefer a handheld meter when ever possible. Some occasions that I do user the ttl is when shooting low light and in a rush. But remember, the ttl meter is measuring for medium grey. So when you point the lens at (say for instance) a white wall, the reading you get out of your ttl meter will give the wall a medium grey look to it instead of that nice bright white you remember in the scene. Either meter off a grey card or try using a handheld meter. Will not get into metering for shadows and such. I am sure you have read many posts on this by now. By the way! Congrats on the M6!

 

[former member]

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/joechan/manuals/leicamanuals.html

Download it free, in .pdf format from the above site, maintained by Joe Chan.

 

[back alley]

...I've been spying on these forums for the last three months...

so you're the one!

welcome!

joe

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

"The metering field (diameter: i.e. 12mm, approx. 13% of the negative size)..."

"The metering field covers approx. 23% of the viewfinder image for the lens being used".

Sorry, not 23%, but 21%. My bad.

 

[gabefredrick]

Wow. You guys are fast. Thanks so much. I'm running out of excuses for taking bad pictures.

 

[steelheart]

You should be able to order a manual for the M6 from Leica in New Jersey...

 

[Flyfisher Tom]

Welcome.

Re: your question, in my experience it has more of a spot-meterish character than your typical 60/40 centerweighted meter (like on a Nikon FM3A or FM2n). That said, I've found that the wider a lens you use, to more careful you have to be about metering due to that characteristic. good luck and welcome again

 

[peter_n]

immaculate leap

I like that! Welcome to the forum and congrats on the new body! 🙂

 

[doubs43]

Leica virgin? Are you sayin' you've never had your advance knob turned or shutter snapped? 😀

Welcome to RFF. You'll be exposed to all sorts of things here!

Walker

 

[Trevor]

Here is a set of M6 intructions in PDF.....

http://www.forloren.dk/lbf/leicaM6w.pdf