M2 question.....

[steve garza]

How does one deal with the film speed dial in terms of using films with currently standard speeds? In looking at a pic of an M2's film speed dial I see the ASA speeds are listed as "4, 10, 20, 40, 80, 160, 320, 650, 1300". Are current speeds estimated by placing the dial in between the listed speeds? Excuse the silly question....this newbie wants to know.

 

[steve garza]

Roland,,

Roland,,

Thank you. I assume then, that 1300 is highest setting on the camera.

 

[VictorM.]

The film speed dial's only purpose is to remind the photographer what film he/she has in the camera. There's no meter, no battery, nothing requiring film speed to be set.

 

[Marc-A.]

The film speed dial's only purpose is to remind the photographer what film he/she has in the camera. There's no meter, no battery, nothing requiring film speed to be set.

I concur. Personally, I don't even see the point of the dial (I can remember which film I put in); at least, I don't use it on my M2.
Best,
Marc

 

[steve garza]

I had often wondered.....

I had often wondered.....

I'll check at home. Like Viktor said, it's just a reminder and has no impact
on camera operation.

Ever since I shot part of a 100ASA film at 400ASA, since I didn't remember, I
do use it though.

Roland.

if the speed dial had any effect on function. It makes perfect sense that it does not. Since I come from an auto camera begining, I keep making that assumption.

 

[venchka]

I suppose if you have more than one body and more than one emulsion in use then the reminder dials on many early cameras would be useful.

 

[steve garza]

I often do use different speed films ( a bad habit I'm tryin to break) in different bodies during the same session. I think I'll just start marking the cannisters using a yellow post it to remind me of exposure

 

[Dougg]

I think the film box top slot on the back door took over the function of the Leica's reminder gizmo, and perhaps the clear window in the rear door has taken over from the box-top pocket. I do use the one on my M as a visual reminder of not only film speed but whether the film is color or B&W... I don't use indoor color-temp films so haven't used that part of it. On my old button-rewind M2 the reminder goes from ASA 4 to 1000.

 

[Graham Line]

Marking the film type and speed on an Avery sticker with a Sharpie and sticking it on the baseplate works too.

 

[OldNick]

I find that writing the info on a strip of masking tape and placing it on the baseplate works best for me. The speed range on the reminder dial on my Leica IIIf only goes up to 100.

Jim N.

 

[mike goldberg]

Hi...

I use a narrow piece of light grey electrician's tape, on top of the camera, next to the Ernst Leitz engraving. It looks like this: [400]. The 400 is written with a black magic marker, black for b & w film. I KNOW my camera-lens-shutter speed combinations well enough, so that if need be, I can make an UNmetered exposure on the fly.

My Olympus 35 RC, has a similar bit of tape [100] written with a red magic marker for color print film.

The bits of tape have enough stickiness to stay stuck in place, yet they can be easily removed with no damage to camera bodies.

Hope this helps.
Mike

 

[rpsawin]

Or try http://www.leicagoodies.com/ and look at the "Slide". It works great.

Bob

 

[Buze]

I cut a significant piece of the film box and put it into the hot-shoe on all my cameras. I don't use flash or external viewfinders so it works very well.