M5 Help & Questions

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PlantedTao

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Well, I just received my M5 and summilux won here:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...MEWN:IT&viewitem=&item=120080066695&rd=1&rd=1
(thanks to all who helped letting me know that this was a legit bid 😀 😱 )

Now for the inspection...
looks as described, but I would say it has not been used in awhile, a greasy dusty look, otherwise very nice. The lens is beautiful and just has some greasy marks on the back element I have to check out.

The battery compartment had a battery in it...slight corrosion, very slight. Dont know if the battery works or what battery will? Suggestion for a quick testing?

How do I check the meter? It seems tucked away and when I cock the shutter, no meter, it this right?

It fires ok, the speeds seem a little off, but I plan on sending it to GoldenTouch...

Anything else I should look for before telling the buyer "I'll take it"???
Suggestions and help are much appreciated.
Thanks.
Jason
 
Congratulations with your vintage camera. It looks in very good shape.

It of course has to be cleaned and oiled and use the checklist Rafael points to.
1/15th is the test you can hear if if the shutter needs repair.

The meter is always away when there is no lens attached.

If you have an old 21/3,4 make sure it is prepared for the M5. Otherwise you will break the meter.

I am not sure whether the original battery type is available.

But enjoy your M5. I have had mine since -73 and shot more than a million pix with it. Haven't used it for 10 -12 years , since I went digital.
 
For the battery, you may wish to obtain a silver-oxide px625, and send that along to the shop to have it calibrated to the silver type. The silver oxide type has a discharge curve that is flatter longer than the more common alkaline type. I think the official party line method of calibrating the M5 is to use the alkaline, but the silver cell will give better results longer, at the expense of more difficult to obtain batteries.
http://www.exellbattery.com/detail.asp?PID=S625PX

It's the same amount of work to caibrate the camera for silver as for alkaline, so may as well use the superior silver.

The 'wein' cell, and adapted hearing aid cell is not the best route usually because the shelf life of the opened cell is in the realm of several weeks, not a few years as a silver cell.

The camera looks great. The meter arm stays hidden unless a lens it on, or an LTM to M adaptor is fitted.
To verify the meter works, a lens has to be on the camera and the shutter cocked, then the meter should be a meter, you can put in an alkaline 625 cell to test if the meter is alive or not. Unlike a cl, the advance arm does not have to be pulled away from the body to turn the meter on, if the advance is wound, it's on.
-Sort of forces you to get into the recommended habit of not cocking the camera when putting it away. With a lens cap on the meter cell is practically an open circuit anyway, so either way the battery drain is minimal, cocked or not.
The battery test is by pulling the frame selector all the way to one side.
 
Congratulations on the outfit - I am particularly jealous of the lux. I look forward to seeing some shots once you get all your initial concerns squared away.

Tuna
 
Sherry will make everything alright- this looks to be much nicer than my M5, and it now works like new after her magic. She sent it back with a new battery- I forget the number, but it is available. You may get a new battery compartment. The M5 is a wonderful camera- meter is stunning, viewfinder very nice, and the ergonomices perfect except for the lack of a grip (for my arthritic hand anyway) I'm still working on getting a grip made for it that will be as comfortable as the other M grip I use on the M7. This is the easiest shutter speed adjustment of any camera I've ever used- you can turn it easily without the camera leaving your eye, without having to press any little button ike on a modern SLR. Enjoy your 5!
 
Thanks everyone for the suggestions.
I'm thinking I should test it out as Rafael suggested, then go find a "wein" cell just to make sure the meter is working.
Then pass it on to Sherry.

Clintock -
I believe I'm understanding currently that a hearing aid battery will work just to try it out. correct?

Sepiareverb-
What was your final bill from Sherry?

Tuna -
I may have to sell the lux to afford this deal or give up a Version 1 Rigid Summicron and 35mm 2.8 Canon...
 
My 5 needed a lot of help, as it had gotten wet at some point and needed much interior cleaning and removal of rust from steel parts. I also got a battery compartment, some rangefinder parts, a repair of the preview lever and the CLA- so it was more of an overhaul. Damage was $106 for parts and $275 for labor. The camera feels absolutely new- if it wasn't for the dents and brassing I wouldn't be able to tell.
 
Thanks.

Thanks.

sepiareverb said:
My 5 needed a lot of help, as it had gotten wet at some point and needed much interior cleaning and removal of rust from steel parts. I also got a battery compartment, some rangefinder parts, a repair of the preview lever and the CLA- so it was more of an overhaul. Damage was $106 for parts and $275 for labor. The camera feels absolutely new- if it wasn't for the dents and brassing I wouldn't be able to tell.
Click to expand...

Wow - that is cheaper than I would have guessed...I mean for a complete overhaul that ain't to bad & it gives me hope that if I miss anything from my "testing", Sherry can fix it.
Sweet!
 
The camera seemed ok when I got it- from Westlicht auction- and I ran some films through it with success- but the preview lever didin't loosen up as I thought it would with use, and so I figured I'd get it fixed and give the thing a cla. As I said it is a new camera again aside from the cosmetics. Well worth the money spent.
 
Two additional meter quirks if my memory is correct.

You cannot depress the shutter release AT ALL while metering. Doing so causes the meter arm to begin to retract and will affect light readings. You can see this in action by depressing the shutter release - the meter reading will change.

You cannot meter correctly (or at least I think the instructions said you couldn't) in the vertical position - only horizontal.

It's a great user camera, in some ways still the best...if only it had the physical size and shape of the classic M bodies...
 
That metering quirk vertical vs horizontal is right- as is the tapping of the shutter button altering your reading. You get used to it soon enough. I meter as I approach the subject and then deal with composition.
 
Tao: Yes, you can use a hearing cell aid or Wein cell to test. The hearing aid cell will need some help to be seated properly in the battery chamber. Depending on the chamber, a small rubber o-ring (perhaps #9 -- works in some of my cameras requring the 625) should work.

If Sherry is adapting the meter circuit for silver-oxide, she may build in the proper spacer so you can use SR44W batteries. They are cheaper than a 625-replacement battery. That's what my Oly tech does as part of a CLA on older Oly cameras I send to him.

Congrats on the acquisition!
 
As you've said - send it off to Sherry - and she'll make everything right. Looks like a great deal! A good CLA will make this camera purrrr

A few things to be aware:

As an early M5 Sherry will adjust the shutter speed dial to be a bit more 'defined' like the later cameras. She'll go over everything and do what is needed. I don't think you have to worry about anything now just some 'options'.

If there is corrosion in the battery compartment it may be wise to just change it now while there are parts available and it should last your photographic lifetime with care and use (sitting batteries are the problem). The original now discontinued 625 mercury battery is the best, steady readout till it dies and last a long time ( up to 5 years ), if you find one great, otherwise its maybe best to have the meter adjusted to 1.5v for the new 625 type cell.

As an early camera this is a 2 lug version, you can have a 3rd lug added so the camera can be used with a horizontal strap. If that's your style for carrying a camera fine, but I would encourage you to at least try for awhile the one side strap used across the chest. It takes the weight off, the camera doesn't fall forward when you bend over, and having the 3rd lug on the advance side makes the grip less comfortable.

The viewfinder frame set is one of the points to check, no original replacements available and a new frame set would be the M6 style which to me is a downgrade (not as true to actual area size and no meter outline for 50mm lens.) Maybe the only thing Sherry can't 'fix' with original parts.

Looks great, send it off and get it back as soon as you can!
 
I gave the camera a check based on the recommendations and it seems to be in great shape. I put on a CV m mount adapter and was able to see the meter.
Basically, the whole outfit is off to Sherry once I sell some equipment and infuse the bank account with funds.

I will be selling my 50 Rigid 'Cron version1 (recent CLA) and a 35mm 2.8 Canon lens(great condition).

Thanks for all the help everyone.
Jason
 
On the silver oxide vs alkaline issue, the silver oxide definitely has longer shelf life, longer service life and flatter discharge curve, all of which make it a better choice than alkaline. Unless I'm mistaken, though, they are both nominally ~1.5v cells (compared to the 1.35v of the original mercury oxide cells and the Wein cells) - so once the meter is recalibrated for 1.5v, you can use either the silver oxide or the alkaline cells.
 
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