M5 Meter: An unsolicited testamonial

[venchka]

I don't make this stuff up folks. Honest. I don't.

Back on April 12 or so I handed Bubba to fellow RFF member wclavey and said, "Try it out."

Fast forward: Last Saturday I got around to finally finishing the same roll of film. Westley graciuosly volunteered to develop the roll of Fujifilm Neopan Acros. By all accounts, he had exposed about half of the roll. He called later that afternoon to say that the film was out of the wash and the negatives looked good.

Fast forward: Today. A quote from RFF member wclavey:

I spent most of this weekend's free time scanning the 7 rolls of film I developed over the past week. I must say that the exposure on your roll of Acros is much better than any that I shot on the Bronica using the Vivitar light meter...

What more can I say? 😎

 

[sepiareverb]

More to the point, what more is there to say?

Anything more would simply be gloating Wayne. 😀

 

[J J Kapsberger]

Yes, it's hard for members of the M5 fraternity to be humble...

 

[visiondr]

Yeah, but can I use my little 50 Elmar with it?

 

[Bill58]

When Wayne says "I don't make this stuff up folks. Honest. I don't," You gotta remember he's a Texan and therefore, prone to exaggeration. 'Just pokin' fun at ya', buddy.

Be aware that another way of saying the same thing in TX is "You're not gonna believe this ****, but........."

 

[venchka]

Grinning. Don't give away all of our secrtes Bill!

 

[payasam]

The M5 meter is more of the spot kind than later M meters. I recall the excitement when the camera came out: 1971, I think.

 

[venchka]

Tying the meter's area to various framelines or the rangefinder patch in the viewfinder was Genius on somebody's part at Leica.

 

[sepiareverb]

Yeah, but can I use my little 50 Elmar with it?

Sorry to hear about your little Elmer.

A collapsable lens is fine, just remember to keep it erect whenever it is mounted.

 

[Nokton48]

Leica suggested using Dymo Labeling Tape on the Elmar barrel, so it can't collapse into the M5. It's in the instruction book. I'm looking for some around here somewhere, something that goes with chrome.😀 And Yes, I will use my Elmar on new M5 (it landed in the States June 30) 🙂🙂🙂

 

[venchka]

Huh????????????????????

Huh????????????????????

Sorry to hear about your little Elmer.

A collapsable lens is fine, just remember to keep it erect whenever it is mounted.

😱😀😉😎

 

[Joe]

I love my m5, and the meter is great, but you only get a really accurate meter reading if you are putting the spot on 18% gray. I learned this when some slides I shot came out a bit underexposed. My favorite meter is the old Seconic "lumisphere" incident meter.

 

[venchka]

Incidentally speaking...M5 quota for May

Incidentally speaking...M5 quota for May

I love my m5, and the meter is great, but you only get a really accurate meter reading if you are putting the spot on 18% gray. I learned this when some slides I shot came out a bit underexposed. My favorite meter is the old Seconic "lumisphere" incident meter.

I always carry and advocate using an incident meter when shooting slide film. I have a Weston Master V that I will compare with the M5 readings. Arrive at an average of sorts.

Take your M5 out to play! Spring is in the air. Summer already on the Soggy Gulf Coast.

 

[P. Lynn Miller]

Wayne,

I am going to personally nominate you for excommunication from the Brotherhood of the M5, if you don't stop talking. Revealing the secrets concerning the superiority of the M5 to all other Leica M's is not to be tolerated and taken lightly. Very unwise, son, very unwise...

 

[johannielscom]

Wayne,

I am going to personally nominate you for excommunication from the Brotherhood of the M5, if you don't stop talking. Revealing the secrets concerning the superiority of the M5 to all other Leica M's is not to be tolerated and taken lightly. Very unwise, son, very unwise...

😀😀😀

Just a little one secret more: I have found the meter to accurately expose in low light situations if you make sure the two lines in the meter do not cross but only touch at the bottom.

The M5 is cool😎 I will be getting some shots back this week from my trip to the Czech Republic, the M5 metered consistent to the M8 in 95% of occasions, the above trick must have taken care of the rest 🙂

 

[venchka]

10 Hail Mary Passes!

10 Hail Mary Passes!

Forgive me for I have sinned. :angel:

How about this for balanced fill flash at night with the black Canon 135mm/3.5 lens. Picture of Bubba taken with Bigfoot. Or vice-versa. 50mm DR Summicron on camera. 28mm M-Hexanon on table.

 

[Nugard]

You almost concerned me, that I need this camera... 😀

 

[johannielscom]

Thanks Wayne, just the nightcap I needed. Will turn in now with that satisfied smile on my face, that always makes my wife wonder what I am thinking of...

My M5 is as old as I am (both born 1971) and has the black chrome worn on the place your grip goes. It has never been serviced, the seal is intact. I have personally crafted an aluminium thumb grip for the hotshoe for it, from a piece of a right angle corner strip for stair case floor boards (do I make any sense here?)

Mine mostly goes with the Kyoei W.Acall 35mm f3.5 or even the W.Komura 28mm f3.5 lens. Unbelievably how flat the combo still is, can slide it into a large coat pocket with the thumb rest in the other pocket.

This is them, happily together although the thumb rest isn't in the picture here yet:

no overhead flash needed, with the halogen lights, sorry about that 🙂

 

[capitalK]

I just bought one yesterday and can't wait for it to arrive. When do I learn the secret handshake?

 

[johannielscom]

I just bought one yesterday and can't wait for it to arrive. When do I learn the secret handshake?

We will send you the link to the secret YouTube instruction video shortly. Please blind the windows on your garden shed and stock up for at least three days, you need time to practise...


😀😛😀😛😀


Welcome to the secret society! Your new soundtrack to life is Take Five by Dave Brubeck (40+ only) or any Five Star record for those raised in the eighties.