M6 Shutter w/no Battery

[simonclivehughe]

I just got back in the game with an M6 and I wanted to check on using the M6 without the battery. I've seen a thread here that suggested that without the battery, the M6 acts like an MP, i.e. that it is fully manual.

I've also seen other info that suggests that without the battery, the shutter only operates on a subset of "emergency" speeds. I've looked through all my Leica manuals and handbooks but there's nothing specific that I can find. I've got a roll in my M6 right now so I can't easily try this myself.

Anyone know the answer to this?

 

[ray*j*gun]

Hi Simon,

The battery in an M6 is just for the light meter. I generally don't keep a battery in my classic....god bless sunny 16.

 

[erikhaugsby]

The M6 has an entirely battery-independent shutter and will work at any speed without electricity; the cells only power the light meter.

The M7's electric shutter, however, relies heavily on batteries; without them it is limited to one or two speeds. (I think 1/125, maybe 1/60)

 

[Mark Wood]

The batteries in the M6 are only for the meter. Everything else (there isn't much else apart from the shutter, film advance and rangefinder!) works without it. It's a completely mechanical shutter so all speeds are available. Without batteries, it effectively becomes an M4-P.

 

[ray*j*gun]

Oh, and BTW if you keep a battery in your M6 be sure to set it on "B" or you will drain the juice even with the lens cap on.

Good Luck.

 

[simonclivehughe]

Many thanks for the quick replies. I certainly remember my M7 being potentially crippled this way, but I was pretty sure that the and M6 and other Ms were not affected in this manner.

interestingly, I came across this erroneous information in a very good PDF book by Chris Weeks entitled "Street Photography for the Purist". Weeks uses an MP and decried the fact that all the other Ms required batteries. Well, regardless of the fact that this is incorrect, the book is a very good read.

 

[johnny.moped]

interestingly, I came across this erroneous information in a very good PDF book by Chris Weeks entitled "Street Photography for the Purist". Weeks uses an MP and decried the fact that all the other Ms required batteries. Well, regardless of the fact that this is incorrect, the book is a very good read.

ALL Ms (except m7 and m8) have a full mechanical shutter (and as mentioned before some take batteries for the internal lightmeter).
actually the M6 and MP are pretty much the same technology besides minor differences.

 

[Mark Wood]

Oh, and BTW if you keep a battery in your M6 be sure to set it on "B" or you will drain the juice even with the lens cap on.

Good Luck.

Really? The batteries have been in mine (1995 vintage M6) for about 8 years and they're still fine. I can't remember the last time its shutter dial was set to "B"!

My Olympus OM-40 on the other hand only has to take one look at a pair of silver oxide batteries to flatten them. You don't even need to put them in the camera....

 

[maddoc]

interestingly, I came across this erroneous information in a very good PDF book by Chris Weeks entitled "Street Photography for the Purist". Weeks uses an MP and decried the fact that all the other Ms required batteries. Well, regardless of the fact that this is incorrect, the book is a very good read.

Very well worth reading it, "Street Photography for the Purist" 🙂

 

[KM-25]

The M6 classic is far better on batteries than the TTL for some reason, even if you are not using a flash. But once you start using an SF-20 on the M6 TTL, man those cells go quick!