My CL arrived!

[efix]

Just wanted to share with you that my new Leica CL arrived today. It's a beaten user, but mechanically it's working flawlessly, and above all, the meter is working. No pictures of or with the camera taken yet, as I have just unpacked it. Looking forward to shooting with this baby! 😀

 

[smiling gecko]

Glückwünsche und genießen! (congratulations and enjoy!!!) atleast that is the google translation...

breathe, relax and enjoy.
smiling gecko, aka kenneth

 

[efix]

Thanks, Kenneth!

I've already played a bit with it, but I'm struggling with the meter readings -- it uses a 1.5V battery for which it is apparently not calibrated, and also I'm not used to interpreting a spot meter ... I'm spoiled by the matrix metering of my digitals ... but I guess with some practice I'll get used to it.

Anyway, the handling is lovely, the shutter sound is wonderful, the rf is crisp and clear, the speeds seem to be properly calibrated -- a real joy to use. Now I'm a little less sad about letting my M8 go ... ;-)

 

[panerai]

You can buy Wein cell batteries which are close to the original mercury batteries for the camera at 1.35v

Could also have the meter calibrated for modern 1.5v

Meter reading - above center line is under exposed and below is over exposed

DON

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

Lucky you, isn't it a nice feeling?

It's not so much a spot meter, which is what it says, but a centre area. There's dozens of copies of the manual floating around on the www. Try and get hold of one that shows the area and it's relation to the frame-lines.

Regards, David

 

[efix]

Thanks for your tips, guys! I do indeed have a pdf of the manual and got all the technicalities figured out. Also, I believe I have adjusted the ISO wheel correctly so that the meter readings are plausible. My only trouble is that I'm not used to use spot (or center or whatever) metering, so I'm not sure how to interpret what the meter needle is telling me (i.e. whether I should deliberately under- or overexpose compared to what the meter says to get an overall balanced exposure.) But I guess with some practice I'll figure that out in time.

 

[efix]

 

[kuzano]

May need to adjust your fudge......

May need to adjust your fudge......

Thanks, Kenneth!

I've already played a bit with it, but I'm struggling with the meter readings -- it uses a 1.5V battery for which it is apparently not calibrated, and also I'm not used to interpreting a spot meter ... I'm spoiled by the matrix metering of my digitals ... but I guess with some practice I'll get used to it.

Anyway, the handling is lovely, the shutter sound is wonderful, the rf is crisp and clear, the speeds seem to be properly calibrated -- a real joy to use. Now I'm a little less sad about letting my M8 go ... ;-)

Sounds like you are saying you adjust your ISO/ASA rating to put the meter in an acceptable range???

If that is what you are doing, are you doing this with Alkaline batteries. If so, you may need to pull and check the battery at intervals to further adjust for the declining discharge rate on Alkaline batteries.

Unlike Silver Oxide and Lithiums which have a fairly flat discharge rate much like the now illegal Mercury batteries, Alkaline batteries discharge on a curve. The curve seems to differ with different camera makes. For the first two or three Alkalines you use, you may want to set a weekly pull and check on the voltage, to see how rapidly your CL drains an Alkaline.

If the Alkalines do last a while, you still need to have a rough timetable of the voltages to you can adjust the ASA accordingly.

For the period of time when the battery is from 1.3 to 1.4 volt, the ASA should be set at the rated speed of the film. The period within that range is usually 2-3 weeks if the camera is used regularly. Then back to "fudging" the ASA setting.

This is tricky with Alkalines, and you may want to explore the various workarounds for Silver Oxide batteries. or have the camera calibrated to currently available, flat discharge rate battery voltages.

http://www.oocities.org/riqueritardo/photography/mercury.html

 

[David Hughes]

Hmmm, you could just buy Wein cells, or that expensive little gizmo that adjusts the voltage of hearing aid batteries. And check the battery voltage in the view-finder, from time to time.

Anyway, enjoy it. They are great, although some frown on them. But, usually, pointing to the word "Summicron" on the lens does the trick.

Regards, David

 

[efix]

kuzano, David, thanks for the tips! The alkaline battery currently in it seems to be running between around 1.3/1.4 V now, as the meter readings are spot on with the ISO set to the film's actual ISO. The previous owner told me he always used alkaline batteries since he found with b&w negative film metering wasn't critical.

I'll use this battery up which is in it now, and then I'm going to see which way I go.

 

[efix]

A quick Insta of my CL + Jupiter-8-1 lens:

 

[besk]

I recently purchased a CL (the 2nd one I had owned) and found my MR-9 adapter (that allows modern 1.5 batteries to be use) was too large. Has anyone succeeded in using the MR-9 adapter?

 

[burancap]

I recently purchased a CL (the 2nd one I had owned) and found my MR-9 adapter (that allows modern 1.5 batteries to be use) was too large. Has anyone succeeded in using the MR-9 adapter?

Ah, my fellow South Carolinian! I recently tried the very same thing with no luck on my CL. The "ledge" is simply to narrow for the adapter. I settled w/ an over-the-counter alkaline and adjusted ISO/EXP to compensate. Works fine but I will need to tweak as the battery fades.

When it is gone, I think I will move to the Wein -if I hang on to the CL.

 

[Kent]

Glückwunsch, Felix!

That's a beautiful cam.

(P.S.: See you next Friday.)

 

[efix]

Glückwunsch, Felix!

That's a beautiful cam.

Danke!

It is! I especially love the fact that you can see from its body that it's been used extensively by its previous owner. A beaten but working body has so much more charm than one that was hidden behind glass and never saw the daylight.