New to Leica CL, need help on exposure

G

GuessWaT

Newbie
Local time
1:34 PM
Joined
Jul 14, 2009
Messages
9
View My Gallery
Hi guys,

I am totally new to film camera, and i just got my Leica CL today. I loaded a Kodak Ultramax 400 on it and i donno how to see the exposure meter. when i adjust the shutter speed, the needle is going up and down. As i know if the black spot hits the needle middle that means i'm in the correct exposure. Am i right? but i'm a little confusing with the meter, because when i dial the exposure to from 2 to 4 the black spot go up to the meter, does it means it is overexposed? or under? It suppose to go down isn't it if i used a faster shutter speed? Someone please explain how the meter works to me please.

Thank you so much.
 
One of the best online articles about the CL is this: http://www.prime-junta.net/pont/Reviews/045_Leica_CL/_Leica_CL-The_Volkskamera.html

In it, the writer explains how to use the meter. He demonstrates very clearly the two main problems new CL-users encounter when they try to use the meter for the first time. First, the film advance lever needs to be pulled out from rest by a quarter of an inch or so to switch the meter on; second, instead of going up to indicate overexposure, the pointer goes down.

OK, in your case, first you need to set the film speed, using the little push-in dial in the middle of the shutter speed dial. Then, using a combination of aperture and shutter speed, you centre the meter needle in the notch. (Sorry if this makes you sound like an idiot; but I don't know how savvy or otherwise you are.)

This is the easy part. The hard part comes when you realise that the meter probably isn't accurate. This is likely to be either because (i) the meter's light-sensitive selenium cadmium-sulphide cell (thanks, fred: see below) is tired, (ii) the original mercury battery that came with the CL is worn out, (iii) there's a new battery fitted, but it's the wrong voltage and the meter needs to be recalibrated, or (iv) the new battery's voltage reduces over a fairly short period of time (whereas the old mercury batteries gave a constant voltage), giving an untrustworthy reading.

However, none of these problems is insoluble. You can buy a replacement that mimics the old mercury battery's characteristics here: http://www.smallbattery.company.org.uk/sbc_mr9_adapter.htm

By far the best way to cope with this, though, is to use the Sunny 16 rule and start to trust your eyes.

Don't be disheartened. The CL is one of the finest small 35mm rangefinder cameras you could ever want. Stick with it and you'll be well rewarded.

Martyn

[PS You'll find hundreds of references to Sunny 16 online.]
 
Last edited:
Thank you for the respond. " the film advance lever needs to be pulled out from rest by a quarter of an inch or so to switch the meter on" i don't get it. which one is the film advance lever? is it the one i use to load the film for every shot? if i pull it out a little i can't press the shutter right? >.< sorry i am really new to film camera. Need someone to help me here. Thank you😕
 
GuessWaT said:
Thank you for the respond. " the film advance lever needs to be pulled out from rest by a quarter of an inch or so to switch the meter on" i don't get it. which one is the film advance lever? is it the one i use to load the film for every shot? if i pull it out a little i can't press the shutter right? >.< sorry i am really new to film camera. Need someone to help me here. Thank you😕
Click to expand...

It's the lever that winds the film on. Once you've wound it on to the next frame, you simply pull it out a little, and you can still press the shutter button.

I would say the meter on the CL, when working, operates really accurateyl, after you've shot a roll it will become second nature.
 
welcome to the forum, GuessWaT!

We hope to see you overcome initial 'troubles' with the CL and show us lots of nice shots you made with this fine piece of equipment!

My two cents advice: read up as mouch as you can on the CL, and spend the day fiddling it once you have read sufficiently about it. Check out the condition of the meter and battery cell once you understand its principles by checking it against another meter, handheld or DSLR meter. That way, you know how much it is off. Check back regularly during the first few rolls to see if voltage and meter are dropping. Get a new battery when in ANY doubt, make sure it's the right voltage (see earlier post with link).
When fiddling, just focus where you like to get a hang of the camera, estimate light and check with the meter if you were close, etc. Set exposure and aperture without taking the camera off your eye, wind on with the camera to your eye, just get a general feel.

Then, stick in a film and off you go!

Enjoy the CL and RFF!
 
Paul T. said:
I would say the meter on the CL, when working, operates really accurateyl
Click to expand...

With respect, Paul, I can't see how you can say that. The CL's meter was designed to run on a mercury battery with a voltage of 1.35. The characteristic of mercury cells that made them suitable for use in measuring instruments was that their voltage was constant, so the meter's accuracy would not drift over time. Mercury cells were outlawed last century (and I doubt there are any still remaining that function), and the size-for-size replacements that fit the CL are generally rated at a nominal 1.55 volts. So even if your CL meter works as it was meant to, it's accuracy is compromised by this voltage difference. But to make matters worse, these replacements will slowly haemorrhage voltage in a relatively short time, even without a great deal of use. So you would need constantly to adjust your interpretation of the meter's reading. Yes, it's possible to overcome this, using zinc/air cells or little electronic gadgets (see my earlier link to the Small Battery Co. in London), and in this way, then yes, the CL's meter really does do a great job.

Sorry to seem pedantic, but the OP deserves a true picture.
 
Last edited:
Thank you guys. I think my meter isn't accurate. Because i use any aperture and the shutter speed dial to 1/4 which is always indicated as a correct exposure on any time.
 
~martyn~ said:
With respect, Paul, I can't see how you can say that. The CL's meter was designed to run on a mercury battery with a voltage of 1.35. The characteristic of mercury cells that made them suitable for use in measuring instruments was that their voltage was constant, so the meter's accuracy would not drift over time. Mercury cells were outlawed last century (and I doubt there are any still remaining that function), and the size-for-size replacements that fit the CL are generally rated at a nominal 1.55 volts. So even if your CL meter works as it was meant to, it's accuracy is compromised by this voltage difference. But to make matters worse, these replacements will slowly haemorrhage voltage in a relatively short time, even without a great deal of use. So you would need constantly to adjust your interpretation of the meter's reading. Yes, it's possible to overcome this, using zinc/air cells or little electronic gadgets (see my earlier link to the Small Battery Co. in London), and in this way, then yes, the CL's meter really does do a great job.

Sorry to seem pedantic, but the OP deserves a true picture.
Click to expand...

I actually have a couple of mercury batteries, which I think remained on sale in Europe longer than in the US and as you pointed out, very helpfully I should add, there are workarounds if you can't get them.

I happen to disagree with the prejudice against the CL's meter. Mine had a replacement cell perhaps a decade ago, and I've found it's always given me great exposures, better than more modern cameras like the Hexar RF, and the AF.

The AF, for example, hates backlight, and there's no exposure lock - on the CL, because of its analogue readout, compensating for backlight or other situations is really intuitive - you can instantly see whether you're one or two stops away from the meter reading, something that's much trickier with a diode readout. I prefer the CL meter to that on the M6 for the same reason.
 
I'm completely with you in your championing of the CL's meter, and particularly your comparison with the M6. I don't own an M6, but I have one on permanent loan. However, I'd rather take out the CL any day, partly because of its portability, but largely because I feel much more comfortable using the CL's meter than the M6's. And for the same reason I don't much like the Voigtlander accessory-shoe meters either.

My CL, by the way, is still on its original cell. I use my Minolta flashmeter to check the CL, and so far it's prety close. Close enough for neg film, anyway.
 
An old thread but, I too love the CL's meter. It is the only in-camera meter I feel totally comfortable using. With the CHIS MR9 it is bang on with my hand held Weston Ranger 9 that I is my main meter of all of my photography. Like any mechanical meter, after some years the pivot lubricant can stiffen and a CLA is in order. When I got my CL I sent it to Leica for a CLA and they fixed the sticky meter issue and that was some 20 years ago. With newer llubricant technology the hardening/waxing should not be an issue as in the past.

The problem with the meter is usually the user who fails to read the instruction manual or understand the difference between most in-camera meters that are averaging and hence improperly utilized for metering. The other problem is the meter movements. Up is underexposed and down underexposed in relation to the notch. Not intuitive meaning one needs to learn how to use the meter. When understood the adjustments and metering can be very quick as you simply turn the dials in the direction you want the meter to move which is opposite of other cameras I am familiar with but, makes a lot of sense.

If I were to not understand something about the camera is the basic design of the meter. Here is a camera that just seems to be near ideal for zone focusing, good depth of field, but then uses a spot meter or near spot meter rather than an averaging meter. Seems a bit odd. An averaging meter generally requires less concentration and time to get the exposure than a spot meter that for me requires more time to see the ideal metering spot in the target subject. As I use similar meters handheld it is not an issue for me but it still makes me winder.
 
I see in my leica CL, the indicator "up" is under-exposure and "down" is over-exposure. ?! it seems opposed to the other metering systems.

it's normal or something wrong?
 
huyvuvn said:
I see in my leica CL, the indicator "up" is under-exposure and "down" is over-exposure. ?! it seems opposed to the other metering systems.

it's normal or something wrong?
Click to expand...

It was designed that way, unfortunately. It's counter-intuitive, but that's the way it is.

Needle up = under exposure
Needle down = over exposure

Just be thankful he meter works at all.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

F
Leica CL cellmeter cover removal
Replies
4
Views
770
aw614
A
M
Dim Rangefinder patch on CL
Replies
2
Views
566
rfaspen
rfaspen
K
50mm lens for the Leica CL (film)
Replies
13
Views
387
splitimageview
splitimageview
E
FED 2: can't make equal exposure times across frame for all shutter settings
Replies
17
Views
967
e_asphyx
E
J
Need help with fed 1 shutter curtain
Replies
2
Views
248
jimsnon
J
Back
Top Bottom