New Toy: Leica MR-4 Meter

R

Rich Silfver

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Got this in the mail at the office today - a Leica MR-4 meter in excellent condition.

First inspection showed that it looked great but had no idea how/if the meter worked.

Coming home I looked up this place http://yandr.50megs.com/leica/mr/mr.htm and figured out how to use it. Turned out it works like a charm - fully calibrated and the readings are pretty accurate (certainly accurate enough for b&w film).

It does make the body look a bit 'bulkier' but actually...I kinda like it :)

Front view:
 
Just be careful in taking it off and putting it on, or hitting the top of it. All of that translates to a marred top plate, as seen on most M3's. If it does not have it already, I would be tempted to put rubber feet or some velvet on the bottom of the meter to serve as a buffer between it and the M3 top plate.
 
congrats on another new toy!

were you using a handheld meter before with the m3 or just the sunny 16? i thought i remember you saying you were sunny 16(ing) it, so i'm curious as to this purchase.
joe
 
Brian, yeah I was thinking about putting some 'buffer' there as well as the top plate curretntly is as nice as it could possibly be.

Joe, I'm a 'hybrid'. I start out using a handheld Sekonic L308B-II meter but after a while (in the same day) I get 'comfortable' enough to just guesstimate the change in stops needed.
I've even 'tested' myself and my accuracy is normally never off with more than a stop.
This purchase was to try to get rid of using the Sekonic and have a more 'integrated' metering option available to me should I need it :)
 
Looks good, is this a CDS or silicon? I need to practice my "Self " meter, when shooting my Contax IIa I used to meter off my hand as I started the day and adjust accordingly like you.

Todd
 
The couple trips I have taken out with my 21mm lens have made me consider a little shoe mount meter like this. We shall see. You can image though the metering area for a 21mm lens. Not exactly a spot. I will have to throw my 308b in the bag when I am shooting with the wide one.
 
Took it out yesterday for a real 'test' on the town and it matched up perfectly with the reflective readings from my Sekonic 308!

Ended up using it exclusively for the rest of the day (which with my speed of shooting means about 3-4 photos) :)

I like it a lot.

Happy, Happy!
 
Finished the roll and had it developed.

Turned out the MR-4 was pretty darn accurate in almost all frames.

Here are some that were taken relying fully upon the MR-4's metering;

#1
 
Is that the famed Chinatown of the beloved movie of the same title? Is there a Jake around?

A while ago I downloaded a M3 manual from a website in which there are several Leica manuals posted as PDFs and couldn't make heads or tails of the explanation of how to set the meter on the M3... Some day I'll ask you about it, but right now, I want to enjoy your shots! What a contrast you get out of this film! :)
 
Thanks.

The MR/MR-4 meter is a piece of cake to work and seems to be very accurate if you get a good one. I'd be happy to answer any questions on them.

And yes, I love Fuji Acros...it's often so sunny here in California so the Acros has become my new standard b&w walk-around film during daylight hours.
 
Rich is unfortunately no longer visiting RFF (except perhaps in secret) for (good) reasons of his own.

But no doubt someone else can tell you what battery to use in your MR-4 meter. I can't; I use a simple MC meter. :)
 
Hi, Jun... I find it funny that, less than a year after my post above, I find myself with exactly the same setup Richard still has: an M3 with an MR4 meter.

In reply to your question, the meter uses a kind of battery that's already discontinued. I had mine sent to Quality Light Metric in LA, and George Milton cleaned it and calibrated it to take PX625 batteries. Your best bet is to purchase Varta batteries from Adorama or some other battery retailer. My local Wallyworld used to carry them (they're the same kind for the Canonet cameras) but the last time I checked (two days ago) I didn't find them.

Good luck and enjoy your new toy! :)
 
Radio Shack carries a 625 alkaline cell, but it's 1.5v, so you'll need to get your meter recalibrated to get accurate readings. There are several adapters on the market (check www.criscam.com for one). You can use the new-ish Wein cells, which are 1.35v but work on zinc-air technology and are probably good for only a year or so. Older Z-A cells had an even shorter life.

Check this link for additional info:
http://hometown.aol.com/drwyn/myhomepage/index.html
 
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