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New Leica MP Meter Problem

piblondin
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piblondin

piblondin

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I got a brand new Leica MP in August and am having some problems with the meter. I just got my first roll of film processed and everything came out underexposed. I then compared meter readings in the camera with those from my handheld meter and the camera is giving a reading that's two stops underexposed compared to the Sekonic meter. I tried changing batteries in the camera, but it's still doing the same thing. Does anyone have any suggestions? 

 

Thanks!

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Tony Mac

Tony Mac

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I got a brand new Leica MP in August and am having some problems with the meter. I just got my first roll of film processed and everything came out underexposed. I then compared meter readings in the camera with those from my handheld meter and the camera is giving a reading that's two stops underexposed compared to the Sekonic meter. I tried changing batteries in the camera, but it's still doing the same thing. Does anyone have any suggestions? 

 

Thanks!

 

Obvious question but I have to ask...was the ISO on the back dial set correctly to match the speed of your film?

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Manoleica

Manoleica

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Take a few test shots with both hand held meter and then as the camera meters. Have them D&P, send them of to Leica Technical. In the meantime I'm sure you can compensate for the issue.. The camera may have to return to its mothership for a little love..

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piblondin

piblondin

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Yes, the ISO does match the external light meter and the film. I tried spinning the ISO dial back and forth several times and cleaning the contacts on the rear door. I'm not quite sure what to do because I took six weeks in between having purchased the new camera and getting my first roll of film developed, which made me recognize and investigate the problem. I need the camera for my wedding weekend in two weeks and want to have an in-camera meter. 

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piblondin

piblondin

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Take a few test shots with both hand held meter and then as the camera meters. Have them D&P, send them of to Leica Technical. In the meantime I'm sure you can compensate for the issue.. The camera may have to return to its mothership for a little love..

I'm a little afraid to just compensate. I rely really heavily on the meter and if it's off or inconsistent for my wedding weekend, I'll be quite unhappy. 

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250swb

250swb

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I'm a little afraid to just compensate. I rely really heavily on the meter and if it's off or inconsistent for my wedding weekend, I'll be quite unhappy. 

 

If as you say it consistently under exposes by two stops adjust the ISO to compensate. So if you have a 400 ISO film in set it to 100 ISO, that will give two stops more exposure.

 

In the meantime assure yourself you really are getting two stops under exposure and that it's not just a different metering pattern from your MP and Sekonic, so only test them by reading an unambiguous area of grass or a wall. You can check to see if the battery in your MP is the correct type or if the contacts need cleaning, and them question the photography side of things, had you been using a very wide lens, a 15 or a 12 for instance can fool the meter completely on some cameras, did you have a filter on the lens and forgot to compensate the exposure ( a one stop yellow can be dealt with by the camera meter, but some dense filters like a three stop red or ND may need extra compensation).

 

Steve

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Manoleica

Manoleica

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I'm a little afraid to just compensate. I rely really heavily on the meter and if it's off or inconsistent for my wedding weekend, I'll be quite unhappy.

 

You use a Leica and are afraid to make use of the cameras ability to be manually compensated.. Surely you realize the camera and photographer must interact.. Get a book on "Wedding Photography" from your local library read up and practice. Use a digital and see how various settings correspond to real life images..
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semi-ambivalent

semi-ambivalent

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A wild guess, but this is not a case of reflected and incident readings expected to be the same is it? In any case, as above shoot a test roll at 100 and process. ISOs are lab calibrated. Everything else is effectively an EI and everybody's is different, although two stops is a bit large. If W-day arrives and this is unsolved over-shoot like crazy and do clip tests later. And good luck.

s-a

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piblondin

piblondin

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You use a Leica and are afraid to make use of the cameras ability to be manually compensated.. Surely you realize the camera and photographer must interact.. Get a book on "Wedding Photography" from your local library read up and practice. Use a digital and see how various settings correspond to real life images..

 

 

I paid a $1,500 premium to have a new and presumably problem-free MP for my own wedding, and I think that's reasonable for the extra expense. I'm well-versed in photography with Leicas and otherwise, and I'm not sure I should apologize for my reliance on internal light meters in my cameras. I simply want to be shooting a camera I can trust for a very important event in my life, and I'm deeply disappointed that this one isn't going to work out. 

 

Again, I'm quite sure that the meter is off. I compared it against my M7 and M240 using the same focal length lenses. If anyone has a suggestion for how I might fix this issue myself, it would be much appreciated. 

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wattsy

wattsy

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I compared it against my M7

 

Certainly the MP and M7 should provide comparable readings given the same film speed, focal length, aperture and shutter speed settings. If you are getting readings at variance using these two cameras, then it does sound like your MP is misbehaving. If it is a consistent misbehaviour then you can, as suggested above, simply set the ISO speed to a setting that compensates for the error.

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piblondin

piblondin

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Why not use your M7 ?

That's what'll I'll most likely use. The problem with my M7 is that it drains batteries very quickly. I paid Leica $500 to replace the circuit board, which was supposed to solve the problem, but it didn't. Reluctant to part with the camera for a few months again, I've just held on to it with the idea that the MP would replace it. Anyhow, I'll just buy some spare batteries to keep with me for the weekend. 

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semi-ambivalent

semi-ambivalent

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That's what'll I'll most likely use. The problem with my M7 is that it drains batteries very quickly. I paid Leica $500 to replace the circuit board, which was supposed to solve the problem, but it didn't. Reluctant to part with the camera for a few months again, I've just held on to it with the idea that the MP would replace it. Anyhow, I'll just buy some spare batteries to keep with me for the weekend. 

Run a test roll through that one too. ;)

s-a

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