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Leica Type 262 underexpose?


atufte

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Hi

 

My Leica M Type 262 seem to underexpose in A mode (but seem fine with manual metering)

and before anyone ask, I have of course checked that the exposure compensation is turned off.

 

Is this a usual problem with the type 262? Can seem to remember my M8/M9/MM/M240 doing this?

(it's seem "over-sensitive" to it's spot metering... and yes i know spot metering on Leica's after shooting with them for 20 years...

 

I love the camera, and i normally shoot in manual mode, but it would be great if I could feel a bit more safe using A when I need it...

 

So is my camera A metering "under calibrated" or is this normal = Learn to live with this?

 

Thanks in advance

 

All the Best

 

Alex

Edited by atufte
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Umm... The camera (in classic mode) does not spot-meter, but is just pronounced centre-weighed like any M since the M6. Do you notice this effect with wide-angle lenses? That is fairly normal.

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Yes, I was aware of the OP's mistake but answered in relation to under exposure. And yes I've noticed this with a 35mm lens. 

In essence, it's the price one pay's for using A mode as a point and shoot camera. The centre weighted light meter is optimising for a middle grey scene.

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So its usually a bright sky that skews the metering. Pan the camera around the scene and lock in the optimal exposure, recompose and shoot. Then you are using it as a semi-automatic but much faster than full manual. Otherwise just dip the camera so there's less sky/bright light source, lock in the exposure, Takes only a moment to do this.

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So its usually a bright sky that skews the metering. Pan the camera around the scene and lock in the optimal exposure, recompose and shoot. Then you are using it as a semi-automatic but much faster than full manual. Otherwise just dip the camera so there's less sky/bright light source, lock in the exposure, Takes only a moment to do this.

 

 

The 'dip' technique is something I use quite often...

 

...or meter once and go 'manual' in difficult light. Once set on manual and the scene doesn't change that much, there is enough headroom to finely adjust final exposure in Lightroom if necessary. I was photographing a family birthday (my sister in law) on a boat on the Thames recently... lots of light through the large windows and all the subjects inside, so difficult, contrasty, light. Worked perfectly.

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Yep, the metering is as accurate as they way it's used.

 

On Sunny days I don't even bother with reading the meter. Manual exposure, ISO 200 and 1/250 second at f11 or any reciprocal setting (1/500 @ f8, 1/2000 sec at f4, etc) is all you need, really speeds up the process and is pretty darn accurate, opening up one stop with either the aperture or shutter speed if you are shooting through a lot of shade, or closing down maybe a half stop or so if it's really bright with lots of white.

 

Basically, what they used to (and I'm assuming, still do) print on the inside boxes of 35mm, 200 speed film and provides a great starting point for me in Adobe camera raw.

 

I've been doing this now for a few weeks and only start referring to the meter in overcast conditions, early evening or indoors.

Edited by Gregm61
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I doubt its the camera doing the under exposing.  Metering is an art in itself.  I'd get a beginner digital hand held meter, a good book on the subject and practice.

 

Digital is the opposite of film.  We now shoot to secure the highs rather than the lows in days of yore.

 

Stick with it!

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I noticed this as well with my 262 and the summarit 35, especially when bright skies are involved. I mostly shoot manual now, after some time to get used to the camera system and as Gregm61 and sblutter said, follow the wisdom and you'll do fine. 

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These cameras, since M9 are very fast to get an accurate reading and well exposed shot:

 

Set camera metering to spot - and fully manual

 

Pick an appropriate ISO for conditions (bright 200, cloudy 500, night 800 and up) and the f:stop you want to use on the lens.

 

Here's my technique:

With a naked squinted eye, glance around your shot for a patch of surface that roughly corresponds to a 6, where 0 is the darkest and 10 in the brightest you're looking at.  Bring up the camera, aim the focusing patch on that 6 and 'capture' the shutter speed setting by pressing the shutter release button down just 1/2 way.  In the viewfinder you'll see an apostrophe (') appear before the setting.

 

Keeping that setting gently captured, frame focus and shoot.  If you loose the setting by releasing your finder just do it again.

 

With a bit of practice it will become 2nd nature.

 

If the setting is too slow and you're getting camera movement - open the lens a stop, increase ISO - or both.

 

Carry on from there - being mindful to not blow out highlights

 

Just play with the camera doing the above around the house in various lighting conditions, night & day regularly until its 2nd nature

 

Do not baby the camera - its a rugged piece of professional equipment designed for working journalists in the field under harsh conditions.

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In contrast to film whee it is essentially impossible to go out of the linear exposure/density range when overexposing (contrary to the "Zone system theory) clipping is a problem in all digital systems, whether in audio recording or recording images. I always under-expose by 1/3 stop whether its on a Lieca or Sony or N/ikon. Professional grade digital cameras all have a dynamic range that allows you to pull up detail using Lightroom or equivalent software.

 

So don't be fazed about your M 262 underexposing. Moreover, nothing has changed in the last thirty years or so. Camera meters are idiots that have no idea of the inherent luminosity of objects in the scene. If you have a brilliant sky and wish to record detail in a dark foreground, you must selectively meter on what;s critical and "hold" the exposure..

 

The M262 in my experience has slightly better image quality than the M 240.

 

Pobble 

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Joining the conspiracy theorists, I think that Leica may have tweaked their algorithms for the 262 and M-D to be biased 1/3 to 1/2 stop under.  The logic is that you can always pull the exposure up that small amount in Lightroom, but a blown highlight is forever lost.  Of course this is of no comfort to the JPG shooters who need spot-on exposure every time.

 

I also concur with the statements expressed above regarding wide lenses and broad sky in pictures, and use the "dip" or "nodding" technique if I note an unusually high shutter speed in "A" mode.  Simply point the camera more towards the ground to drop the shutter speed, lock the exposure, and recompose.  It all takes less than a second.

 

Happy shooting.

 

Eric

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I have to revise my statement after having used the 262 more extensively in the past week. Indeed it does underexpose by 2/3 stop compared to the 240. However since the 240 overexposes by the same amount in classic mode, I think Leica just corrected this minor flaw and the 262 metering seems to be spot on with average subjects that don't induce metering errors.

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