Rust Question Advice Please

[colin_d]

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In my M5 battery compartment the chrome prong the battery sits against has some rust on the tip. Is this likely to have spread through the camera at all? I'm having it serviced at the moment and the techo is saying it could be in the workings although I have not noticed any problem in the short time I have had it. To date I have used my intuition or a hand held light meter for exposure settings while I waited to find some batteries so I don't know if the TTL meter works which might have indicated something further was wrong I suppose.

 

thanks in advance

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[jank]

M5 meter was designed for Mercury battery.

Other cell types, although they appear to work, will not give correct reading.by several stops.

Mercury cells are not available for long time.

One solution is to use Wein cell.They gave me correct reading thru the whole range when checked with Gossen Luna-Pro meter.

Wein cells will have more than 1/2 yr life once sealed package is opened .You can store them for long time.

You can find good info at nemeng.com/leica/012e.shtml.

My M5 has corroded contacts too.Perhaps one of the old batteries leaked.

You can clean it with old fashioned pencil eraser.

As long as the corrosive liquid or gas from the battery is not present, the corrosion will not spread.

Since contact plating has been removed, the brass contact material is bare and can tarnish.

You can, after some cleaning apply very small amount of silicone grease or oil on the contact to protect it.

Jan

[jank]

Few more notes.

After you insert new battery, the battery level check may not work.(the level on front face of the camera body).

Exercise it few times to wipe contacts "clean', since they were not used for long time.

Even on gold contacts after while some coating is formed. Since voltage across contacts is very low it cannot "break thru" ,and need some mechanical help.

Actually some other softer contact materials may be better in this application.Gold over Ni in this case however lasts longer but it needs this 'wiping".

Enjoy M5, its spot meter should work nicely and accurately.

Its wider rangefinder base works very accurately even with 135 f2.8(with binoculars) or 90 f2.

Jan

[colin_d]

thanks Jan, I actually have the feeling the technician is trying to put one over me by suggesting the corrosion might have spread through the rest of the camera, as far as I can see it hasn't.

 

The Wein cells turned up the other day so I only have to wait for the M5 to be returned, clean and ready to fire some shots. After all I have read I am looking forward to using it, previously I used SLR's so it will be a big change, but worth it.