M6 metering underexposure

[kefren]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Hi all.

I'm new to the Leica system, I recently have been gifted a Leica M6 and a 50 Summicron.

The camera is a very early M6, with the Leitz red mark in the front. Serial n.1689...

I find it constantly underexposes about 1 stop and 1/3rd, if I compare it to my other cameras.

I took it back to the shop I bought it from, they compared it to an MP, and go the same results. So they suggested to send it for a calibration. The Leica italian repairmen are (me lucky!) in my own town, so I took them myself. They said that Leica M6 of that age were calibrated by Leica to underexpose about 1 stop, so it' normal.

 

Can someone please confirm this affirmation? I'm a bit skeptical. Slight underexposure, maybe. One and 1/3rd stops, looks a bit too much to me.

 

 

Thanks, Andre

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[doubice]

Andre,

 

no camera is calibrated by the factory to underexpose. Since the M6 has a heavily center weighted meter, try measuring your subject directly. If shooting a portrait, take a reading of the palm of your hand, if shooting landscape, aim the camera downward to exclude the sky.

 

The only way to accurately compare two different lightmeters is to measure a uniformly lit area, preferably a gray card.

 

All the best,

 

Jan

[kefren]

I tried to meter on a white blank wall lit by artifical light (in my home), the external wall of a building in the sun, the top of a table in open shadow. Many uniform surfaces, with many different light conditions. And I also compared it with three different other cameras. I always got the same result, 1 stop and 1/3rd underexposure in the M6.

 

Thanks for your reply.

Andre

[Dan States]

You can't meter off a white wall for accurate readings. If the cameras you are comparing to have modern matrix metering they will read differently.

 

In general you should get a reading of F5.6/8 at 1/500 on a sunny day if you set the meter to 100 asa and point the camera toward a subject with 'standard' reflectivity.

 

As mentioned above, no Leica meter is calibrated a full stop under.

 

best wishes

Dan

[Peyton Hoge]

I compared my M6 meter and D200 meter, both with 35mm lens, and they are the same. I would say your meter needs calibration.

[tobey bilek]

I have two original M6 bodies bought new when they first came out. They are not set to underexpose I assure you. I still have them and DAG has been over both.

 

Clean the battery contacts, install new ones, and compare on a uniformly lit surface.

 

If you are comparing to a Japanese camera, many like Nikon calibrated to overexpose. Since most film shot was neg color, the over provided a safety margin. Pros almost always shot K25 slides at 64 and said they liked the extra saturation, when in reality they were exposing correctly.

 

A man with two watches never really knows what time it is.

 

This is not to say yours is not off for one reason or another, but they were not set that way from the factory.

[kefren]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Thanks all for your answers. I compared my M6 to a Nikon F4 and an F100, both set in spot or center-weighted (no matrix), off uniformly lit surfaces, and against a Leica MP (outdoor, real world situation). In all cases the difference i my M6 sets 1 stop and 1/3rd under.

 

It seems it needs some sort of calibration, if it's possible. I sent an e-mail to Leica-Italy to see whether they have another lab to send the camera to.

 

One thing that springs in my mind is that I did not try other sets of batteries. I used a pari of LR44H. I did not try a Lythium. Might it be a part of the problem?

 

Thanks all-

Andre

[marknorton]

You are using the correct batteries. Lithium batteries had not been invented when your camera was made.

 

It does sound like your meter needs recalibrating to me.

[marknorton]

If you have access to a resistance meter, you could check the resistance of the ISO dial which, if wrong, could affect the readings. Here's a link to a previous post:

 

http://www.leica-camera-user.com/customer-forum/759-problem-m6-stays-6400-iso.html?highlight=ceramic#post5262

[robsteve]

I think the early M6 had meter problems. You might want to do a search on this. It is an expensive repair, as the whole meter circuit is replaced. I think Leica was doing this for free many years ago. It might be easier just to return the M6 to the store an get another.

[milsu]

Andre, You didn't say photos You made with M6 and Cron 50 were actually underexposed. Leica lens could be much brighter than some other. For example, once I decided to compare metering among Coolpix I had and MP with Lux 50 asph. I set both apertures to 2.8, and center-weighted metering on Coolpix, and meter on a skin-tone coloured arm-chair, with bulb light, from the same distance. Coolpix shown exposure of 1/8, and on MP exposure was 1/30. That doesn't mean my MP makes underexposures by 2 f-stops, but Lux 50 asph is brighter by 2 f-stops than Nikon lens for compact digitals. Although SLR lenses are better than those on compact digicams, Leica Cron 50 still could be brighter. There are some other possibilities, like SLRs are metering at lens wide open, make sure You have set all apertures on the same value before metering.

[Rukas]

Andrea:

 

My M6 (Classic) underexposed half a roll of film just before the batteries died. I had no camera issues due to the meter before that and none after I changed the batteries for fresh ones.

 

Good Luck,

AJ