disconnekt Posted May 28, 2011 Share #1 Â Posted May 28, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hi everyone, I posted recently about my Leica CL meter overexposing by 2 stops. Yesterday I received the battery adapter with new battery and tested, but it's still the same. Â To make matters worse, in the meantime my husband accidentally dropped the camera and now the meter is acting even more wonky by not responding correctly to the battery check test (I tried changing the battery for a new one, but the needle still only moves slightly downward from the top when I set the shutter speed to 500 and press the battery button) and very unreliably reacting to changes in light and aperture. Sometimes it gives the right reading, but not always. And the needle never ever goes further than about one stop's worth down from the middle, i.e. if I set it to f2 and 1/8 of a sec and point it at the sun, the needle won't go any farther down than if it were just one stop overexposed. Â Does this sound fixable? And if so, any recommendations for a good Leica repair shop in Paris, France? Thank you! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted May 28, 2011 Posted May 28, 2011 Hi disconnekt, Take a look here Is my CL's meter broken?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
dpitt Posted May 29, 2011 Share #2 Â Posted May 29, 2011 All I can say is that I have the same issues with my CL. It consistently over exposes by several stops. I use my M2 without meter all the time so decided not to have it fixed.Use sunny 16 or a cheap digtital camera as exposure meter. There are some exposure meter apps on iphone too if you have one... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
disconnekt Posted May 29, 2011 Author Share #3  Posted May 29, 2011 Thanks Dirk—does your meter also act inconsistent like mine does? Sometimes not really seeming to react appropriately to drastic changes in light? Mine kind of acts like an old, lazy dog. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted May 29, 2011 Share #4 Â Posted May 29, 2011 Most likely the metering cell has lost sensitivity due to age and/or needs recalibrating or replacement. Â It can be done, but if it were me I'd use it as a meterless camera and buy a nice handheld meter instead. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
disconnekt Posted May 29, 2011 Author Share #5 Â Posted May 29, 2011 Thanks for your message but I bought the CL because it's the most compact Leica with a light meter. I like to travel as light as possible and don't want to have to use a handheld meter. It breaks my heart that my CL's meter is broken :-( Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpitt Posted May 29, 2011 Share #6 Â Posted May 29, 2011 I think my meter also acts incosistently. Not sure because I stopped using it after the first film or so. Â And I also thought to use the CL as the most compact Leica M compatible with build in meter. Now I found that with B&W film Sunny 16 gives good results. It is not as hard as it seems. Try it once on a digital camera when in doubt.... Â Â Second solution is my iPod touch, I have with me almost always. It has a small light meter app that gives pretty accurate results. Â So if you have a smartphone with meter app and practice on sunny 16 rule you can still travel light and enjoy your CL. Â Â Â Â HTH Â Â PS: repairing the CL might be costly. I think it might be cheaper to sell this one, and buy an other with a functioning meter. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted May 29, 2011 Share #7 Â Posted May 29, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) CRR Luton list prices for CL repairs Price Guide 2009/10- Leica Repairs Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
disconnekt Posted May 30, 2011 Author Share #8  Posted May 30, 2011 Dirk, I do have the meter app for my iPhone and it's helpful, but I'm the kind of person who just wants to grab the camera and get the shot as soon as the fancy strikes me. I did check eBay with the idea of getting a new body, but they seem to be quite expensive now, around 500 euros for a working one in good condition.  Thanks to James for the link—the prices at the Luton place are very reasonable. I'll check with some places in Paris in the hopes that I can find a similar price, so I can avoid having to ship the camera. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpitt Posted May 30, 2011 Share #9 Â Posted May 30, 2011 Beware of ebay. Always be prepared to give it a CLA if you buy from ebay, even if the owner says it is working fine, you might find it is not once you start using it. Â Â A repair and/or full CLA of your CL is probably best. You could also contact Will van Manen if you hesitate to send it oversees to Luton. Â Â In fact, if you do not really like to ship a Leica like I do, we could maybe work something out. I have to bring Will some stuff in person next week or so. Send me a PM if you are interested. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
disconnekt Posted May 30, 2011 Author Share #10 Â Posted May 30, 2011 Thanks for the offer, Dirk, but you are in Antwerp, right? I'm hoping to find someone right here in Paris who can do the repair. If not, I'll probably wait until I go to the States in August and send it to Sherry Krauter. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpitt Posted May 30, 2011 Share #11 Â Posted May 30, 2011 Yes I am from Antwerp. I will send you a private mail with details... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MPerson Posted June 1, 2011 Share #12  Posted June 1, 2011 An alternative - depending how much a repair will cost - is the Voigtländer Voigtlander VC Meter II.  I have one to use on my other CL that has a dead meter cell.   [ATTACH]260321[/ATTACH] Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
disconnekt Posted June 1, 2011 Author Share #13 Â Posted June 1, 2011 Thanks, that's a nice looking little meter! However at 230 euros it might be as costly as a repair. I'll call around the various Paris Leica shops and see what they say. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
disconnekt Posted June 3, 2011 Author Share #14 Â Posted June 3, 2011 I dropped it off today at the local "official" repair shop, Procirep (I found the address on the Leica website). They do the repairs in house. The guy said he thinks the repair can be done, but I won't have the estimate until next week. He told me that his place is one of the rare places in Europe where you can still even get a CL repaired. Don't know if that's true or not... but I do hope he can fix mine! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveO Posted June 7, 2011 Share #15 Â Posted June 7, 2011 I think Gossen used to make a small meter about the size of wooden matchbox that was called the Scout. I think you can find them for about $ 10 on the internet. This is probably a lot cheaper than the Voightlander that fits on top to the hot shoe. I wouldn't think of getting the internal meter fixed, it's just too expensive, if they can even do it. Â DaveO Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
disconnekt Posted June 9, 2011 Author Share #16  Posted June 9, 2011 Procirep got back to me with the estimate—they can fix and CLA it for 200 euros. Ouch!! But I will do it, simply because a big part of the reason I love the CL is that it has a built-in meter, so it would be a real shame not to keep it working as long as possible. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andym911 Posted June 9, 2011 Share #17  Posted June 9, 2011 Procirep got back to me with the estimate—they can fix and CLA it for 200 euros. Ouch!! But I will do it, simply because a big part of the reason I love the CL is that it has a built-in meter, so it would be a real shame not to keep it working as long as possible.  sounds like a smart decision to me.  I also really love the CL and had mine repaired a year or two ago for about the same price...still performs wonderfully, particularly with the 40mm cron and is a delight to use.  I can understand your pain, and hopefully pleasure very soon, completely.  Good luck and do post the final outcome of the repair.  andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andym911 Posted June 9, 2011 Share #18 Â Posted June 9, 2011 and here a shot of mine.... :-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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