Metering Area Leica M5 and Zeiss Biogon 25 mm f/2.8

[adelie]

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I have a Leica M5 and a Zeiss Biogon 25 mm f/2.8. I have an external 25 mm viewfinder. What metering area should I be using with this lens and body combination. It is not obvious.

 

Thanks

 

John Falloon

[giordano]

You can see from the framelines in the M5 viewfinder the approximate relationship between the metering area and the picture area.

 

Here's a way to get a handle on it.

1) Get in your mind the height of the circular metering area as a proportion of the picture height.

2) Looking through the 25mm finder, imagine the metering circle in there and see how much of the scene you are looking at it takes up.

3) Go back to the camera finder and use the preview lever to find a setting where the frame lines cover about as much (vertically) of the scene as your estimated metering circle from (2).

[a.noctilux]

Take care that the cell is round.

 

In the M5's viewfinder you can use 90 lines as a guidance for 25mm lens.

Or imagine a small part of 50 lines if more comfortable.

Whatever frame lines are indexed in by your lens.

 

Arnaud

[Michael Geschlecht]

Hello John,

 

Welcome to the Forum.

 

Focus to move the framelines to the appropriate position. Project the 90mm frame. Then imagine a circle who's diameter is the DIAGONAL of that 90mm frame.

 

That is approximately your meter's sensitive area for a 25mm lens.

 

Enjoy the most precisely limiting meter that any Leica M has ever had. Right up to & including today.

 

You can find a complete free instruction book for your M5 at the top of this page in this Forum's WIKI. Just go to the section in the WIKI that is for the M5.

 

Don't forget to also ask questions here.

 

Best Regards,

 

Michael