Leicameter MC from 1958. How much longer does this thing have left?

[bender73]

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LOL

 

I was shocked, impressed, and amazed that this gadget from 1958 (that came in a leather case with the M3 I just got) still briskly reacts to light.

 

Is there plutonium in this thing?

 

How long can I expect this meter to last?

 

[joeswe]

LOL

 

I was shocked, impressed, and amazed that this gadget from 1958 (that came in a leather case with the M3 I just got) still briskly reacts to light.

 

Is there plutonium in this thing?

 

How long can I expect this meter to last?

 

 

Actually, it's solar powered

 

Selenium based meters are prone to death from exhaustion through light, shock and probably other things like environmental factors, but if they are well cared for (= are not dropped, kept in dark, dry, cool ...), it is not unusual to find a 50+ year old meter in fully working condition. The built-in meter of my Rolleiflex 3,5F is also from the 1950s and still showing quite accurate results in daylight conditions. I also have a tiny and very cute Kodalux light meter for accessory shoes from the same period that is also in working condition.

 

Make sure you do not constantly expose these meters to light. I usually cover the cells of my Rolleiflex meter with black tape. At the time, cameras were usually kept in Never-Ready-Cases which did just that (keep the meter in the dark unless it is used).

However, I have read that if you do not use the meter regularly, it is wise to expose the cells to light every once in a while lest they "sleep in". I don't know if this advice is founded on facts or just one of these myths but it sure doesn't harm to follow it.

 

From a user standpoint the good thing about the selenium meters is that they don't need batteries and they are less sluggish than CdS based meters. But their sensitivity in low light and accuracy over the whole range is usually compromised when compared to CdS or silicon cell based meters. So, the later Leicameter MR (later CdS/battery based version of the MC) is basically more accurate and has a wider range, but I had two of them die a sudden death in recent years and stopped using them and wouldn't recommend spending any money on them.

 

If accurate metering is important for your style of photography I would rather recommend to use something more modern and preferably a hand held light meter that allows incident metering, there are lots of choices. If it has to be something accessory shoe mounted, the Voigtländer VC meter has a good rep.

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[TomB_tx]

Good summary of the issues with meters. I have both dead and active MC meters, but even the active can be intermittent from internal contact issues. Most MR problems seem to be dirty interal contacts, worn internal guides, and broken plastic mechanical parts. The MC used more metal for gears and such.

The VC II is indeed very good. I wish Leica would make a new MR-A with the VC internals that would couple to the shutter speed dial.