Mefty Posted January 10, 2015 Share #1 Posted January 10, 2015 (edited) Advertisement (gone after registration) Hi, I recently made a short trip to New York. It was very cold -6°C and the wind makes it feel much colder that day. I used three rolls of film most of the pictures where taken inside, because it was not really comfortable oiutside on the streets. But beeing in New York and not at least trying to get some streetshots is difficult for me, so with the last roll of film inside the camera I went outside to take some pictures. Back home I brought the film for developing and I was surprised, all the pictures of the last roll of film where I was near Brooklyn Bridge the shutter seems to have problems. only half of the negative shows correct exposure the other half of the picture was black (in the positive). It was cold that day but sunny and I remember that I often used the high speeds (1/250, 1/500 and even 1/1000s). Okay, long story simple question: As the other two Films mainly shot inside showed all correct exposure, has any one of you any experience with a M6 in temperature about -5 to -15°C? I am hoping that it's only because of the low temperature. I will look it up with a test film these days anyway, but maybe someone do had this issues as well, sometimes? Edited January 10, 2015 by Mefty Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 10, 2015 Posted January 10, 2015 Hi Mefty, Take a look here M6 in very low temperature. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
dewittehd Posted January 10, 2015 Share #2 Posted January 10, 2015 Had the same problem in Antarctis: shutter failure at high speeds and low temp, negatives half exposed correctly. Don't remember what curtain was at fault, I think the second one is slow starting. Back to the repair shop I am afraid. I paid about 150 USD at a local shop. Take care, Jean Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sblitz Posted January 10, 2015 Share #3 Posted January 10, 2015 must've something to do with age and lubrication and the like. live in nyc and have used my m4, m6 (now both gone) and my more recently acquired m-a and all have worked fine in wind and cold and snow -- including this past week. i would definitely bring it in for a look-see 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
2wk Posted January 10, 2015 Share #4 Posted January 10, 2015 I was just in Berlin with my M6, it was pretty cold and I haven't seen my negs yet but I did notice my meter would stop working from time to time. I'm guessing the battery was cold and that made it behave that way. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulus Posted January 10, 2015 Share #5 Posted January 10, 2015 Hi, I recently made a short trip to New York. It was very cold -6°C and the wind makes it feel much colder that day. I used three rolls of film most of the pictures where taken inside, because it was not really comfortable oiutside on the streets. But beeing in New York and not at least trying to get some streetshots is difficult for me, so with the last roll of film inside the camera I went outside to take some pictures. Back home I brought the film for developing and I was surprised, all the pictures of the last roll of film where I was near Brooklyn Bridge the shutter seems to have problems. only half of the negative shows correct exposure the other half of the picture was black (in the positive). It was cold that day but sunny and I remember that I often used the high speeds (1/250, 1/500 and even 1/1000s). Okay, long story simple question: As the other two Films mainly shot inside showed all correct exposure, has any one of you any experience with an M6 in temperature about -5 to -15°C? I am hoping that it's only because of the low temperature. I will look it up with a test film these days anyway, but maybe someone do had this issues as well, sometimes? Minus 40 Celsius and a strong windchill isn't a problem for an M6. Only thing is, that you have to change the lubrication in the camera for those temperatures. I had a M6 that without any problem withstood Jakoetsk temperatures in Weather so cold, that if you urinated in the snow, it was frozen before it hit the ground.( Really!!) Maybe you have a normal shutter problem. It happened to me on a summers day. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mefty Posted January 10, 2015 Author Share #6 Posted January 10, 2015 Thanks guys, so then lets see if I get a good workshop to fix this problem for me. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mefty Posted January 10, 2015 Author Share #7 Posted January 10, 2015 Advertisement (gone after registration) Oh, and by the way: 2 Shots after this one it started Rush! von Qimago auf Flickr 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sblitz Posted January 10, 2015 Share #8 Posted January 10, 2015 was out on the same day, specifics of your camera is the problem ....... 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thrid Posted January 11, 2015 Share #9 Posted January 11, 2015 I was in Munich a few years ago and it hit -28C around Christmas time. I was out with my M6ttl for a few hours and it worked fine. But I did keep it cupped in my hands and stuck it in my jacket pocket while I was wandering around. I think I would have had a problem if the camera had been exposed the entire time. Aside from the lubricants seizing up at those temperatures there are two other problems. It is advised to advance the film carefully and slowly, as it may become brittle from the cold and could snap. And of course there is the condensation problem, when you bring the cold camera in to a warm area or building. I would bring along a large ziplock bag to place the camera in when I went inside. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted January 11, 2015 Share #10 Posted January 11, 2015 My M4, which had not had a major service since new in 1967, was very reluctant to work when the temperature fell anywhere near 0º. Now after service by CRR, works everywhere. Modern wide temperature band synthetic lubrication is much improved from the original Leica stuff. Malcolm Taylor, the UK Leica service expert feels that Leica may not be keeping up with modern lubrication developments and that problems with helicoid stickiness and wear in lenses may be due to this. Not just Leica, as Zeiss had a problem with using too thin a lubricant on their earlier ZM lens helicoids, which in hot climates can pool at the bottom of a lens, leaving the top part of the helicoid unlubricated and oil leaking into the lens. Wilson 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkP Posted January 11, 2015 Share #11 Posted January 11, 2015 Minus 40 Celsius and a strong windchill isn't a problem for an M6. Only thing is, that you have to change the lubrication in the camera for those temperatures. I had a M6 that without any problem withstood Jakoetsk temperatures in Weather so cold, that if you urinated in the snow, it was frozen before it hit the ground.( Really!!) Maybe you have a normal shutter problem. It happened to me on a summers day. If it was that cold I'm surprised that something else didn't freeze. 1 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mefty Posted January 11, 2015 Author Share #12 Posted January 11, 2015 was out on the same day, specifics of your camera is the problem ....... Yes, I guess so too, after talking to some other friends. Thanks to all of you 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulus Posted January 11, 2015 Share #13 Posted January 11, 2015 Thanks guys, so then lets see if I get a good workshop to fix this problem for me. Sent it to WillVan Manen. He is the best in Europe. Not so expensive as Leica and the same ( or better ) quality. You can sent it to Holland and he will sent it back. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted January 11, 2015 Share #14 Posted January 11, 2015 If it was that cold I'm surprised that something else didn't freeze. Boringly, I normally use my finger to press the shutter release Wilson Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted January 12, 2015 Share #15 Posted January 12, 2015 Try another battery. Even if your current battery registers charged the chip inside could be off. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mefty Posted January 12, 2015 Author Share #16 Posted January 12, 2015 Try another battery. Even if your current battery registers charged the chip inside could be off. ?? The battery in a M6 has nothing to do with the shutter. A M6 needs the battery only for the lightmeter all speeds are mechanism 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
erlin1 Posted January 15, 2015 Share #17 Posted January 15, 2015 I have not encountered problems using my M6 in cold weather. I don't pay much attention to the meter, as I usually follow the F16 rule if sunny, otherwise I take a reading at the beginning and leave it there. I shoot in Minnesota, where temperatures in winter easily fall to -10C and -20C. I have taken my M6 cross country skiing as well, where it is inside a fanny pack, so not much protection from the cold. Actually that is what I like about my film cameras, I don't have to worry about the battery dying, which it did on an Leica M8 within 10 minutes. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/239679-m6-in-very-low-temperature/?do=findComment&comment=2747322'>More sharing options...
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