Multiple exposure using an M6

[Steve Ricoh]

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I was hoping to perform multiple exposures on a single frame of film by operating the film rewind lever on the M6, but reading up on the topic it seems that it could cause damage to the mechanism(s). Other than shooting the film twice, ie rewinding and reloading, it seems impossible to expose the film more than once. 

Perhaps what I’ve read is incorrect, anyone have actual experience?

[1dvnbstd]

I believe the M6 is never design to shoot double exposures. Atleast not without reloading the film as you mentioned. 

To my limited knowledge other manual cameras that were design with this feature offers a physical lever on the body that only recocks the shutter after you advance the film. That of which i believe is not available in the Leica M6.

Others with more experience might be able to help you on this.

[Steve Ricoh]

On most cameras there's a film rewind button to be pressed prior to rewinding the film. Leica M's have a lever instead. The difference, as I understand it: pressing the film rewind button on other brands allows the shutter to be cocked without advancing the film intentionally (it's almost impossible to keep 100% registration doing this), but on the Leica M6 if the same trick is attempted it can cause damage to the film advance mechanism. I read somewhere that multi-exposure was a feature required by professionals, ie those who earn a living out of photography.

[adan]

So, cameras usually have an "un-rewind" mechanism that cancels the rewind mode (rewind button pops out) when the film advance lever is moved - but on those where the rewind release can be pressed to block film winding for MEs usually have a soft linkage (more or less a clutch) that can be overridden with finger pressure. Some more than others, depending on era and manufacturer. The Nikon F and Leica screw-mounts have a turning ring around the shutter button, which simply disconnects the entire wind mechanism - you can wind all day in "rewind mode" and neither wind film, cock the shutter, nor cancel rewind (took me by surprise the first time I tried it with the Nikon F in the 70s - the wind lever just flopped around without doing anything when set to "R" - thought I had broken it until I manually moved the ring back to film-advance mode "A").

The film Ms have a much more "positive" hard link (toothed gears, probably) that simply refuses to allow the rewind lever to stay in rewind-setting if the film-lever is advanced. Try it and you will get a loud grinding sound. I don't know that it will actually break anything unless done repeatedly - but it sounds awful, and will still not allow multi-exposures.

__________________________________________

"Pros" covers a lot of ground. Some make creative use of ME - but by no means all. Photojournalists recording "reality" may go their whole life never making an ME. Find me a multiple exposure by: Cartier-Bresson, Larry Burrows, etc.

I've earned my living from photography for 40+ years - and made just a handful of multi-exposures (most either college experiments, or title slides). Not at all required unless one is just a slave fulfilling someone else's creative vision. Or unless it is truly one's own vision - in which case a film Leica M is simply not the tool to use (the later R-series SLR film cameras have ME levers, as 1dvnbstd describes.)

Not all those who do MEs do them in the camera. Art Kane made some beautiful double-image "illustrative" pictures for LOOK magazine by "sandwiching" two color slides together in one mount. (He used a Nikon F that could not do MEs in-camera). Jerry Uelsmann made his 50-year career with MEs - but mostly in the darkroom, not in the camera. A dozen enlargers set up, and then expose one piece of paper to a bit of this negative, and then a bit of that negative, and then a bit of another negative. https://www.artsy.net/artist/jerry-uelsmann

There are other creative workarounds for interesting multi-exposure-like Leica-M pictures - overlay a long shutter exposure with a short flash exposure. Or shoot in a dark area, lock the shutter open at a small aperture and "pop" multiple pictures onto the film with a flash (can be morphed into "light painting"). Shoot pictures through a glass window, capturing reflections in the window on top of what is behind the window.

https://www.dwell.com/article/the-printed-picture-lee-friedlanders-documentary-photographs-3b980c00

https://www.slrlounge.com/create-reception-images-drag-shutter/

https://www.photographymad.com/pages/view/painting-with-light

https://digital-photography-school.com/light-painting-part-one-the-photography/

Or, of course, with digital editing of film scans, one can overlay images all one wants.

 

 

Edited November 26, 2018 by adan

[pico]

We could do double-exposures with the Nikon-F but it was enough hassle to cause the photographer to pause and ask, "Why the **** am I bothering with this s***t?

 

[Steve Ricoh]

Thanks for taking the trouble, everyone, and a special thanks to Adan for his very helpful and interesting post.

I’m beginning to feel the tug of an F3.

[Graham (G4FUJ)]

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7 hours ago, Steve Ricoh said:

I’m beginning to feel the tug of an F3.

I have two. Owned for many years. Wouldn't be without them, even though they spend more time in the bag since getting into Leica

[harmen]

Have you seen this interesting work?  M6, but not frame by frame as you were hoping to do.  https://www.leica-camera.blog/2018/02/26/accidentally-on-purpose/

[Steve Ricoh]

Interesting article. The technique of course has been done by others many times before, the common denominator being loss of registration and in the extreme individual frame delineation is completely lost. (And how would the process lab deal with the results if they normally cut into strips of 6? Leave it as a complete uncut roll is the obvious answer, but the lab used by myself doesn't offer this because the film is posted flat in an envelope.)

The plan in mind is for near perfect registration, or the effect I'm after will be compromised. Reloading a pre-exposed film for a second run through the camera would be rather inaccurate, however careful I marked the film to have a chance of frame alignment. 

Edited November 28, 2018 by Steve Ricoh

[Michael Geschlecht]

Hello Steve,

I think that certain Alpa 35mm cameras & possibly Hasselblad 500C's allowed for precise registration with multiple exposures.

Best Regards,

Michael

[david strachan]

Hi Steve

 

It's much, much easier in post, using layers in PS.

We don't have to suffer anymore.  Used to get double exposures, and kid myself they were all good.

 

Try digi images, keeping in mind you want the double exposure affect.

 

...

 

[d.s.]

I think Camera Quest has a guide on how to shoot multiple exposures using an M5, at least.

[SunnySixteen]

My M6 jammed during a concert and I flipped the rewind lever and backed up a bit and got some interesting images for the rest of the roll. it wasn't perfectly aligned for the rest of the roll  but I'm ok with it...

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[Nick Milner]

Or you can do what I did and accidentally press the shutter half way through rewinding a finished roll of film. Joy.

[Laurentß]

If you press the rewind release handle, then cock the shutter (without advancing the film), it makes a terrible noise, but also is supposed to take multiple exposure.

I've seen it done on a M5, but never attempted myself on my m7.

 

 

[a.noctilux]

9 hours ago, Laurentß said:

If you press the rewind release handle, then cock the shutter (without advancing the film), it makes a terrible noise, but also is supposed to take multiple exposure.

I've seen it done on a M5, but never attempted myself on my m7.

 

 

Don't with your M7.

Or with new steel gears, that may be fine 😞.

...

Some decades ago, I tried the "double expo" on my then "old M4", I did it few times with those grinding sounds.

Net result, one or more gears broke or loose, and after that experience, the spacing between frames became arregular.

Then that M4 needed some repair, anyway when repaired this M4 (and those M after it ) had never seen "double exposure" 😉.

For me lesson learned : never do "double ex." with Leica M .

[Laurentß]

6 minutes ago, a.noctilux said:

Don't with your M7.

Or with new steel gears, that may be fine 😞.

...

Some decades ago, I tried the "double expo" on my then "old M4", I did it few times with those grinding sounds.

Net result, one or more gears broke or loose, and after that experience, the spacing between frames became arregular.

Then that M4 needed some repair, anyway when repaired this M4 (and those M after it ) had never seen "double exposure" 😉.

For me lesson learned : never do "double ex." with Leica M .

Hey nice to see you around here

Thanks for the advice, I will try to preserve my M7 longer than one whole week ^^

[erl]

I'm very late to this thread, but I can confirm that for multiple exposure, Hasselblads (not motor drive Ver.) and the Leica R8/9 do it with ease at the press of a button.

[sandro]

I used a Canon A-1 for many years and it has a button you can press to cock the shutter without advancing the film. The (very) few times I used that option it worked fine.

Lex

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[Martin B]

Simple answer to this question with any M film camera: don't. They are not made to do double or multiple exposures. 

It is one reason why I like my Leica IIIc - there it can be done easily with the exact repositioning of the frame since the shutter can be cocked without winding the film after one exposure.