Leica M 240 exposure Classic / Advanced and shutter

[Al404]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I just got a M 240 in classic mode exposure is much harder, in advance mode it does work like most mirrorless but it gets much slower

I also noticed that shutter sound change and I can't really find any information about camera shutter type, does it alway use full mechanical shutter or it does switch at 1sth Curtin shutter?

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[a.noctilux]

The M240 uses always mechanical shutter in every mode.

 

In Classic mode, the metering target is on reflection of the front shutter curtain.

So the shutter when triggering needs no delay to capture (open/close as mechanical) = open/close only once.

...

In Advance mode, the metering target is on the sensor, so the shutter blinds must be open to measure.

Then after the metering (on sensor, shutter open), the capturing can be done with the shutter speed calculated, after closing the blinds.

In Advance mode you can hear the first shutter opening, the closing, then the capturing sequence (open/close twice).

So the delaying of "capture" in advance mode.

 

[Al404]

@a.noctilux 

thanks! can the Advance mode increase shutter show risk?

[Guest]

Classic or centre weighted metering is so easy and beautiful to use ,just need to bring your brain along as well.

[Lelmer]

7 hours ago, steve 1959 said:

Classic or centre weighted metering is so easy and beautiful to use ,just need to bring your brain along as well.

Absolutely true. I never used the advance mode since I tried it and realised it didn't bring anything.

[LocalHero1953]

The noise and delay of advanced mode was too much for me - I hardly ever used it with my M240.

Classic mode metering is just a matter of experience. You have to be aware of how large bright areas (sky) and dark areas (deep shadows in bright sunlight) can adversely affect the metering. Classic metering is really just like using a hand-held meter - you have to interpret it before using. Once you realise this it is not difficult.

It's just one of those limitations of the M series up to the M11, like no AF. The M11 is in permanent advanced mode, apparently with no ill effects, but not everyone is happy with it.

[Al404]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I did go out for my first photo walk with M 240 on Sunday but in backlight situation I had to take the same shoot multiple times

What I did was to point on a zone with a brightness in the middle between highlights and shadow, half press the shutter, recompose but most of the time the result it wasn't as expect

Can an external meter help?

Photo taken on Sunday 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/al404/albums/72177720296334124

[LocalHero1953]

An external meter will be little more helpful than the M240 meter, unless it is a spot meter - and then you are going through the same mental adjustment process as you need to do with the centre-weighted metering.

I found it best to start with what the camera suggests, evaluate the scene, and open up or close down one or more stops accordingly. The great thing about the digital Ms is that you can immediately see the result on the LCD and make corrections. Sure, while you're learning you'll miss a few unrepeatable shots, but just go out and practice: take shots at metered settings, review the image, and make corrections. You'll soon learn which scenes require compensation and by how much.

Of course there are various 'tricks' you can do to fool the metering: faced with a landscape with a lot of sky at the top, tilt the camera down before setting the metering. For your photos of subjects in shade, point the camera for metering so there is no backlighting (e.g. your motorbike shot).

You haven't said how you set the camera - manual exposure or auto/aperture priority? I usually used aperture priority and Auto-ISO and adjusted exposure using the exposure compensation dial. But everyone works out their own practice.

Edited February 1, 2022 by LocalHero1953

[Al404]

Actually my shoots are mostly at still objects 😄 but in this first walk I was able to push the focus to infinity, point to birds flying over me and shoot

I thought that with an external meter like a Sekonic L-208 measuring ambient light ( with the dome close ) I would get an exposure value closer to matrix metering

Since I also own a Nikon Z7 if I want to set my mirrorless in an exposure mode close to Leica M classic would it be center weight ?

 

[lct]

You may wish to try Light Metering Mode: Classic / LV disabled in the MENU menu.
You can shoot fast this way while choosing Multi-field metering in the SET menu if you wish so.

Edited February 1, 2022 by lct

[Jean-Michel]

No matter the type of exposure reading the exposure will ne set to achieve an average middle gray image. Early "matrix" measurements were done with spot meters reading various areas of highlights, shades and middle tones, making notes and exposing and developing accordingly. For ease of exposing, one would use a reflection meter and perhaps measure the light reflected from a palm (caucasian) is approximately one stop brighter than middle gray; a typical sidewalk is about middle gray, and so on. If your average exposure is 1/250 sec at f/8 on the sunny side of the street, just make it 1/60 at f/8 on the shady side. Of course, using colour transparency film did require a bit more care in exposing. 

So, classic mode sort of duplicates the standard reflected light meter, use it as such. 

By and large, built-in exposure meters provide for mostly well exposed film or sensor, but it remains the responsibility of the photographer to know what e or she is exposing for. 

Blown highlights are not caused by metering. If you want texture in the bright whites, adjust your exposure accordingly , today it means either manually setting your exposure and ignore the red arrows, or dial-in a minus EV value. The DR of today's sensors are simply miraculous and far exceed what was achievable in development adjustments in the darkroom. 

Then again a gazillion of feet or meters of motion film negatives have ben exposed according to the measurements made with an incident light meters, where all the light facing the meter averages middle gray..

[rwbowman]

Regarding the M 240 camera:

OK, I have RTFM-ed 'til the cows came home, but I still have a question about Light Metering Mode: Classic / LV disabled in the MENU list. If I have that setting activated, and the Multi-Field metering option activated in the SET menu, does the camera meter in the Classic mode any way, i.e not the Multi Field mode? In other words, does Multi Field metering work only when the Light Metering Mode in MENU is set to Advanced?

Any help much appreciated!

[rwbowman]

Just did a little experiment: shot with MENU set to Classic / LV Disabled and SET set to MulitField: Lightroom reads Metering Mode as "Center-weighted average." So it looks like what the manual says is that the three SET options apply only when shooting in LV.

Edited November 17, 2023 by rwbowman