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Leica R3 owners: Meter responsiveness?


nitroplait

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I have just developed a film from a new-to-me Leica R3 (1978).

Unfortunately the film was marred by a light leak, so my hope to evaluate auto-exposure accuracy can not really be performed before I have dealt with leak. It is a minor fix but I can't do it if I want to return the camera.

My return window is closing soon and before making my decision, I would like to ask R3 owners about an observation I have made: 

The meter needle seem to be accurate compared with a hand held reference meter, BUT relatively slow in responding to changes in light (or changes in aperture). I understand the R3 is equipped with relatively slow CdS cells, but the needle in my older Nikkormat EL (1974) - also CdS cells - responds notably faster.

Now if the electronics of auto-exposure works independent of the visual needle readout - it wouldn't bother me, but if I have to wait 2 seconds when I bring the camera to the eye, it would be a problem.

Any R3 owners out there who could shed a little light on what kind of responsiveness/behaviour I should expect from the meter?

Edited by nitroplait
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Copenhagen, my city of birth 🙂 I bought my R3 new in Germany in 1976.

"Speed" is a relative thing!  My needle seems to follow my movements slightly dampened.  Not super fast but enough to feel that it's there when you stop moving.

Not a great explanation but ...

Have you tried a fresh battery!  I had to put in a new one to respond to you 🙂

Do test the film advance MANY times with a film inserted!  My R3 has a hick-up in this regard every now and then.  

 

An image from a local market here in St. George, Utah, taken with an R3 & 35 (or 50mm) Summicron a few years ago.

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The R3 is a really great camera, but it's getting difficult to find a fully operational example.

They often suffer from faulty meters and also the shutter starts to fail at the higher speeds - it trips but doesn't open (usually at 1/1000 and 1/500).

The meter should be responsive, no laggy needle etc. They tend to become faulty on AE but will still work as a manual camera, as long as they don't develop the shutter fault.

Some things to try......

Camera body, lens off, back open, trip the shutter a few times at the higher speeds and look through from the back towards a bright area/light. Can you see that the shutter opens?

If so, then to the Auto metering.....lens on, set to auto, fire the shutter pointing at lighter and darker areas. Can you hear the shutter speeds changing? If so, then to shoot  a test roll.

The light leak is most probably coming through the film window on the back - still a piece of masking tape over it. Load a film. Just in case the leak is from the door seals stick masking tape around the door, top, bottom and side. Shoot the roll on auto in various light conditions, process asap and check the results.

If you end up with a set of well exposed negs then you know, apart from a bit of a sluggish needle, you have a fully working R3, a rare thing!

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James, thanks for your tips!  I just went through your suggested tests and passed them all flying colors.

As mentioned, I do experience film advance problems maybe once every film, where I need to take an extra exposure, and thus end up with one double image per film.  Maybe with a bit of use/exercise even this might be gone?

I can live with this issue as I have no intentions to sell it for a laughable price, "we" have gone through too much together for me to depart with it 🙂

I probably should run a test film myself 🙂 

Thanks again

Preben

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Thanks guys.

Some testing without film shows that the responsiveness in average metering mode is quite respectable, and it is only in spot mode the needle movement feels slower than I would expect - I can live with that.

Everything else checked out (without film), and I will keep it.

It came with a pristine Summicron 50 v1 - factory converted to 3 cam, and upon reflection I realised that I would hate to part with that lens.

Should there be some issues with exposure accuracy, It is not the end of the world - I'll find another body.

Thanks for your input.

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If you like the first version of the 50, you will LOVE a good later version. I had both shortly after getting my R3 years ago. As far as the meter goes, mine was sluggish by modern standards, but despite that, it did work and gave good readings. Enjoy your camera.

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On 7/16/2022 at 10:11 PM, spydrxx said:

If you like the first version of the 50, you will LOVE a good later version.

I like the first version's flares more. Less colourful. But regardless, the second version's 55mm filter thread is more common, and handling is better. I don't find that the second version is much different when it comes to sharpness and the Leica glow at full aperture. Both are relatively cool rendering lenses with a pronounced filmic feeling that are very gentle to the skin. Their lack of dimensionality (or call it flatness) makes them excellent portrait lenses. Faces look like they were shot with modern 90mm glass (without that brutal sharpness) but show much more environment. 

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On 7/16/2022 at 10:11 PM, spydrxx said:

If you like the first version of the 50, you will LOVE a good later version. I had both shortly after getting my R3 years ago. As far as the meter goes, mine was sluggish by modern standards, but despite that, it did work and gave good readings. Enjoy your camera.

I love the v1 Summicron-R and I am sure I would love v2 as well - thanks for the recommendation. 

However, I do own too many Leica M (and other brands) 50mm lenses to feel an urgent need to hunt for more 😄

Sometimes things just pop up in my line of vision and my curiosity get the better of me, so one never know, but for now I have fun exploring the lens you see above.

-And the heft of this camera feels great. I probably would not bring it for vacation or other situations where one would want to travel light, but for my daily walks the weight doesn't bother me.

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At one time I had V1 and was reading wildlife photographer Doug Herr's Leica lens evaluations on the private portion of his Wildlightphoto website (the lens section is now gone, today just photos) and decided to try V2 which was readily (and inexpensively) available, and really liked it. Both are good lenses worthy of the Leica nametag. Enjoy your V1 and don't let it just become a shelf queen.

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