M6 light meter issue/question.

[Davidsosa]

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Hi guys! 
 

I just bought a M6 from Japan. My first Leica! And in a bit bummed.

It’s seems in very nice condition aesthetically. It also came with a invoice for a CLA/service at the beggining of the year and says the lightmeter was adjusted.

 

I find it to be all over the place. In comparison with my other cameras and a handheld lightmeter, it’s quite off, sometimes by 2 full stops. Sometimes 1 stop. Measuring same scenes. Sometimes measuring a wall or evenly illuminated grass.

Any ideas? Seller says he would cover up to $300AUD repair. So not sure if it’s worth triying to repair/readjust the meter, or if the meter is on its way out?
 

I got a fairly nice deal trought a discount code off eBay so if I return it, I will loose that.

Thank you!

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[hepcat]

Ok... opinion here...  and remember that free advice is worth exactly what you pay for it.

Testing needs to be done in a consistent way as you can replicate exact exposure requirements with each camera and meter.

Start with an 18% gray card in good lighting that you can replicate and reproduce for each device.   Meter with the Leica off the card, then your other body (or bodies) and then your meter (and I'd do the meter both in reflected and incident, which should read similarly in the same light using an 18% gray card."

Try the testing at a high brightness, medium and low brightness and see if the readings are all constant.  If your M6 differs significantly (more than a stop) from your other readings, and they are all consistent,  it probably needs to go for a re-calibration if you decide to keep it, and it sounds like it was a good enough deal that keeping it is an option. 

 

Edited November 30, 2023 by hepcat

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[earleygallery]

Have you read a user manual? The M6 meter is very different to that in most other cameras and is kind of like a fat spotmeter (as it reads off that white spot on the curtain/centre of the frame. The coverage changes depending on the focal length used.

Use a grey card as suggested and see how readings compare then.

[Davidsosa]

@earleygallery @hepcat

 

thanks for your help! 
 

I will try finding a grey card!

and yeah, I read the manual.

found a nice enough technician in Australia that had a chat with me over the phone. I think the lightmeter has either corrosion or haze/fungus on the lens. Could be corrosion somewhere else, but she needs to open the camera to check. 
 

First photo is the lightmeter in my camera, second what it should be like. If anyone can have a look at theirs for comparison, that would be great!

I used B and looked trought the rear.

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[Pyrogallol]

If you are walking out in the street you have a gray card at your feet. A tarmac road. I found years ago that a tarmac road can be used as a gray card.

[labyrinth]

6 hours ago, Davidsosa said:

First photo is the lightmeter in my camera, second what it should be like. If anyone can have a look at theirs for comparison, that would be great!

here is mine (the mp 2003)

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and m6ttl for reference

 

Edited December 1, 2023 by labyrinth
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[Davidsosa]

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@labyrinth they look quite a bit cleaner! Do you have any discrepancies metering with both of them?

[Davidsosa]

@Pyrogallol 

 

oh good to know! I think it’s definitely off. And the likely culprit is the corrosion/fungus in the lightmeter. 😓

[Borna]

Hi, I assume you have tried out new fresh batteries? 

[labyrinth]

18 minutes ago, Davidsosa said:

@labyrinth they look quite a bit cleaner! Do you have any discrepancies metering with both of them?

they both do quite accurate job

[Davidsosa]

@Borna yeah I have. 3 different pairs 😓