How do you handle batteries in your M6 in terms of corrosion prevention?

[shawn2nd]

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Hey Friends, 

Just got the M6 back from a service, and now I'm in a pseudo "baby the camera" again mode haha. I'm just curious as I've not thought of this previously, but do you guys generally leave the batteries in all the time? I've only had the M6 about a year now, and I've never taken the batteries out, except to send it in for service. The battery compartment is clean now without corrosion, but I'm just wondering what best practice is here from those who have had the camera longer? 

Thanks!

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[LocalHero1953]

They fall out anyway, along with the cap. Finding them, or a replacement cap, is more of an issue for me than corrosion.

😏

[TomB_tx]

I bought my M6 in 1985, and after a few years use got busy with family and it sat (batteries in) for…too long. Batteries leaked, caused corrosion and leakage also ruined the meter circuit board and nearby shutter curtain. So I put it aside for a while and used my M4. Eventually learned of a good tech and had it all repaired/restored (back when meter circuit was still available), and it has been fine since - and I take the battery out (now lithium 1/3N) when I set it aside to use other cameras. I put the battery in a tiny zip-lock bag with the camera.

In retirement I’ve been collecting film cameras and a lot will have the battery compartment badly corroded with cap stuck solid.

[jeri]

In 2014 I put a fresh new lithium 1/3N battery into my Leica M6 TTL camera. Despite my big plans to shoot with many types of film, it turned out that in the last decade I hardly used my film cameras, including the specific Leica. Recently I took my Leica M6 TTL camera out of the closet, and to my surprise I discovered that there was no response from its light meter. I opened the battery cover (of course the battery house was clean and dry. And between us, why wouldn't it be like that), I took out the old battery, and put a new, fresh battery in its place. Now the camera works fine, probably for at least another decade.

My words do not constitute any kind of recommendation. But from many years of experience, since the beginning of the early 70's, I have found that as far as silver oxide type batteries are concerned, or compatible modern lithium batteries, there is no leakage of battery material, and no corrosion damage following these. 

[jaapv]

2 hours ago, shawn2nd said:

Hey Friends, 

Just got the M6 back from a service, and now I'm in a pseudo "baby the camera" again mode haha. I'm just curious as I've not thought of this previously, but do you guys generally leave the batteries in all the time? I've only had the M6 about a year now, and I've never taken the batteries out, except to send it in for service. The battery compartment is clean now without corrosion, but I'm just wondering what best practice is here from those who have had the camera longer? 

Thanks!

As long as it works it wont corrode.

[ramarren]

My goal: I leave the batteries in place in any camera that is seeing regular use.  When I move to using another camera for a while, for any camera that has a battery in it, I remove the battery, seal the battery into a small plastic bag, and store the camera and its battery. 

In practical terms: Since in 2024 I use a digital camera probably 20x more frequently than any of my film cameras, and I have a LOT of film cameras, it works out that I fit a battery when I'm  going to use a camera and take it back out when I'm done with that roll of film, if I do not immediately load another roll of film. It is very rare that I shoot two rolls of film consecutively in the same film camera, unless the film camera in question is an instant film camera. (Reason:  The 8 or 10 exposure film load of any of my instant film cameras means that I will usually shoot a couple of packs of film through the same camera before I move on to another camera.)

G

[Anbaric]

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If you have alkalines, take them out today and replace them with a lithium 1/3N, which is much more resistant to corrosion.

[Mute-on]

As others have already said, use silver oxide or lithium batteries. Alkaline batteries have a non-linear discharge profile such that they lose voltage over time, rendering the light meter increasingly inaccurate. For that reason alone, silver oxide are to be preferred. 

[Marac]

Just put lithium batts in my M6 & M7 but I never left any batts in them, I haven't shot film in years & probebly wont but it is tempting to run a roll through the M7 one last time before I get rid.
Lithium is the way to go, when not in use, take them out.

[edstock]

I use Lithium and its shelf life is years. I've never had a lithium leak in all the years I've been using Leica. Years ago using alkaline batteries one leaked, and I used a pencil eraser to remove the corrosion. Try a very fine steel wool and rub gently, use a blower to remove any particles. I keep batteries in most of my cameras so I can exercise the shutters.

[shawn2nd]

Thanks all for the tips and sorry for my delayed gratitude for the info, for some reason the forum didn't send me the email notifications this time 😞

This is all great, and I'll def switch to lithium batteries per the numerous suggestions here. I'm not even sure what mine currently are lol as they came with the camera when I bought it about a year ago, and they still work. But figure I'll do some preventative maintenance and switch them out to be sure. 

[atournas]

Perhaps HCB’s early photography was so distinctive because M3 needed no batteries. Have you tried shooting sunny 16 only?

Edited May 24, 2024 by atournas

[TomB_tx]

5 hours ago, atournas said:

Perhaps HCB’s early photography was so distinctive because M3 needed no batteries. Have you tried shooting sunny 16 only?

When 90% of my photography is indoors in available light, sunny 16 isn't much help. But having done this for decades you get to estimate pretty close. Lately, experimenting with many different films and cameras (most without meters), I still find the M6 meter the fastest / easiest way to get accurate exposures. So even added a meter prism to my Hasselblad 500CM.

[Pyrogallol]

Reading this first thing this morning made me go and check the batteries in my M6, all clean and OK.