Question about the M6 light meter behaviour

[kexari]

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I’m interested in how the M6 light meter works. I read in the manual that the shutter button is tapped to activate the light meter.

Will the light meter also activate if I full press the shutter? Just curious if it can be bypassed or not without removing the battery.

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[Michael Geschlecht]

Hello kexari,

Welcome to the Forum.

The light meter is not connected to the operation of the shutter or to the operation of the aperture.

It simply reads the result of your changing the aperture, or of your changing the shutter speed.

So, on or off, or with the battery removed, there is no connection of the light meter to the operation of the aperture or to the operation of the shutter. Or, to the focusing either.

Happy photos.

Best Regards,

Michael

[Matlock]

2 hours ago, kexari said:

I’m interested in how the M6 light meter works. I read in the manual that the shutter button is tapped to activate the light meter.

Will the light meter also activate if I full press the shutter? Just curious if it can be bypassed or not without removing the battery.

Correct, the meter is activated by the first touch of the shutter button and remains activated until the shutter button is fully depressed. It is then reactivated after the film is advanced and the shutter button is partially depressed.. The only way to bypass the meter is to remove the battery.

Edited November 9, 2024 by Matlock

[kexari]

1 hour ago, Matlock said:

Correct, the meter is activated by the first touch of the shutter button and remains activated until the shutter button is fully depressed. It is then reactivated after the film is advanced and the shutter button is partially depressed.. The only way to bypass the meter is to remove the battery.

Thanks for your reply. So if the light meter isn’t active yet and I just full press the shutter will the view finder just flash the light reading momentarily at me (potentially telling me my exposure is not correct even thought I don’t want to know 🫣)?

[250swb]

22 minutes ago, kexari said:

Thanks for your reply. So if the light meter isn’t active yet and I just full press the shutter will the view finder just flash the light reading momentarily at me (potentially telling me my exposure is not correct even thought I don’t want to know 🫣)?

Perhaps you are over-thinking this. Just like the extra framelines in the viewfinder after a while you don't see them, your brain filters them out and you only see the one your lens brings up. And it's like this with the light meter, yes it does illuminate but if you ignore it after a while you'll stop noticing it unless you need to check it. It is like this with many things in life, you see past car windscreen wipers, or you see past your feet in front of you resting on the table when watching your favourite soap on the television, for example

[Helge]

vor 1 Stunde schrieb kexari:

Thanks for your reply. So if the light meter isn’t active yet and I just full press the shutter will the view finder just flash the light reading momentarily at me (potentially telling me my exposure is not correct even thought I don’t want to know 🫣)?

Are you able to explain the actual story behind that question?

Why don‘t you want to see the lightmeter‘s reading?

[kexari]

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23 minutes ago, Helge said:

Are you able to explain the actual story behind that question?

Why don‘t you want to see the lightmeter‘s reading?

Could be that for a few scenes I decide I want to guess the exposure without a meter and then don't wish to see the camera's feedback on it. 

[a.noctilux]

 

For few scenes...

If you don't want to take out the battery, do this if not in a hurry.

When not winding/cocking the shutter, the M6's meter is off.

So wind the film only when you are ready for tripping the shutter, a brief LED blinking while tripping the shutter though.

[TomB_tx]

Having shot meterless cameras for over 50 years, I still estimate a "starting" exposure when I just carry a camera into an area, and preset the shutter and lens before I raise the camera to my eye. You can do the same with your M6.

Then if using an M6 or similar camera as I frame the shot the meter gives me feedback on what it suggests, depending on the tone of the subject I may ignore the meter's suggestion, or adjust appropriately. So even though I estimate by eye first, I find the M6 meter valuable. The M5 spot meter lets one select a small neutral area and is really the best aid in working like this.

[Helge]

vor 2 Stunden schrieb kexari:

Could be that for a few scenes I decide I want to guess the exposure without a meter and then don't wish to see the camera's feedback on it. 

No idea why someone would like to do this?

You could just guess, set the camera and fire. The camera‘s feedback would be…..just feedback which tells you how good your guess was - rather positive I think 🤗

[250swb]

10 hours ago, kexari said:

Could be that for a few scenes I decide I want to guess the exposure without a meter and then don't wish to see the camera's feedback on it. 

I don't really see what guessing the exposure gets you, except wasted film. There is a case when with knowledge about the 'correct' base exposure you want to under or over expose the negative, but guessing without a baseline is delving into a massive range of the unknown. If you mean you want to try the 'Sunny 16' method of exposure and not take any notice of the meter feel free to put two fingers up to the meter reading when it lights up and tell it you know better, except you won't, and even 'Sunny 16' isn't complete guesswork. If you want a solid reliable manual camera where you can also ignore the meter but without going to the extent and expense of being annoyed by a Leica M6 try a Nikon FM.

Edited November 9, 2024 by 250swb

[Mute-on]

This may help …. 
 

On occasion, when using my MP (same light meter behaviour) in circumstances where the light isn’t changing or the meter will give artificial readings (photographing a car show - different colours generate different reflected meter readings), I’ve done the following:

I meter from a neutral scene, often the grass, and set the light meter to expose normally. After that I simply wind on, frame, focus and expose. I know the meter lights pop up but I just ignore them. It’s not hard at all. In fact I don’t remember ever noticing what they were showing. One’s brain can be very effective in filtering out redundant information. It helps that I know the metering will over or under expose depending on an irrelevant factor (i.e., colour), but that’s not determinative.

Just shoot and ignore the metering LEDs. Otherwise, just remove the batteries as others have said. It’s no more complicated than that. 

[jgeenen]

The M6 and MP do not have separate on/off switches for the light meter. Once you move the time dial from the B position, it always enables the the light meter once you start pressing the release button. It‘s mechanical and cannot be overridden (other than removing the battery). That’s the caveat of simplicity