changing lenses while film is loaded - yes, no?

[ghulkhan]

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this is probably a really stupid question but could anyone help me out anyways. is there anything i should keep in mind while doing this?

[tgray]

Yes, don't drop your lenses on the ground. Haha. No really, I try to make sure exposure of the rear element is minimized. You know, take the cap off the new lens, put it directly onto the old one, put new one on camera.

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[rleffingwell]

Hi, there are some who believe you want to take care in bright sunlight not to let it shine directly into the camera body when the lens is off the body. Leicas have focal-plane shutters so in fact even sunny conditions are no threat, though I have heard of some fogging with ultra high-speed films - ISO 800, 1,600, 3,200 in sunlight. But, as is the case with digital cameras now, you do want to be careful in windy conditions. Dust doesn't adhere to film the way it does to sensors but it's best to keep it out of the inner works and the rangefinder focusing cam is there at the top of the lens mount inside the body. Other than these concerns, go shoot, have fun, and make great pictures. .

[StS]

A camera dealer advised me once to shut off the digital camera before changing the lens, the sensor would be charged electrostaticaly while in operation and be a magnet to dust then.

 

For a intact film camera, this should not be an issue. Intuitively I would even assume the cloth shutter of a Leica M should be even more light tight than a blade shutter, although I never heard about light entering between the blades.

 

If in doubt there is a simple test by exposing the camera body for some time to very bright light and expose the frame with lens cap on at f/16 and 1000 then.

[christoph_d]

Hi ghulkhan

 

If you have a Film-Leica M it is advisable not to change the lens in direct sunlight. Unlike a SLR, which has

a Mirror and a Shutter protecting the film, the M cameras only have a Shutter, and direct strong light will cause

fogging artefacts on your film! (Somewhere I have examples of this from own experience ).

Turning so that you change lenses in your bodyshadow should be sufficient to avoid this. For those

interested, references to this phenomena can be found, for example, in "Das Leica-Buch" by

Theo Kisselbach, 1969.

 

Kind regards, C.