I'm reversing myself. In another thread a few months ago, I said that I did not particularly notice that the M6 TTL ran its batteries down particularly fast.

It does. I've kept track, and with light enthusiast usage I've been through 6 sets of batteries since February. This is about 3-5 times the rate in my non-TTL.

What gives?

-- Mani Sitaraman (bindumani@pacific.net.sg), May 28, 2000

Answers

Try tripping the shutter before you store the camera. This supposedly cuts off battery drain. This bit of advice comes from the Leica Users Group (LUG).

-- John Costo (mahler@lvcm.com), May 29, 2000.

That would seem to work, but for me there is nothing more irritating than trying to photograph the moment with an untensioned shutter. My habit is to always to wind the shutter after every shot so that I am always ready for the next shot. I never store a camera if it has film. When it is not over my shoulder or being used, I always leave it lying around like car keys or sun glasses, ready to be immediately grabbed and put into action.

Mani, I think there is a defect in the electrical system for the battery to run down so fast. This is definitely not normal operation. I'd get it checked.

-- Tony Rowlett (rowlett@mail.com), May 29, 2000.

Here are a couple of posts off the leica-users you may find interesting: ------- I posted a while back about the problem I was having with the battery draining on my M6 TTL and I thought I would update you all on the success ( so far ) that I have had . First off , I sent in my original TTL after six months or so of repeated battery draining , to New Jersey to see what the problem was . They sent the same camera back two weeks later supposedly fixed but with no explanation as to the cause of the drainage ( This goes with out saying, but I was and am storing it in a snug bag and yes, I am careful to shut it "off" ). That turned out to be a waist of time since it continued to devour batteries at the same rate! Back it went again. Two weeks later I received a new camera with the same problem . I got a hold of "Brenda" in N.J. , who said that the second camera should have been from the batch with the" new and improved" metering boards but they really had no way (even with the serial number) of telling! She had me send it back again and promised to thoroughly test a third body before sending one out, well so far so good ! It has been two months and I am still on the original battery! Could be a record from what I have read here ! If it is any help , here are the serial numbers of the three bodies: 1st-2471*** 2nd-2481*** 3rd-2495*** (M.P.) ------------ You could have a problem with the checking circuit of the TTL. Unscrew the battery compartment lid and take out the batteries. Then take a pen or pencil and run it over the two silvery dots at the bottom of the battery chamber. If you can feel that these are above the level of the base of the battery chamber, lightly push on them so that they slide below the base. I improved upon that by taking a small piece of thin, electrical tape and punched out a small circle and stuck it over the two contacts. They are part of a circuit that the technicians use a probe on. They have no function for the metering circuit and if they are too "high" they draw current from the batteries and will drain them quickly. My TTL 0,85 used to through a set of batteries every week or so, but after the 'surgery" they have lasted for several months. I suspect that these contacts are only a push-fit into the base and vibrations from air-travel or cars can cause them to shift slightly and cause the drain. If the problem persists even after the adjustment it would indicate that there is something else wrong and the camera should probably go to an authorised Leica service for checking. There was a batch of TTL's that had what I suspect was a ground fault that would drain batteries far to quickly and Leica did fix these as they came in. (Tom A.)

-- John Collier (jbcollier@home.com), May 29, 2000.

Here is another post from the Leica-users on battery TTL drain:

I have read many posts about the voracious battery appetite of the TTL; and, armed with a Fluke 88 Multimeter.......... I decided to find out for myself. The hapless victim is a chrome 0.72 M6TTL serial no. 2472064..............The results are as follows:

Camera's Observed State // Current Draw.

Shutter speed dial set to "off", shutter wound or released and pressure on shutter release or not // 0.00 milli-amperes.

Shutter speed dial at any position, meter not activated and shutter wound or released // 0.00 milli-amperes.

Shutter speed dial at any position other than "B" and "off", meter activated and shutter wound // 15.68 milliamperes.

Shutter speed dial at "B" position, meter activated (no display) and shutter wound // 14.48 milli-amperes.

Shutter speed dial at any position but "off", shutter wound, and meter activated but allowed to time out // 0.00 milli-amperes.

Shutter speed dial at any position but "off", shutter released and pressure on shutter release // 16.48 milli-amperes.

Conclusions:

It is fine to leave the camera "on" as long as there is no pressure on the shutter release. If there is pressure on the shutter release and the camera is not "off", the battery will drain down regardless if the shutter is wound or released. If the camera is being carried in a case, it would be prudent to switch it to off; other than that, I would not worry too much. It is very simple to rig up the above tests and if you are having problems with battery consumption, I certainly would advise it before sending the camera back. Leica states that a new battery will give around eight hours of metering time so it would be easy to drain the battery overnight if there was pressure on the shutter release and the camera was not turned off.

-- John Collier (jbcollier@home.com), June 10, 2000.

Thanks for all the answers, and special thanks to John for the diligent effort behind his answer(s).

-- Mani Sitaraman (bindumani@pacific.net.sg), June 12, 2000.

Same happened to me until I realised the shutter was being depressed in the bag I used to store it. It's those little red LEDs that drain the batteries. Now I always set my (old non-TTL) M6s to B and the problem has gone away. Presumably this is the reason for the introduction of the OFF switch. Apologies if this is old knowledge, but it has certainly worked for me.

-- Matthew Pulzer (pulzer@dial.pipex.com), September 05, 2000.

A late update.

I just noticed that while shooting, I often take up the slack in the shutter release, the better to react faster to capture the shot, and to reduce any camera movement due to inadvertant "jabbing". Often, I noticed this weekend, that means I keep the shutter release down for even a couple of minutes at a time as I dance around people or a scene.

This unconscious little habit probably accounts for battery drain, though that still does not explain why the new TTL drains much faster.

Many thanks again, for the other input.

-- Mani Sitaraman (bindumani@pacific.net.sg), November 05, 2000.