Hello,

I've been taking some snaps with my husband's M3 and M6, (he said I could), and I was wondering the following:

Does the film speed dial on the M6 work with battery power? That's why the little contacts on the inside of the back flap have to be kept clean, right? Well, how does the dial work on an older non-powered camera like the M3 or M4, or a Nikon S2 or Voightlander Prominent for that matter? Gears and levers? Ratchets?

I have an old Leica camera book from the 1940's that states that the ASA dial is just to let the user REMEMBER what his setting is. Has to be more than that, right?

Thanks one and all!

-- Karla Hoffman (karlanoc@socal.rr.com), July 14, 2001

Answers

"Has to be more than that, right?"

Nope. All it does is remind you. I usually forget to set it. . .

-- Mike Dixon (mike@mikedixonphotography.com), July 14, 2001.

Karla: The DIN/ASA dial on the back of the M3 is nothing but a reminder as previously mentioned, however it is a semi-intelligent dial for those of us with short memories. The dial has 3 segments on it, identified by a "Black triangle", "Bulb" and a "Sun". One might use the "Black" to denote Black and White film, "Sun" = daylight film and I use the "Bulb" for transparencies when I carry multiple bodies. This is sometimes easier than remembering which body has which film by the body serial number. Have fun and enjoy your husband's cameras. Maybe if you get some good enough pictures he will get you one of your own.

Mark J.

-- Mark A. Johnson (logic@gci.net), July 14, 2001.

Invoke Community Property and liberate one of those cameras as your own. Most here would probably suggest the M3 and 1 type of B&W film. To hell with the ASA dial.

-- Ken Shipman (kennyshipman@aol.com), July 14, 2001.

I'd suggest the M6 which is a much more sensible tool and whatever film you like best.

-- rob (rob@robertappleby.com), July 14, 2001.

Mark I'm planning to offer a memo holder for the M6 which allows you to set the speed before you slide in the flap. I will call it the Slide (to go along with my Sling and Shade). You can have a preview of a protoype (#8):

my.m6.back.jpeg

Would you (or anybody else) be interested? Besides, I'm still considering at what price I can (afford to) offer it to the community...? Any suggestion? Since I have to buy the original holder from Hama first anything below $10 would be close to charity. ;o)

-- Lutz Konermann (lutz@konermann.net), July 14, 2001.

That means if I want to quickly change film types I have to fiddle at sliding out a piece of box board. Why not mount it off to the side.

Cheers,

-- John Collier (jbcollier@powersurfr.com), July 14, 2001.

I can answer my own question. There is no room on the back. I do not think this one is a good idea. I think it is more important to have access to the ISO dial.

Cheers,

-- John Collier (jbcollier@powersurfr.com), July 14, 2001.

John

I have studied the problem for a while, since I was asked to do so by a fellow Leicaist. The spot where to place the Slide is exactly above the dial. I seldom change the setting - and if at all, only in between rolls. I actually change the type of film seldom, but it is always reassuring to tell from the outside which film is in which body. So, for me, it is more of a helpful indicator than an impediment to fiddle with. It's easy and it works.

Cheers

-- Lutz Konermann (lutz@konermann.net), July 14, 2001.

Of course the speeds only go up to 200 on the M3 dial, which was super high speed back in 1954. I just shot a stage show with the M3 with ISO 1600 film. I wonder if the creators of this camera ever imagined we would still be using them in the 21st century nearly 50 years later.

-- Andrew Schank (aschank@flash.net), July 14, 2001.

I rig my own "memo-holder" by cutting out a single frame of transparent soft-plastic slide-holder and stick it to the back of my Leica M4-P with double-sided tape. Not quite an elegant solution, but it costs next to nothing!

-- Hoyin Lee (leehoyin@hutchcity.com), July 14, 2001.

I used to write on a masking tape the film I was using and stick it to the top plate of my M3 body, but after fifteen years of using the same film I donīt need it any more (clever me), now I stick it to my brow in case I get lost.

-- r watson (al1231234@hotmail.com), July 14, 2001.

Andrew:

The one on my DSM3 goes to 1000. You must have an oldie-but-goodie. ;)

Art

-- Art (AKarr90975@aol.com), July 14, 2001.

In M3 the film speed dial is just to let the user remember what film he is using. On the other hand in M6 you must have the right setting in film speed dial if you want to use correctly the built in light meter.

Street Photography by Dimitris Kioseoglou

-- Dimitris Kioseoglou (kosefoto@otenet.gr), July 14, 2001.

I think the little bulb on the M3 reminder dial was supposed to indicate that color film balanced for tungsten lightbulbs had been loaded -another technology that will soon be a thing of the past...................

-- david kelly (dmkedit@aol.com), July 15, 2001.