Wouldnīt it be a dream come true.

I have an idea, after getting dizzy of seeing so many red arrows; hope our designer friend are coping (Lutz); it only has to do with battery screwable compartiment, change it for one with a micro switch on the external face so with a little twist we put it on and off, of course it needs to be the size the actual battery cover; it doesnīt even need to be made by Leica, if any one knows if such a thing exist please let me know, I want one.

-- r watson (al1231234@hotmail.com), December 20, 2001

Answers

Hello Robert,

I think you are stuck with arrows my friend, trust me, you will get used to it. I think you've been using the manual M's for a long time.

Merry Christmas,

TG

-- Tom Gallagher (tgallagher10@yahoo.com), December 20, 2001.

Brilliant, Dr. Watson!

Its been clear for ages now that Leica users outthink Leica designers...

-- Mani Sitaraman (bindumani@pacific.net.sg), December 20, 2001.

Tom A. of RapidWinder fame is working on just such a switch right now. Maybe it will be available late in the new year. It would be fairly simple to cobble something together but I sure he will come up with a good design.

-- John Collier (jbcollier@powersurfr.com), December 20, 2001.

Roberto

?? Is this a serious question or are you pulling our legs. The M6TTL meter has an off switch. The classic M6 you can turn off the meter any number of ways: take your finger off the shutter button, don't advance the film, take out the batteries, is that enough? You really need an aftermarket product for that?

-- Eliot (erosen@lij.edu), December 20, 2001.

Of course it is a serious question. It's quite possible to run the "classic" M6 batteries down while it is in a bag. If you don't remember to switch the shutter speed to B before you put it away, it will turn on every time the shutter release is bumped.

I think a cheap push button battery door switch would be well recieved.

-- Josh Root (rootj@att.net), December 21, 2001.

I think Roberto's question is serious and I agree with him. Sure, the M6TTL has an off switch but if you want to use the camera you have to switch it on. The meter display will then glow every time you cock the shutter and touch the release, whether you want it to or not.

Roberto was saying he'd like the option to disable the meter display while using the camera. Taking out the batteries is inconvenient if you want to see the meter sometimes but not always. Anyway, the idea of a switch built into the battery compartment must appeal to Tom Abrahamsson, too, if he is working on developing it. Elementary, my dear Watson!

-- Ray Moth (ray_moth@yahoo.com), December 21, 2001.

Yes, I will buy one is that is available. Merry Christmas to you all. Regards,

-- tom tong (tom.tong@ckh.com.hk), December 21, 2001.

Of course, what make the current on/off switch completely impractical is the fact that you have to typically click stop/cycle past a dozen mechanical shutter speeds (with attendant wear and tear) every time you turn the camera off. Which is every time you put the camera away in a camera bag.

The on off switch should have been concentric with the shutter button or with the battery compartment.

I really think Leica has lost all its mechanical design smarts...

-- Mani Sitaraman (bindumani@pacific.net.sg), December 21, 2001.

All you need to do is wait until Feb 02 and the new M6 AE will be introduced. It will need to have an off/on switch because it will be electronic. Then again, perhaps Leica could make it inconvenient to use as well.

Yes, I want an off/on switch on my M6 also. Turning the shutter dial is poor design. Same with the R8. Needs an off/on switch separate from the mode selector.

-- wayne murphy (w.murphy@powerup.com.au), December 21, 2001.

you got me Ray; what I want is been able to measure ligth and go on with the action of taking pictures without seeing those arrows every time I touch the shutter butom (sorry for my english); and if Tom Abrahamson is designing one, Iīm sure he is doing what we need; shall we ask it to Santa yet.

And being honest, it should be such easy to make it, just a good design is needed.

Merry Christmas to all.

-- r watson (al1231234@hotmail.com), December 21, 2001.

It is a good idea, I agree. I hadn't thought of it. Turning the dial is a pain and a poor design. The Rs of course have such a thing.

-- Robin Smith (smith_robin@hotmail.com), December 21, 2001.

An on-off switch for the M6 meter makes perfect sense, and it should be designed into the rewind lever. A pull on the lever in the direction opposite that for activating rewind would turn on the meter. It could either stay in that position, or have a spring-return to shut it off automatically. The rewind lever falls naturally under the right middle finger in use, and is thus a good location for this, and Leica wouldn't have to change the camera's appearance in any way. A photographer could quickly check exposure, make the necessary adjustments with the switch pulled over, and then release the switch, extinguishing those distracting LED's!

-- John Layton (John.Layton@valley.net), December 21, 2001.

May be just a simple shutter release stopper when it is turn the shuter release button cannot be pressed down fully so it locks both the shutter and meter. Something like the shutter release lock on a Nikon FM2 if I remember correctly. Remember there is no shutter release lock on Leica M6 and the light meter lock is pain to use also.

-- kenny chiu (amchiu@worldnet.att.net), December 21, 2001.

Jhon, to do that,(an on-off switch in the rewind level) there would be a lot to do to design such, the on-off switch on the battery cover needs only to work on the battery cover and thatīs it, we could have an extra one in the bag in case we loose it wile changing batteries.

-- r watson (al1231234@hotmail.com), December 22, 2001.

A bit off topic: don't you M6ers expect meter info in your accessory wide angle viewfinders?

In the meantime I am very happy with my M3 and M4-P! And a choice of light meters.

Best wishes for the season,

-- Hans Berkhout (berkhout@cadvision.com), December 22, 2001.

"All you need to do is wait until Feb 02 and the new M6 AE will be introduced. It will need to have an off/on switch because it will be electronic."

Don't bet on it, Wayne. They didn't even provide an off switch on the motor drive for my R4. The only way to disable it is to pop out the battery holder.

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), December 22, 2001.

I think it's a good idea, too. And building it into the battery cover is a stroke of genius. No modifications needed to the camera itself.

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), December 22, 2001.

The modified battery cover certainly makes sense from the standpoint of simplicity and expense, and it's a shoo-in for a viable aftermarket accessory. But think of the ergonomics - having to use two fingers to activate the meter, and then still falling prey to the camera's auto shutoff cycle. I'm standing by my idea of the modified rewind lever (see above), although when Tom A. comes out with his switch-cover, I'm going to buy two!

-- John Layton (john.layton@valley.net), December 23, 2001.