I just got a chrome M6. I notice the metering arrows do not blink in either low light or when the apeture has a high f stop. Is it defective or is it just less sensitive than the ttl meter? I think it should blink if I understood the manual correctly. Thanks in advance.

-- John (jamriman@yahoo.com), April 02, 2002

Answers

Test it by advancing the film and capping the lens. The arrows should blink.

-- Hil (Hegomez@agere.com), April 02, 2002.

'My early 'Wetzlar' M6 dose'nt blink or illuminate when the meter is out of range - it's just how they are - I just get the shutter and aperture combination in the 'ball-park' and fine tune it with the arrows if needed.

-- John Griffin (john@griffinphoto.u-net.com), April 02, 2002.

The claimed sensitivity of the Leitz M6 meter is EV0 to EV20. The arrows only come on when the meter is in range. For instance, if my camera/lens is set to f1 @ 1 sec under bright, sunny conditions, the arrows will not come on. Personally, I much prefer the metering of the early M6's.

-- Glenn Travis (leicaddict@hotmail.com), April 02, 2002.

Just before or just after the LEICA M6-production was moved to SOLMS in 1988 also the electronic system was refurbished. From then on you could see it blink in the v/f in low light. Useful also when you leave the lenscap on when you try to take a photo ;-))

Best regards

-- K. G. Wolf (k.g.wolf@web.de), April 02, 2002.

John. Several posters above are referring to the fact that Leica changed the operation of the metering system several times during the production of the M6. Early on (Wetzlar cameras), the low light sensitivity was, as noted above, down to EV 0 with the Noctilux at F/1.0. Then it was lowered to EV -1 (ie., one full stop more sensitive), but I don't know the exact serial number at which this happened. With M6-TTL (and the M7) the low light sensitivity was reduced another full stop, to EV -2.

There were also operational differences. In the earliest cameras, the diode did not blink when the light level was below the threshhold of the meter sensitivity. So if you cock the shutter and press it half-way with the lens cap on, neither diode would light up.

This might be the case with your camera. I can't tell. I do know that when you send the camera in to Leica for CLA, if they adjust the meter circuitry, they will substitute the circuitry that provides the blinking diode. Thus, a number of very early M6 cameras now have diodes that do blink.

-- Eliot (erosen@lij.edu), April 02, 2002.

John, all you need is here:

http://cameraquest.com/m6dif.htm

-- Kristian (leicashot@hotmail.com), April 02, 2002.