Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1996/11/18
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]The dispositive treatment of Metrawatt Leicameters can be found in the VIEWFINDER article I wrote a year or three back (ha-HEM!). There is also a nice VIDOM article on the same, though it is not quite as complete. Briefly, this is the saga for M cameras: M selenium, uses a booster-cell for low-light conditions MC selenium, uses a booster-cell for low-light conditions MR CdS, no booster cell "MR-4" never given a separate catalogue number by either Metrawatt or Leica. Has the switch mounted on the top instead of the side, so that it won't foul the angled rewind crank on the M-4 and later cameras. The MC and both MR's are available in black and bright chrome; I believe the black finish is generally laquer though black chrome has been documented. Advice for a user: get a beater MR-4, which would run only about $75 or so in this country. Have it overhauled. The bright chrome models show wear easily, and so lose collector appeal. Watch out for wear on your camera's top-plate. Judicious use of electrical tape on either may be in order. The MR/MR-4 are designed for now-hard-to-find mercury PX625 batteries. They WILL run fine, however, on silver-oxide and alkaline cells as they have compensated circuitry. I ran mine on PX76's for a year or two, back at the end of my M-4 days. Marc msmall@roanoke.infi.net FAX: +540/343-7315 Cha robh bas fir gun ghras fir!