Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/10/31

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Subject: [Leica] M6 & low light metering anomaly (I think)
From: geordiepete211 at yahoo.co.uk (Peter Cheyne)
Date: Sun, 1 Nov 2009 01:26:03 +0900

I've come upon a low-light metering problem with my M6.  With ISO 3200  
set, the meter indicates good exposure with the two red arrows pointing
at each other when the shutter is set to 1/30 and faster.  But at 1/15  
and slower, I no longer get the two red arrows pointing at each  
other.  Instead,
I get one left-pointing arrow indicating overexposure and thus  
prompting me to reduce the aperture until, instead of the two arrows  
facing each other,
the arrows are just not illuminated.  E.g.  With the shutter at 1/15,  
and the aperture at 2.8, the meter arrow points left.  So I click the  
aperture wheel
to the next click (say, 3.5), but instead of indicating a good  
exposure, the arrow simply disappears as though I am no longer in the  
right ball park for
getting a good exposure.

Setting the camera for ISO 1600, I can get the two arrows pointing at  
each other at 1/15 of a second, but at 1/8 again I get the left  
pointing arrow until
the metering arrow just goes off.  Again, at 6400 ISO, I can get the  
arrows to point to each other at 1/30, but not at 1/15 and slower.  At  
ISO 800, 1/15 and faster
can get the two arrows red for me, but 1/8 and slower doesn't work  
properly (again, only one arrow shows up, not two to indicate what the  
meter would
show to be a good exposure.  At ISO 400, the problem shutter speed is  
one second, which again brings up the left pointing arrow but never  
the two arrows facing each
other.

I find this a bit mysterious and limiting.  I wonder if it is a known  
issue with the M6, or if I my camera has some weird metering problem.   
Can anyone enlighten me
here?  Maybe it is simply a matter of the sensitivity of the light  
meter.  Do these grow less sensitive and need replacing?

Peter




Replies: Reply from john.o.newell at comcast.net (J. Newell) ([Leica] M6 & low light metering anomaly (I think))