Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1996/08/02
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Friends, I have just tried to reach Mr. Ernst Hartmann at Leica, NJ. He was unable to speak to me. (In between the lines, I think that they don't want him to speak with customers.) I was told that the M6 is the current model and the SL is an old camera. I was told to call the factory, in Germany. Frankly, I do not believe that any of the cameras using only a single mercury cell (SL, SL2, and M5) can be regulated. This is because there is not enough voltage to make a transistor work. I assume that the CL has a similar meter circuit to the M5, although it was made by Minolta. Some of the cameras using more than one cell, such as the M6, probably do contain regulators, because they can work with a variety of alkaline and other batteries. Anyway, Leica, NJ was of no help. May be they do not wish to support us folks who own stuff that carries the Leitz name! I don't know for sure. However, I will conduct some of my own tests this weekend and report the results to the group. I have no intention to speak with the customer-service department at NJ or Germany. Meanwhile, I maintain that using silver cells in your cameras may produce "interesting" results. Best regards and Pax et Looks, Chris Fortunko At 10:14 AM 8/2/96 +0100, you wrote: > >> >>Simply put, you're wrong. The MR/MR-4 meters DO have such compensated >>circuitry and so does the SL -- read the literature from Metrawatt and >>Leica, which is hardly the blatherings of store clerks. Virtually all >>German photo gear has such circuitry, while Japanese gear does not. (I >>believe the Rollei 35 also lacks such circuitry, but I'd have to ask Bob >>Salomon or Harry Fleenor to be certain; in any event, Rollei recommends >>re-calibration of even the late-production Classic.) >> >>I shot for more than a year with PX76 batteries (1.5v silver oxide) in my >>MR-4 and SL. Both cameras functioned well within 1/6 stop. I am currently >>using a Kiev prism on my Hassie with four PX76's in place of the original >>four 625's -- and it, too, is more than accurate enough for chrome work >>despite the additional 4/5 volt. >> >>My Canon F1, however, did NOT do well on silver-oxides: the meter was all >>over the board and was about 1 1/3 stop off, though this was not consistent >>enough to be relied upon. >> >>Marc >> >>msmall@roanoke.infi.net FAX: +540/343-7315 >>Cha robh bas fir gun ghras fir! > > >Marc, > >Do you know if the CL has such compensating circuitry? > >Thanks, > >Henry > > > >