Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/09/19

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Consistent underexposure problem
From: "Bill Larsen" <ohlen@lightspeed.net>
Date: Sun, 19 Sep 1999 12:41:28 -0700

Godfrey DiGiorgi writes:
xxxxxxx
The Leica M6 meter


|integrates it's reading from an approximate 12mm central spot so it's
|about 13% of the image area.


Actually according to the Leica M6 instructions, the meter area is
approximately 23% of the viewfinder field.  The manual also contains
illustrations of the meter field for each frameline.  In the case of the 35 mm
lens that Anthony is using, the metered area would include and extend beyond
the interior 135 mm frameline.

My M6 instruction book includes a Leica gray card that can be used for
surrogate readings.

If Anthony is taking the same type of pictures that he has displayed on his
website he may be underestimating what the meter is seeing  (e.g. too much
sky).  The instruction manual contains a lot of valid tips to solve exposure
problems associated with the m6.  When I first got my M6, I carried a xeroxed
copy of the meter field illustrations to remind me that it is quite different
than the M3 with MR4 meter which is pretty consistent with the 90 mm
frameline.  The most difficult thing I had to learn was to quit adjusting the
exposure when I raised the camera to my eye and saw the red leds indicating
that I was under or over exposed.

Regards, Bill Larsen
ohlen@lightspeed.net