Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/11/08
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I've always understood that M cameras were designed to work down to -20C. In my experience, below this the M6 LEDs start to fade, making proper meter reading very difficult. Shutter speeds also start becoming erratic. I generally use an old M3 at very cold temperatures - the different shutter cloth used then seems to perform more consistently in the cold than today's material. A further cold weather problem is the way lens focussing rings go stiff and, finally, impossible to turn. I try to switch to the hyperfocal method before this. I've shot below -40 this way. For those who've suggested here that the photographer is likely to fail before the Leica does - sorry, that's not right. It is much easier to keep a person functioning than a camera. With the camera, one must be vigilant about condensation and this means it must remain at something close to the ambient temperature. Eventually, this can become too cold for the mechanism and the electronics. The person functions better at many degrees warmer than ambient and good clothing makes this possible. Only my eyelashes and a finger or two freeze. Emanuel Lowi Montreal - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html