Anybody found a way to make a double exposure with an M6 ?

I'd like to be able to do a pre-flash for some pictures with very wide brightness range, but I find it impossible with the M6. Did I miss something ?

You could try pushing the rewind lever down, and advancing the

film while holding the rewind knob. This technique works

(though not guaranteed acurately) with some manual SLR's that

do not have intentional double exposure arrangements. I

haven't tried it myself on an M camera, and I would advise you

not to force anything. Good luck.

Sorry, cancel my earlier message. It does not work. When you

want to re-cock the shutter, this action pushes the rewind lever

back up.

If as you say in your second sentence you are simply trying to set

the flash off but not *actually* take a second exposure then on my M4-

P with a Metz through the X socket the flash is triggered regardless

of whether the camera is wound or not - I suspect the same for the M6

 

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If however you are trying to create a true double exposure on one

frame there is a way but I believe it can damage the mechanics of the

winding gear and is not recommended.

Hello Stephane. On older M's it was suggested to hold the lever

rewind down while advancing the wind on for the second exposure.It

was also suggested that no damage ensued to the camera.But believe

me,that terrible grating sound when winding on was not worth it.I

would not suggest this technique on your M6. Regards.

Stephane:

 

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Yes, very simple.

 

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M6, 2700-4000 DPI scanner, Photoshop, Layers. Much more controlable

than in-camera MEs.

 

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Sorry to say that but.... The future was here yeserday.

 

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Cheers

Pre- flashing is (obviously) better suited to sheet film cameras.

Maybe you should try a film better suited to the brightness range

your working with such as Pan F or Tech Pan.

Stephane;

 

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Further thoughts.

 

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The "dynamic range" of many films is far greater than the range of

paper-both B&W and Colour.

 

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In B&W you could overexpose and underdevelop or use softer

paper/filters or dodge/burn in. Pre-flashing is mostly just a cure

for an ill of older papers and films.

 

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I recall seeing an ad in Scientific American Kodak ran on Plus X,

saying it had a range of 60 decibels, that is 1 000 000:1. Nine

Zones is a lot less than that. Filters can successfully adjust

contrast range, specially graded NDs.

 

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G'Bye again.

The only M camera you can use for double exposures is the M5.

The easiest Leica camera to do double exposures with is a LTM

camera. You just have to keep cocking the shutter using the

shutter speed dial.

 

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WITH ANY OTHER M, DO NOT ADVANCE THE FILM WHILE

HOLDING DOWN THE REWIND LEVER. THIS DAMAGES

GEARS IN THE WIND MECH.

The only way I know to do it "in-camera":

 

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<ol>

<li> Advance film and burn one blank shot before image.

<li> Advance film for initial exposure.

<li> Tighten rewind crank sungly and note precise position of handle.

<li> Take initial exposure.

<li> Flip rewind lever and rewind film so the handle lines up to same

position as noted in step 3.

<li> Advance film normally and make second exposure on frame.

<li> Advance film to burn another blank shot after image.

</ol>

 

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BUT, this method will not precisely register the film for items in

that second shot.

 

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:-),

Thanks for your contributions.

 

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Photoshop is not an option. Digital processing is fine for colour, I

use it myself, but for B&W, the printing stage is not satisfying and

the whole process is, for me, much slower then what I do in my darkroom.

 

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Concerning the brightness range of different films, including Tech

Pan, let's suppose by correctly over-exposing and under-developping I

can manage to fit the 10 zones, which I do, actually.

 

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Last Sunday, I was facing a subject where I had 12 stops between what

I wanted to be in zone I and what I wanted in zone IX. The only way to

record than on the neg is to compress the range, and if it is not on

the neg, it won't be on the paper, digital processing or not.

 

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The place I was when facing the problem (the cellar of an old factory

with some sun rays coming in) is not the place I fancy to explore with

a view camera :)

 

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So, pre-flash is clearly the only way, since you can't, in 35mm

develop N-2 just for one picture.

 

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Oh well, I've bidded for an M5 on ebay :-)

Tech Pan souped in POTA developer can produce more than ten

stops. You could also pull the film out of the cannister, hang it

on the wall, and flash the entire roll at once, pre- or post-

exposure.

On pre-flashing with a Leica:

 

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I recently saw an article (Web or LHSA Viewfinder) on a one-off M4

modified for a mid-70s technique that installed little 'grain-of-wheat'

light bulbs in the front of the film chamber that provided

'simultaneous' flashing during exposure. It also requires a baseplate

battery pack for the bulbs. If you're willing to pay the one-off

collectors price...

 

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Alternative 2. Since the pre-flash is essentially just veiling flare -

use lenses that do this inherently - 35 f/1.4 pre-ASPH, 90 tele-elmarit

(on occasion), 50 Summar.

 

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Alternative 3. have someone modify a Contax G1/G2 to M mount (They

multiple expose on demand) - and scale focus - it's probably cheaper

than the modified M4. Or hope for a Hexar RF II that includes a multi-

exposure control.

 

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The problem with the 'rewind' technique is that 1 turn of the rewind

crank will rewind more film early in the roll, and less film near frame

36 - since the length of film rewound is proportional to the diameter

of the cassette spool PLUS the thickness of film already wrapped around

it.

On pre-flashing with a Leica:

 

<p>

 

I recently saw an article (Web or LHSA Viewfinder) on a one-off M4

modified for a mid-70s technique that installed little 'grain-of-wheat'

light bulbs in the front of the film chamber that provided

'simultaneous' flashing during exposure. It also requires a baseplate

battery pack for the bulbs. If you're willing to pay the one-off

collectors price...

 

<p>

 

Alternative 2. Since the pre-flash is essentially just veiling flare -

use lenses that do this inherently - 35 f/1.4 pre-ASPH, 90 tele-elmarit

(on occasion), 50 Summar.

 

<p>

 

Alternative 3. have someone modify a Contax G1/G2 to M mount (They

multiple expose on demand) - and scale focus - it's probably cheaper

than the modified M4. Or hope for a Hexar RF II that includes a multi-

exposure control.

 

<p>

 

The problem with the 'rewind' technique is that 1 turn of the rewind

crank will rewind more film early in the roll, and less film near frame

36 - since the length of film rewound is proportional to the diameter

of the cassette spool PLUS the thickness of film already wrapped around

it.

 

<p>

 

This technique does work, sometimes, with the original Nikon F, because

there's a dot on the rotating shutter button connected to the toothed

wind sprocket that DOES turn exactly once for every 8 sprocket holes -

or one frame.

Take two pics on suceeding frames. Place both negatives in enlarger,

open up the stop on the enlarger lens, - Bingo a double exposure.