Question on Leicameter

[maik]

Hi all,

 

I am thinking about buying a Leicameter. Either MR or MC. Any

thoughts on these, restrictions in use, what to look out for. I do

have a hand held meter but still would like one.

 

Thanks for your input,

 

cheers, Maik

[bob_mcbob]

Unless you're using a body that couples to the Leica meter, why not look at a more capable small meter like the Gossen Digisix?

[ronald_moravec1]

The selenium ones are impossible to repair. The battery ones require the mercury battery or modification. A little fussy to use, but ok on M4P and older. sees same angle as 90mm lens.

 

Learn to love an incident meter. You will be happier if you can get it in the same light as the subject. A Weston Master 4 or 5 or newer with the incident dome is nice. Use the palm of your hand and open one stop as a grey card substitute.

 

Buy a non working model and send it to Quality Light Metric for a new cell. It will be $65 and take two weeks door to door. George does great work. He is the DAG of light meters. Hollywood California.

[vidom]

The MC has a selenium cell that will have seen most of it's life span if it is working at all. The MR is a CDS meter that has a release button on the side that gets in the way of the rewind crank with any Leica from the M4 and which will break easily; it will work fine with M2s and M3s. The MR-4 is the latest one with release button on top of the body; apart from that it is the same as the MR. This was made for the M4 (M4-2, M4-P) but will work fine with any other meterless M. All CDS Leicameters are adjusted for 1,35 V mercury cells but can be used with wein cells.

[maik]

Thanks all,

 

I am going to use it on my M3. I actually have a Gossen Digisix but would like to try a compact bundle lightmeter and camera. Thanks for the info on using WeinCells in the MR. That should make my decission easier.

 

cheers, Maik

[ben z]

Last I spoke to them, Quality Light Metrics can repair the selenium Leicameters. Question is only, is it worth it. The MR and MR4 meters are also hit-or-miss in terms of working properly. Some can be repaired and others can't. The ones that have been left with batteries in them for years and all the wiring and circuit board is corroded are not worth fixing. Many of them respond to cleaning the contacts and some of the oxidation off the circuit board. I bought a lot of 6, brought 4 back to life myself. I found after calibrating them to a 1.5v battery that a 1.3v battery gave me the same readings, or within 1/3 stop overall. I use them on my M3 and M4 bodies, but I always carry a separate meter in the bag because I never trust those MR4s not to die suddenly. For what I paid (6/$100, 4 salvaged=$25 each) I'm satisfied. No way I'd spend $120-150 on one like I see them selling for. The Voitlander-II (the one that stores the value) would be the way I'd go, even though it doesn't connect with the shutter speed wheel.

[vidom]

@Ben,

 

I use a Voigtlander VC-Meter with my IIIf and my other meterless RF-cameras, but I don't like it. Technically it is a fine meter. Problem is, it doesn't memorize it's reading and it can only be read from the top, so you can not aim at whatever you want to meter and read the output at the same time, so this is always a matter of hit or miss. Another bug: I often turn it on by accident because of the position of the release button at the back side. For Leica M I prefer my Leicameter.

[paul t]

Peter, as Ben points out, the new meter DOES store the value. Positioning of

the wheels is slightly redesigned, too. They can get knocked out of position,

but I've not found it a hassle. I like the fact you can use it without looking thru

the VF; in some circumstances that can be quicker.

[gerald_widen]

I would recommend the MR meter. It couples to the shutter dial so all you have to do is set the lens opening. They are very accurate. I would go for the older version with the button on the end (although it tends to get in the way when re-winding)as I think it is the better design. From my experience the version with the button on the top the "4" version not only scrapes the top of the meter it tends to fail sooner. The button not only activates the meter it also lowers the tray (for lack of a better word) so the needle can float. I believe the older version with the button on the end of the meter provides a more direct linkage to the tray and will last longer. I've had 2 meters with the button on the top fail with heavy use. So far my meter with the button on the end is fine.

[ben z]

Paul, I have the first type VC meter and I use it on my MP or M6, precisely to be able to take a reading without bringing the camera to my eye, an option the MR meters give. That way I can just bring the camera to my eye and shoot fast.

 

Gerald, I've had both types apart and the MR4 is the better design. Firstly the top switch turns a metal tab inside the top cover that pushes a short plastic tab attached to the contacts, vs the MR which has a long, thin plastic rod that can break. Second, the contacts in the MR4 is a gold-plated piece with 3 springy "feelers" that ride along the circuit board contact strip, vs the MR which is a single piece of some alloy that oxidizes quite readily. In fact, the MR was made for only one year (1966) and replaced in 1967 by the MR4 with the advent of the M4 body. The MR4 was made up until the M4P was discontinued in the mid 80s, so many of them have CdS cells that are much newer.

[jeff voorhees]

Here is a "new in box" MC meter on Ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=3879408548&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT

[jeff voorhees]

Sorry. I thought...I don't know what I thought.

 

The item number on Ebay is: 3879408548 Do a search for that.

[gerald_widen]

Ben, sounds like you know what you are talking about from taking the meters apart. Maybe I was just unlucky. I've two of them break in the same way. The first one I had repaired and it worked for another few years and the same thing happened again. The platform wouldn't lower allowing the needle to float. I had another for about 5 years and the same thing happened. The first I bought new in around 1970 and the 2nd used. I have the first model (MR)for about a year and I am keeping my fingers crossed. The lever on the end does get in the way though and I usually find myself removing the meter when winding film on my M2.

[huw_finney]

I'll second the Weston 5 route, the Leica of meters. Or for sheer value for money Sekonics L308, I have had mine for years, still on the same AA cell.

[Rob F.]

The MR/MR4 as they came from the factory require a 1.35V. mercury cell, PX625. These are largely unavailable, owing to environmental concerns. The Varta V625U is a direct physical replacement, but the meter must be recalibrated for it, since it is a 1.5V. alkaline cell. Sherry did a nice job of recalibrating mine, as well as replacing a missing part. I got it back with one Varta cell installed, and another one for a spare.

 

The MR/MR4 is a good meter for the M2 and M3, since it transfers the shutter speed directly from the meter to the shutter speed dial on the camera, making it fast to use.

[maik]

Thanks for all the input. Unfortunately the MR Meter that I had set my eyes on was just sold before I got to that shop. It had been lying around for over a year and than gets sold only days before I finally decidet to buy it. Rats! So I got me a working MC Meter (compared it to my Digisix) for not much money. It is from around the same time as the `64 M3 I got it for and makes a nice combo. It was still in that little red box and looked really clean and I even got a one year warranty with it. Lets hope it will work for a few more years.

 

cheers, Maik