Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/06/04

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: M6 TTL questions
From: Herbert & Lee Kanner <kanner@acm.org>
Date: Mon, 4 Jun 2001 17:41:27 -0700
References: <B7414CB5.11BE7%jbcollier@powersurfr.com>

I am well and truly chastised.  As an ex-physicist, I should even be 
ashamed.  If I understand what you did, it sounds as if battery drain 
and visible meter display are not correlated.  Oh Leica, how could 
you!

So, it appears that you clipped a wire to the central spring contact 
in the battery compartment, another to the camera body, and them 
completed the circuit through battery and milli-ammeter.  Bravo!

What in the world are the test terminals that you covered with tape? 
I can't identify such on chrome 0.72 M6TTL Serial No. 2495983.

Regards,

Herb


>I am afraid you are mistaken and now I have to dig up that message
>again.......
>
>(pregnant pause while he digs through the archives)
>
>......and here it is in its entirety:
>
>-------------------------------------
>I have read many posts about the voracious battery appetite of the TTL; and,
>armed with a Fluke 88 Multimeter, an open mind and that curiosity of all
>things Leica innate to those on this list, I decided to find out for myself.
>The hapless victim is a chrome 0.72 M6TTL serial no. 2472064 and the
>operation involved using various (and nefarious) methods know to those of
>you of scientific or farming backgrounds. In order to meet the stringent
>requirements of our august body, generous amounts of black tape was
>employed. The results are as follows:
>
>Camera's Observed State // Current Draw
>
>Shutter speed dial set to "off", shutter wound or released and pressure on
>shutter release or not // 0.00 milli-amperes
>
>Shutter speed dial at any position, meter not activated and shutter wound or
>released // 0.00 milli-amperes
>
>Shutter speed dial at any position other than "B" and "off", meter activated
>and shutter wound // 15.68 milliamperes
>
>Shutter speed dial at "B" position, meter activated (no display) and shutter
>wound // 14.48 milli-amperes
>
>Shutter speed dial at any position but "off", shutter wound, and meter
>activated but allowed to time out // 0.00 milli-amperes
>
>Shutter speed dial at any position but "off", shutter released and pressure
>on shutter release // 16.48 milli-amperes
>
>Conclusions
>
>It is fine to leave the camera "on" as long as there is no pressure on the
>shutter release. If there is pressure on the shutter release and the camera
>is not "off", the battery will drain down regardless if the shutter is wound
>or released. If the camera is being carried in a case, it would be prudent
>to switch it to off; other than that, I would not worry too much. It is very
>simple to rig up the above tests and if you are having problems with battery
>consumption, I certainly would advise it before sending the camera back.
>Leica states that a new battery will give around eight hours of metering
>time so it would be easy to drain the battery overnight if there was
>pressure on the shutter release.
>
>Cheers
>
>John Collier
>
>Oh, and I have followed Tom A. 's advice and covered the two small "test"
>terminals at the base of the battery compartment well with black tape.
>
>----------------------------
>
>>  From: Herbert & Lee Kanner <kanner@acm.org>
>>
>>  Some of the answers to this question appear to be a bit imprecise.
>>  The facts that I have observed on my TTL are:
>>
>>  1. Unless the shutter has been cocked, the exposure meter cannot be
>>  activated and the battery will not drain.
>>
>>  2. The "B" position and the "Off" position of the shutter control
>>  have an identical effect.
>>
>>  3. The non-TTL M6 instructions clearly state that when the camera is
>>  put away, the shutter should be set to the "B" position to prevent
>>  accidental battery drain.
>>
>>  4. When I asked the representative during Leica Day at Keep-it and
>>  Shove-it why the redundant "Off" position when "B" does the same
>>  thing, he smirked and said "That's Leica."
>>
>>  Herb
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>
>>>
>>>  ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>
>>>  Date: Sun, 03 Jun 2001 23:42:19 +0200
>>>  From: Nathan Wajsman <wajsman@webshuttle.ch>
>>>  Subject: [Leica] M6 TTL questions
>  >> Message-ID: <3B1AAF3B.F290B5DA@webshuttle.ch>
>>>  References:
>>>
>>>  I just received my new M6 0.58 from Rich at Photo Village. Great deal,
>>>  great camera. The only thing is that in the instructions it says that
>>>  the shutter button has to be in the OFF position when putting the camera
>>>  in the bag or just not using it for longer periods, even if the shutter
>>>  has been released and the light meter is not active. Can this really be
>>>  true? What are other TTL owners' experiences?
>>>
>>>  Nathan
>>>
>>>  - --
>>>  Nathan Wajsman
>>>  Herrliberg (ZH), Switzerland
>>>
>>>  e-mail: wajsman@webshuttle.ch
>>>
>>>  General photo site: http://belgiangator.tripod.com/
>>>  Belgium photo site: http://members.xoom.com/wajsman/
>>>  Motorcycle site: http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Downs/1704/
>>>
>>>  ------------------------------
>>>
>>  --
>>  Herbert Kanner
>>  kanner@acm.org
>>  650-326-8204
>>

- -- 
Herbert Kanner
kanner@acm.org
650-326-8204

In reply to: Message from John Collier <jbcollier@powersurfr.com> (Re: [Leica] Re: M6 TTL questions)