LEITZ LEICA M5 User manual

Your new LEICA® M 5
is the
first rangefinder camera in the
world with through-the-Iens light
metering. This means not only the most
accurate lens focusing possible, but
prec isely selective exposure readings
under any lighting
conditions ,
night or day.
We recommend that you begin
practicing without film in the camera,
working all of the controls to get the
feel of the camera. Should you have
some initial
difficulty in seeing the
exposure meter readout bar underneath
the
viewfinder , two tips: First, make
sure that
your eye is so centered that
you can easily and sharply see the
shutter speed imaged in the viewfinder ,
and practice glancing downward to
2
read the meter. Second , if there isn't
enough
subject background contrast
to make the needle and setting cur ve
clearly visible, simply place your finger
temporarily in front of the main view-
finder window . This will make the meter
elements spring into focus.
You will find the LEICA M 5 a fast-
handling camera in the LEICA tradition ,
with the added advantage of a highly
sensitive CdS through-the-Iens light
meter. PI .ease ilJvest a small amount of
time
in reading through this short
manual, with your new LEICA M 5
in hand. And
good luck!
ERNST LEITZ GMBH 0 6330 WETZLAR

Contents
LEICA M 5 parts identification
How to hold the LEICA
The bright-line range-viewfinder
The field-of-view preselector
The built-in exposure meter
Battery, and Battery test
Using filters
Close-up
pictures
The rangefinder
Transport lever, Release button,
Page
4
6
7
9
10
14
15
15
16
Shutter speed selector 18
The depth-of-field scale 19
The distance and aperture scales 20
Lens changing 21
Self-timer, Flash synchronization 22
Flash table 23
Film loading 24
Film removal 25
Protecting your LEICA, and its lenses 26
Page
The LEICA system
Interchangeable LEICA lenses
27
VISOFLEX 28
Bellows and close-focusing devices 29
Extreme tele-Ienses, Cases
30
LEICA Information Service 33
LEITZ Warranty 34
After-sales Service,
Magazine "LEICA FOTOGRAFIE"
35
3

LEICA M 5 parts identification
1 Automatic frame counter
2 Shutter speed selector ring
3 Shutter release
button
4 Rapid transport lever
5 Accessory shoe, with X flash contact
6 Film-plane indicator mark
7 ASA/DIN film speed scales
8 Illumination window for
internal meter readout
4
9 Film rewind release
10 Rangefinder window
11 Illumination window for
bright-line frames
12 Viewfinder
window
13 Selftimer
14 Lensmount bayonet lock
15 Red locating protrusion for
lens insertion

16 Depth-of-field scale
17 Distance scale
18 Aperture scale
19 Field-of-view preselector,
and battery-test lever
20 Strap fittings
21 Range-viewfinder eyepiece
22 X synchro contact for electronic-
flash and short-peak lamps
(see pag.
22 , 23)
19035-110
23 M synchro contact for medium-
peak lamps (see pag. 22 , 23)
24 Battery cover plate
25 Film type indicator and
aperture/speed
calculator
26 Folding film rewinding crank
27 114" tripod bushing
28 Baseplate lock
5

How to hold the LEICA
For steady three-point support, grasp
the LEICA with your right hand, index
finger on the release button, and thumb
against the transport lever. The left
hand either supports the lens from be-
low , ready for rapid refocusing, or holds
the strap-side of the camera . Both hands
finally press the camera against your
forehead.
6
With this holding method, verticals can
easily be made by simply rotating the
camera
through gO-degrees. Your hand
position on the
controls never changes,
and the LEICA can be rotated
either
upward (as illustrated) or downward .

The bright-line range-viewfinder The bright-line range-viewfinder of the
LEICA M 5 combines three functions :
that
of a precisely accu rate rangefinder
coupling with all lenses from 21-* to
135mm; a
viewfinder with illuminated
focal frames providing automatic paral-
lax compensation at all
focusing dist-
ances for lenses of 35-, 50-**, 90-, and
135mm; and as measuring field
indica -
tor for the through -the-Iens li ght meter .
The
extra-bright rangefinder focusing
patch is always present in the center of
the field. Illuminated focal frames
for
the various lenses appear automatically
when they are inserted in the bayonet
mount , or may be previewed by means
of the pr
eselector lever (13) . When a
50mm lens is mounted, four circular
arcs appear to define the light metering
field.
• No li ght metering is possible with 21 mm lenses ;
see
inf ormation sheet No. 12 0- 47 .
•• Before using the colla psibl e 5 0m m ELMAR" f/ 2.8
(Code No. 11112), please see information sheet
120 - 47 .
7

8
Rangefinder focusing patch 35mm focal frame
135mm focal frame, also measuring field
jndicator for exposure meter with 35mm lens

The field-of-view preselector
The field-of-view preselector (19) func-
tions as a universal viewfinder, enabling
the LEICA user at any time to introduce
the focal frames for lenses other than
the one in use. Lever
outward: field-of-
view frames for 35- and 135mm lenses.
Lever inward: frame for 90mm lens.
Lever straight: frame for 50mm lens.
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9

The through-lens exposure meter
1, ... ", x
I
DIN
..-
19041-110
Correct film-speed setting is essential
for accurate exposure measurements!
The ASAIDIN scale knob (7) permits
setting ASA indexes from 6
to 3,200, and
DIN speeds from 9 to 36. Settings are
firmly click-stopped to prevent acci-
dental changes.
Meter readings can be made only when
the
shutter is tensioned , by stroking the
transport lever (4). The meter is switch-
ed
off after each exposure .
Exposure
measurements should be
made with the
camera held horizontally.
For a 35mm lens, the
light metering field
is
indicated by the 135mm focal frame.
With a 50mm lens
this light measuring
field is
defined by four circular arcs ,
10
representing a full circle , which appear
when a 50mm lens is mounted. The
rangefinder patch, which is also round-
ed off at its ends to represent an in-
complete circle, defines the metering
area covered by a 90mm lens, and is
also used to
center the reading with a
135mm lens.
Only 28mm ELMARIT f/2.8 lenses above
the serial
number 2314920 can be used
for light metering with the LEICA M 5.
For these 28mm lenses, the 90mm focal
frame is imaged to define the metering
area. After modification , older 28mm
f/2.8 lenses can be used
with the LEICA
M 5 range-viewfinder, but not with its
light meter. Please see information
sheet No. 120 - 47.
Underneath the viewfinder picture area
is
the exposure meter readout bar, with
illuminated shutter speed at left. Cor-
rect
exposure is set by aligning the
meter needle and the setting curve so
as to
cross at the horizontal center line,
as
shown in illustrations on facing page.
The setting curve is activated by the
shutter speed dial (2) , the meter needle
by the lens
aperture ring (18). Best
practice: start by selecting an appro-
priate shutter speed, then adjust lens
aperture to achieve meter alignment.
Shutter speeds can easily be changed

The next smaller focal frame functions as the metering area
11

without removing your eye from the
viewfinder. Important! Avoid any finger
pressure on release button (3) during
exposure measurements; this will cause
meter cell to move away from its
cor-
rect central measuring position, and
will produce incorrect readings.
Two semi-circles at either end of the
meter readout
bar serve as aperture in-
dicators. If the meter needle moves to-
ward the smaller semi-circle at left, a
smaller f!stop is being set. Needle mo-
vement
toward the larger right-hand
semi-circles indicates a larger aper-
ture setting.
The LEICA M 5 through-the-Iens
light
meter provides the advantages of selec-
tive light measurement. This means that
disturbing influences,such as extremely
bright or dark areas, direct light sour-
ces, etc., can readily be
eliminated
from the reading area. Always try to
select a subject section representative
12
of the whole scene, and when in doubt
follow these general rules: Measure
where you focus. Avoid dark shadow
areas, bright clouds, open lights or re-
flections from water, unless an inten-
tionally off-beat effect is desired. Be-
cause
of its selectivity, the LEICA M 5
will often permit close-up readin£s
directly from the shooting position.
The
brightness range of the LEICA M 5
light meter extends from OA Asb (with
an
f!1A lens) to 200,000 Asb. This means
that with full lens aperture, extremely
low light levels can be measured. If the
picture is then to be made at a smaller
aperture, a handy calculator dial (25)
has been
built onto the back panel of
the camera. If,
for example, the meter
indicates a 1/2 sec exposure at f!1A, the
calculator dial will show the equivalent
time for an f/5.6 exposure to be 8 sec.
The LEICA M 5 cell
carrier arm, see
page
15.

3Smm focal frame and metering field
13Smm focal frame and metering field
SOmm focal frame and metering field
Metering field for longer than 13Smm
lenses
13

Battery testing
The CdS light meter is powered by a
1.
35 volt mercury-oxide cell, the Mallory \
PX 625 , or equivalent, such as the Varta
Pertrix
7002. These cells offer a normal
service life of one to two years.
To test the battery, hold the camera
horizontally,
look through the viewfin-
der , and pull the field-of-view preselec-
tor lever (19) outward, away from the
lens. If the battery is still serviceable,
the meter needle will fall within the cut-
out area at the
lower right-hand side of
the readout bar.
Battery changing
The battery compartment cover is coin-
slotted to permit easy removal. When
inserting a new cell, always be sure that
the
written side faces upward before
replacing the cover plate.
14
M5

Using filters
With through-the-Iens light metering,
the energy absorbed by filters
will ge-
nerally be automatically taken into ac-
count. Different films, however,
differ in
their individual spectral response. Very
dense filters, as well as those lying near
the red and blue ends of the spectrum,
may therefore sometimes
introduce an
error. If in doubt, measure
without the
filter, then apply the standard
filter
factor . In general, a dense orange filter
will require perhapsone full f/stop more
than the meter indicates, a red
filter two
f/stops more. No more exact data can
be given because of the great differen-
ces in the red sensitivity of black-and-
white
films .
With the LEITZ polarizing filter, rotate
the
disc in front of the viewfinder until
the desired result is obtained; then
swing the
filter in front of the lens and
make the
light measurement without
any additional rotation.
Close-up pictures
When making close-up pictures, for
example with the Bellows Focusing Unit,
there is no need to
consider the expo-
sure increase
factor introduced by
lens-to-film extension. The LEICA M 5
through-lens light meter takes thisauto-
matically into account.
The LEICA M 5 cell carrier arm
The CdS meter cell of the LEICA M 5 is
mounted on a
swinging carrier arm.
When the lensmount is empty, the cell
is hidden in its bottom recess. Inserting
a lens causes the cell to move to its
central measuring position, if the shut-
ter is tensioned. First pressure on the
shutter release causes the cell to move
down into its recess, where it remains
until the film is again transported.
Never touch or play with this sensitive
mechanism!
If you wish to see the cell carrier arm in
action
without endangering the mecha-
nism, insert
either the empty mount of a
50mm SUMMICRON® f/2 lens, or a
sGrew-to-bayonet lens adapter (Nos.
14097,14098 ,14099). But no fingers,
please!
15

The rangefinder
16
The measuring field of the rangefinder
appears in the center of the vi ewfinder
as a bright , sharply outlined oblong. If
you block the large field window (12) of
the vi
ewfinder , only the reflected bright-
line frame and the measuring field re-
main visible . Focusing can be carried
out by either the coincidence or split-
image methods.
Coincidence (double image) focusing:
in
portraiture , for instance, focus on the
highlight in the si tte r's eye. Observe the
subject through the viewfinder and ro-
tate the lens * until the double contours
in the measuring field c oincide .
Split-image focusing:
Sight an edge or
any other clearcut line; if you find that
this line is offset sideways as it enters
the measuring field, rotate
the lens *
until the line becomes continuous as it
passes from the vi
ewfinder- into the
measuring
field and out again. This
method is to be preferred because of
its superior accuracy .
• A few short- foca l-Iength LE ICA lenses en gage at
the infi nity setting, and the lock (1
2) must be de-
pressed
to perm it focus ing on shorter distance s.
P ullo ut col! apsib le lenses and lock them in
pos;
tion .

Double image = unsharp
Coincident image = sharp
Offset line = unsharp
Continuous line = sharp

18
The rapid transport lever (4) winds the
shutter and advances the film and the
frame counter in one single motion,
or
in a series of shorter motions.
The shutter release button (3) is thread-
ed
for a standard cable release (No.
14067). It should be pressed smoothly,
without jerking , until a soft click indi-
cates that the shutter has been released.
(Many photographers ensure release
smoothness by
taking up the release-
button slack before exposure. With the
LEICA M 5, however, one must avoid
this when taking exposure readings.)
The shutter speed selector ring (2) has
click-stopped settings from 1/1000 to
1/2 sec. Intermediate speeds can be set
over the
whole range, except direct
below the dot (.) indicating the 1/ 50
sec synchronization speed for electro-
nic flash. The speed dial is
additionally
engraved with "8 " -(bulb) speeds from
1 to
30 sec, for use with the light meter.
Theseexposure intervalsmust be timed
by the
photographer , and a cable rel-
ease should,
of course,be used. Starting
at the interval marked "8 1", the shutter
will remain open as long
as the cable
1904 3- 110 release is held down.

LEICA lenses have a fixed ring with
depth-of-field scale (16) , a rotatable
ring for setting the focusing distance
(17) and an iris diaphragm ring (1S).
The depth-of-field scale
The lens reproduces at maximum sharp-
ness the plane, parallel to the film, on
which it is focused. This maximum
sharpness falls off
gradually towards
the
front and rear; within a certain
depth, then, the subject will appear
sharp. This depth-of-field depends on
the camera
distance , the focal length of
the lens, and the lens aperture set.
Stopping
down the lens increases,
opening it up decreases the depth-of-
field.
The depth-of-field scale indicates the
depth-of-field zone for the object dis-
tance on which the lens is focused.
With the 50mm SUMMICRON f/2 focus-
ed on 5m (16ft, Sin), sharpness at f/4
extends from 4m to about
Sm (13ft. 4in
to about 26ft. Sin). However, if you stop
down to f/ 11 at the same focusing dis-
tance, sharpness will extend from 3m to
about 20m (10ft. to about 67ft.).
19

The distance scale
The distance scale (17) indicates the
distance on which the lens is set. and,
in connection with the depth-of-field
scale (16), the extent of the depth of
field. The
distance is also important to
the
calculation of the guide number for
flash equipment.
The aperture scale
The aperture scale is internationally laid
down; the values have been chosen so
that the quantity of light reaching the
film is halved every
time the lens is
stopped
down one step. One aperture
step is equivalent to one step on the
shutter speed dial (2) regarding the ad-
justment of the light quantity to which
the film is exposed. .
Like the
shutter speed dial, the lens
diaphragm ring clicks into position op-
posite each
number (some diaphragm
rings also at half values). This will en-
able you, after some practice, to
identify
the setting of the diaphragm even in the
19045-110 dark.
20