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.
.
..
LE I CA
c::
M S II
$
~EICA M 5
\Z'
110
II
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