Leica M2 User Manual
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FULL INSTRUCTIONS
This Instruction Book
contains everything you should know about
the LEICA M 2. At first practice handling
the camera without a film. Carry on
until you know all the steps by heart without
needing to refer to this manual. You will
get the hang of it quicker than you thought
possible - handling the LEICA is much
simpler than reading about it.
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Hold the
First of all get used to holding the LEICA correctly. This is most important for quick and
reliable shooting, and for high quality, pin-sharp
pictures.
Grip the camera so that it rests in the palms of
both hands. The right thumb rests lightly against
the transport lever (2), while the right index
finger just touches the release button (1). Use
the left hand to focus the lens (9). Keep your eye
as close as possible to the finder eyepiece (18).
Support the camera firmly against the forehead:
the camera, your head, and your hands should
form a rigid unit. The purpose of all this is to give
the LEICA a solid support during exposure. This
will avoid camera shake and yield negatives with
that ultra-sharp definition characteristic of LEICA
pictures.
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LEICA Correctly
Try exposing at first with a shutter speed of 1/60 second
or faster. After some practice you'll find yourself able to
use slower speeds without shaking the camera during
exposure. If you find it more convenient you can, of
course, equally well use your left eye for viewing and
focusing.
To switch from horizontal to vertical pictures, turn the
LEICA upright. The grip of the hands does not change
appreciably: hold the camera in much the same way as
for horizontal shots. Alternatively, you can bring the right
hand down for vertical shots, and release the shutter
with the thumb. In this case hold the LEICA so that the
tip of the thumb lies against the release button, and the
fingers press against the camera from the bottom. Use
the left hand to focus the lens. Rest the upper part of the
camera against your forehead. With this hold you can
release really smoothly.
Whether taking vertical or horizontal shots, you do not
have to take the eye from the finder - a useful point with
picture sequences, for the LEICA controls are all ideally
located for ease of operation.
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The Film Transport Lever (2)
Push the transport lever fully to the right with
your right thumb. Alternatively, work it with a
number of short strokes until it locks. Either way,
this movement tensions the focal plane shutter of
the LEICA and advances the film by one frame.
You cannot accidentally advance more than one frame
at a time or make an exposure before the film has been
properly advanced. Accidental double-exposures are
impossible.
The Release Button (1)
Press the release button gently with the right
index finger. Never jab it! You will hear the click
as the shutter runs down. This exposes the film
in the camera.
After each exposure lift your finger off the release
button. This frees the mechanism so that you can
operate the transport lever.
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Setting the Shutter Speed (3)
The numbers on the shutter speed dial indicate
fractions of a second. For example, 1000 is
1
/
second, 125 is
1 is
1
/1, or one full second. The dial engages at
second, 4 is 1/4second, and
125
1
/
1000
each speed; you read the setting next to the
small index line on the accessory shoe. When
set to B, the shutter remains open as long as
the release button is depressed. The red symbol
of a lightning flash indicates a shutter speed of
1
/50 second for synchronizing electronic flash.
Intermediate shutter speeds can also be set
within the range of 1 to
and
1
/30 second, and between 1/60 and 1/
1
/8second, between 1/15
sec.
1000
The shutter release button will take a standard
locking cable-release for time exposures.
Use a tripod for these.
The Film Counter (17)
automatically indicates the number of
The shutter speed dial can be coupled with the
LEICAMETER exposure meters.
(See separate meter instructions.)
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frames exposed. When loading a new film
set the counter disc to No. 0 (see also
page 23).
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The Lens Aperture (11)
Turning the lens aperture ring opens or closes the iris diaphragm. This may easily be observed
by looking into the front of the lens. Like the pupil of your eye which opens or closes to adapt
itself to weaker or stronger light, the lens diaphragm is used to regulate the amount of light
reaching the film. To cut down very bright light we "stop down" to a small lens aperture. In very
dim light, on the other hand, we "open up" to a larger lens aperture which transmits more light
to the film.
The aperture f/numbers
(stops 1.4 — 2 — 2.8 — 4 — 5.6 — 8 — 11 — 16 — 22 — 32*)
follow
an internationally recognized scale. This scale has been designed in such a way that closing
down the aperture one stop cuts the light passing through the lens to one half. Conversely,
opening up one stop doubles the amount of
light that will reach the film. One aperture
interval on the lens corresponds to one shutter
speed interval on the shutter speed selector
dial.
Remember: The larger the f/number, the
smaller the aperture.
* The length of this scale depends on the lens type
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The Depth of Field Scale (8)
The sharpest parts of the image correspond to objects at the exact distance (in a plane parallel
to the film) at which the lens is focused. This maximum sharpness gradually falls off in front of,
and behind, the focused distance. There is, however, a certain zone of acceptable sharpness,
known as the "depth of field." Its extent depends on the subject distance, the focal length of the
lens, and the lens aperture used. Stopping
down increases the zone of sharpness, while
the full aperture of highspeed lenses yields
only limited depth of field.
The depth-of-field scale of every LEICA lens
shows what depth you have available. At
any aperture two index lines of the same
aperture number indicate the limits of the
sharp zone. If for instance (see illustration)
you have set the 50mm Summicron f/2 lens
to 15 feet, the available depth of field with an
aperture of f/4 extends from about 12
1
/2to 20
feet. If, however, you stop down to f/11, the
depth ranges from about 9 to 40 feet.
The depth of field can also be estimated with
the rangefinder (see page 13).
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The brilliant viewfinder field frames
of the LEICA M 2 automatically frame the subjects covered by
the lens in use. The frames correspond to focal lengths of 35mm,
50mm, and 90mm. As the LEICA has an optical direct-vision
finder, you see the subject all the time — even at the instant of
exposure.The film records everything within the bright-line-frame.
The brilliant frame is coupled to the focusing movement, and
automatically shifts to compensate for parallax errors over the
entire focusing range. Shots with "cut-off" heads or feet are
therefore a thing of the past!
This is what you see through the LEICA M 2's combined
range-viewfinder when a 50mm lens is used.
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