(This was originally posted on Leica-users and copied to this site and Leica's forum.)

I have been reading all the posts on the cold and decided to test my two Leica M cameras in the fairly cold weather we are experiencing right now. It is not that cold, only about -23 degrees C (-10 degrees F) but cold enough to see how the cameras would perform in extreme situations. The cameras are a 1960's M2 (moderately recent CLA) and a new this spring M6-TTL with fairly fresh batteries. The cameras were placed outside and checked at 15 minute intervals.

15 m: cameras cool to touch, all functions fine and TTL's meter works normally.

30m: cameras cold to touch, lenses getting stiff to turn, all functions fine and TTL's meter works normally.

45m: cameras very cold to touch, lenses stiff to turn, hurts to hold camera against forehead, all functions fine and TTL's meter works normally.

60m: cameras burn flesh on touch, lenses very stiff to turn, all functions fine and TTL's meter works normally.

75m: cameras burn flesh on touch, lenses very stiff to turn, all functions fine and TTL's meter barely working but still accurate (diodes pulse dim and bright and go out sooner than normal).

90m: cameras burn flesh on touch, lenses very stiff to turn, all functions fine and TTL's meter barely working but still accurate (diodes pulse on and off and go out quickly).

Test suspended due to the feeling that the tester was beginning to look like a silly ass! Tough little cameras though.

Cheers

-- John Collier (jbcollier@home.com), December 11, 2000

Answers

and, how does this help improve your photography skills...??

its a camera, a tool, use it....but dont burn yourself...

-- grant (g4lamos@yahoo.com), December 11, 2000.

Interesting. I would have been more concerned with the electronics and brittle film before considering the lens lubricant. How was the aperature? Thanks, John - I'll tuck that little piece of knowledge away.

-- Ken Shipman (kennyshipman@aol.com), December 11, 2000.

All the functions worked though the meter was showing signs of imminent failure. The aperture ring stiffened slightly but only just. I performed the test as I had been told that the new cameras had a different material for shutter curatins and did not perform that well in the extreme cold. Cold enough for me! Now I know that I can trust my TTL's shutter in the cold with the usual precautions to keep the batteries working. I did not use film for three reasons: first, I tried all the shutter speeds every 15m and would have had to reload several times; second, I was primarily concerned with shutter performance; and third, I have shot many rolls in these conditions and know how to deal with film related problems already.

Cheers

-- John Collier (jbcollier@home.com), December 11, 2000.

Thanks John. Last night here in Florida, it dipped down to 71 degrees F. We were busy bringing in our dogs, making hot chocolate and putting blankets on the shrubs. I thought of taking some pictures, but was sure my Leica M6 would die in the extreme weather that we have in the south.

Now I know... I need not have worried. Tonight my parka, gloves and boots are sitting next to the camera. My neighbors will think I am insane being out in that kind of weather... they don't understand... I have to shoot!

Thanks ;-)

-- Al Smith (smith58@msn.com), December 11, 2000.

Thanks John, that's an interesting test. It's great to know Leica M's will stand up to such cold conditions and still function. Meanwhile I'm enjoying summer downunder and the fish are jumping.

-- T.A. (mahv@xtra.co.nz), December 11, 2000.

I remember reading something about having a Leica winterized. This is supposed to involve removal of lubricants from the camera. (All? Or just in certain places? I don't know.) But it is--or was--said to be necessary for proper functioning. Probably one would not know whether the shutter is working normally without shooting some film, to be able to judge the correctness of the exposure. It might click, but is it accurate? I imagine that stiffening of the mechanism might slow the shutter down, causing overexposure. But then, I think the film becomes less sensitive at very cold temperatures. If that's true, it would cause underexposure. Hmmm . . .

What are your thoughts?

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), December 11, 2000.

My thought is that if it gets that cold, I'm in the wrong place.

-- Jeff Spirer (jeff@spirer.com), December 11, 2000.

hAA!

-- grant (g4lamos@yahoo.com), December 11, 2000.

For thirty years I lived in Fairbanks where it gets down to -50F (and below; Feb '89 official temp got down to -68F) for weeks on end, and that's without a wind chill factor because Fairbanks gets very little wind. I sure know about equipment in cold weather! We plug our cars in to keep the engine blocks warm. I never had a problem with a Leica, though. That's probably because I just kept it under a warm coat.

-- Tony Rowlett (rowlett@mail.com), December 12, 2000.

My M4-P refused to shoot on the Lake of Baikal (Jan ’87) when it was – 30 –35 degree C, the shutter curtains moved very slowly. Nikon F still was working, all functions fine, TTL metering worked normally. Ten years ago I changed cloth curtains of my M3 and IIIf. I set titan shutter curtains and use a special antifreeze lubricant. Since both cameras are working very good on any frost.

-- Victor Randin (www.ved@enran.com.ua), December 12, 2000.

Extremely cold weather made my mechanical M shutter run lean or faster than spec because of disparity between the second and first curtain speeds. In the extreme heat it runs slow. I lost an old clip on M meter when the delicate needle spring movement shattered do to thermal shock in extreme cold. Watch out for condensation on and in Lenses when you go back and forth between warm and cold spaces.

-- Michael D. Johnson (mdjohnsonphoto@hotmail.com), December 12, 2000.