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Leica M5: yesterday's
outcast, today's star?
Funny, how time changes things. When introduced in 1971, the Leica M5 was usually condemned because of its large size-- despite the fact that the M5 was the first M with TTL metering. I suspect that if it were introduced today, the size would not be that big an issue. Beside a N90s or F5, the M5 looks downright small.
Today the M5 is often overlooked as a serious user, but I think it deserves a lot more attention as a great shooter with notable features:
Largest and most convenient M shutter speed dial, adjustable without taking the camera from your eye. Very conveniently it overhangs the top plate, making for very comfortable and quick manipulation. Aesthetically its centering around the advance is also more pleasing than a separate shutter speed dial, at least to my own eyes.
First M with a hot shoe
M5 has the M4's 35/135, 50, 90 finder, with shutter speeds and meter needles added.
Shutter speeds are from 1/2 to 1/1000th. Intermediate speeds can set except between 1/30th to 1/60th. 1 second is possible by setting the camera on B and releasing the shutter with the self timer.
The only full size M to have a spot meter. The 8mm CDS cell translates to the center 1/3 of your 24mm vertical film plane. According to the 15th edition of the Leica Manual, which covered the M5 for the first time, this works out roughly equal to the following areas in the finder with the various lenses: the 50mm frameline with 21m lenses, the 90mm frameline with 28mm lenses, the 135mm frameline with 35mm lenses, the four arcs of circle around the rangefinder patch (a unique M5 finder feature, just to indicate the metering pattern) for 50mm lenses, and the rangefinder focusing patch for 90 and 135mm lenses.
The meter is an 8mm circular CDS cell which raises to the center of the film plane as the shutter is cocked, and lowers before the first curtain opens. When metering make sure your finger is not on the shutter release, as that can partially lower the CDS cell and affect your meter reading. The CDS cell only raises when a lens is mounted, or when you fool it by mounting a screw mount to bayonet adapter. Unfortunately the M5 was designed for the mercury 625 cell, but it can be adjusted to take its alkaline replacement.
Battery Check: Move the frame preview lever to the extreme left, away from the lens. If the battery is good, one of the viewfinder bars will move into the cutout area on the lower right of the meter display.
Lenses which project deeply into the body cavity may not give correct metering with the M5, worse, they may damage the meter cell. The 21/4 Super Angulon and the 21/3.4 below # 2437251 must be modified by Leica before mounting on the M5, otherwise Leica warns of damage to the meter. Likewise 28/2.8 Elmarits below number 2314921 must be modified by Leica before mounting on the M5, otherwise Leica warns of damage to the meter. Likewise collapsible 50 and 90 lenses may be used on the M5, but NOT collapsed into the body.
The M5's rewind lever is ratcheted and on the baseplate, both M firsts. The M5's rewind lever is larger than the other M's, making it larger and faster to use.
Notice even the interior of the baseplate is nicely finished...something you don't see on later Leicas.
Unfortunately for Leica, the M5 was not a sales success. New M5's were sitting on dealer's shelves for years after production was stopped. For decades the M5 existed in relative obscurity as "the Leica failure," a title I don't think it really deserves. As explained on my CL page, I think a most of the M5's sales problems had to do with the lower priced and extremely successful Leica CL. Nevertheless, the M5 took the fall and its excellent body has not been reintroduced. The M5 was rediscovered about 1994 by Japanese collectors. Used prices more than doubled, and maintained there. Today the M5 offers collectors important historical features, and shooters important shooting advantages.
Yesterday's and today's Leicas, the IIIf Red Dial, M6 TTL, and M5.
The M5 is roughly the size of the Canon 7s, and much smaller than today's AF SLRs like the Nikon 90s.
Instead of reading how "large" the M5 is in the various Leica books, try it for yourself. You might be pleasantly surprised by its fit in your hands and its immanently usable features.
Revised: November 25, 2003 . Copyright © 1998-2002 Stephen Gandy. All rights reserved. This means you may NOT copy and re-use the text or the pictures in ANY other internet or printed publication of ANY kind. Information in this document is subject to change without notice. Other products and companies referred to herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies or mark holders.