Leica M4-2 User manual

You are the ourner
    of a LETCA@

    We hope that you will obtain as much
      enjoyment from it as all the many LEICA
       fans in every country of the globe.


                                                                lllustrations of the M4-2 in
     As a LEICA owner you have the benefit of          this booklet are taken from     a universal photographic system, which                                            a prototype model. The      also covers the technical and scientific                                                             Leitz circular logo on the
        field. In its widest sense,  it includes the                                  f ront of the M4-2 body      well-known LEITZ enlargers and LEITZ                                                    housing does not appear      miniature projectors. The projected image,                                          on production models.      huge, luminous, and realistic, reveals thq
        full beauty of your cotour photographs,
     and never fails to fascinate you and your
      friends. May your LEICA be a constant
     source of pleasure to you.



     Yours sincerely
    ERNST LETTZ (CANADA) Ltd.
2

Contents




                                Page                                   Page
Description of the LEICA M4-2......  4   The LEICA system
Fitting the carrying strap             6   Theexposuremeter....
How to hold the LEICA              6  The interchangeable lenses        24
The bright-line measuring viewfinder I   LEICA M 4-2winder   ...., ......  25
The field-of-view selector           10   VISOFLEX@. Focusing bellows  . .... . 26The rangefinder                    12   Lens hoods. Cases           ......  2T
The rapid transport lever, release        Enlargers                         28
button, and shutter speed dial  . . . . . . 14   Projectors ...                ......29
The depth-of-field scale             15   After-Sales Service                   . .. .. . 30
The distance scale. The aperture scale 16   LEICA Fotografie Magazine     .. . gO
Taking out the lens. Inserting the lens 17
Flash synchronization           18
Flash table                          19
fnserting the film                   20
Removing the film                         . .. ...  21
Looking after your LEICA and its
lenses                             22

1 Automatic frame counter             7 Lens bayonet lock
2 Shutter release button              8 Red locating knob for lens insertion
3 Rapid transport lever                9 Accessory shoe with flash contact
4 Film rewind release                 10 Depth-of-field scale
5 Shutter speed dial                  11 Distance scale
6 Rangefinder window                 12 Aperture scale

4                                                                          I

13 Window illuminating the bright-line       19 Baseplate lock
   frames                                20 Gontact bush for flashbulbs
14 Field-of-view selector                     21 Contact"bush for electronic flash units
15 Viewfinder field window                 22 Film indicator (takes ball-pen writing)
16 Folding rewind crank                       with DIN/ASA comparison scale
17 Carrying-strap eyelets                  23 Uq" lripod thread
1 8 Measuring-viewfinder eyepiece

22 857jt11R

Fitting the carrying strap
The eyelets (17) are provided for fitting   Thread the leather holders through the
the carrying strap. Release the double d-   slots in the metal parts and secure them
back length of leather from the round part   with the round part of the shackle.
of the shackle, push off both metal parts
and hook them in the eYelets of the
camera in opposite directions.

How to hold the LEICA
For steady three-point support hold your   For upright views all you have to do is
camera with your right hand, your index   to rotate the camera through gO o. The
finger resting on the release button, your   position of your hands is the same as for
thumb on the rapid-transport lever. The   horizontal views.
left hand either supports the lens  f rom  You can also rotate the camera in the
below, ready for quick refocusing, or  it   opposite direction, then you must use
grasps the camera. In addition press the   your thumb to release the shutter.
camera against your forehead.

The bright-line measuring viewfinder
The bright-line measuring viewfinder of   of the viewfinder field. All the lenses of
the LEICA M 4-2 has been designed to   21-135mm focal length are coupled with
combine the functions of a coupled range-   the rangefinder on insertion in the LEICA.
finder and of a viewfinder of outstanding  When lenses of 35, 50, 90, and 135mm
quality. Whatever you see within the bright   focal length are inserted, the appropriate
frame will appear on your exposed film.   bright-line frame will automatically ap-
The bright-line frame is coupled with the   pear in the viewfinder image, the 35mm
rangefinder so that the parallax - the dif-   and 135mm frames alwaYs together.
ference between the lens axis and the
viewfinder axis -  is automaticallf com-
pensated.
The measuring field, brighter than the
surrounding field, is located in the centre

8

tieldMeasuring 135mm  35mmof the      bright-line bright-linerangefinder frame    frame

The field-of-view selector
The field-of-view selector (14) functions
as a universal viewfinder; it enables the
LEICA owner at any time to reflect into
the viewfinder field the frames outlining
the fields-of-view other than that of the
lens that happens to be in the camera.
Lever outward: field-of-view frames for
35 and 135mm focal lengths. Lever in-
ward: field-of-view frame for the 90mm
focal length. Lever in the middle position:
field of view of the 50mm focal length.



10

The rangefinder                         Coincidence (double image) focusing: in
                                                                                      theThe measuring field of the rangefinder   portraiture, for instance, focus on
appears in the centre of the viewfinder as   highlight in the sitter's eye. Observe the
a bright, sharply outlined oblong.  lf you   subject through the viewfinder and rotate
block the large field window (15) of the   the lens until the double contours in the
viewfinder, only the reflected bright-line   measuring field coincide.
frame and the measuring field remain   Split-image focusing: Sight an edge or
visible. Focusing can be carried out ac-   any other clearcut line; if you find that
cording to the coincidence or to the split-    this line is offset sideways as it enters the
image method.                           measuring field, rotate the lens until the
                                           line becomes continuous as it passes
                                     from the viewfinder- into the measuring
                                                     field and out again. This method is to be
                                           preferred because of its superior accu-
                                                  racy.

unsharpDouble image - unsharp                      Offset line =





                                                          sharpCoincident image - sharp                 Continuous line -

The rapid winding lever (3) at each full  The shutter speed dial (5) controls the
lever movement transports the film   shutter speed and can be set either be-
through one frame, winds the shutter and   fore or after the shutter is wound.  lt clicks
advances the frame counter to the next  home at every engraved speed value and
number. The film can also be transported   except for the range between 8 and 15
by several short strokes of the transport   any intermediate speeds can be set and
lever. ( g   :  film plane indication).        are fully effective. At the "B" setting the
The release button (2) has a thread for a   shutter remains open as long as the re-
cable release (Code No. 14067). lt should   lease button is pressed. The dial must be                                                                              :   r/so sec. whenbe pressed smoothly, without a jerk, until   set at the symbol ,
its soft click indicates that the shutter is   electronic flash is used.
released.


'14

The LEICA lenses have a fixed ring with
 depth-of-field scale (10), a rotatable ring
 for setting the focusing distance (11) and
 an iris diaphragm ring (12).





                                                                                                                                                  22880.   r ro R
The distance scale
The distance scale (11) indicates the dis-   down; the values have been chosen so
tance on which the lens is set, and, in    that the quantity of light reaching the film
connection with the depth-of-field scale    is halved every time the lens is stopped
(10), the extent of the depth of field. The   down one step. One aperture step is equi-
distance is also important to the calcula-   valent to one step on the shutter speed
tion of the guide number during the use   dial (5) regarding the adjustment of the
of flash equipment.                                 light quantity to which the film is exposed.
                                          Like the shutter speed dial, the lens dia-
                                  phragm ring clicks into position opposite
                                        each number (some diaphragm rings also
                                            at half values). This will enable you, after
The aperture scale                   some practice, to identify the setting of
The aperture scale is internationally laid   the diaphragm even in the dark.

                                                                                                     15

il
                                                                               {



The depth-of-field scale
The lens reproduces at maximum sharp-  The depth-of-field scale indicates the
ness the plane, parallel to the film, on   depth-of-field zone for the object dis-
which it is focused. This maximum sharp-   tance on which the lens is focused.
ness falls off gradually towards the front   With the 50mm SUMMICRON@ f/2 focused
and rear; within a certain depth, then, the   on 5m (16ft, 8in), sharpness attl4 extends
subject will appear sharp. This depth of   from 4m to about 8m (13ft. 4in to about        Ifield depends on the camera distance, the    26ft. 8in). However,  if you stop down to                              ll
                                                                                                                                                                                                              Ifocal length of the lens, and the lens stop   tl11 at the same focusing distance, sharp-          &set. Stopping down the lens increases,   ness will extend from 3m to about 20m
opening it up decreases the depth of field.    (1Oft. to about 67ft.).




16

fl
I



       Inserting the lens                         Taking out the lens
     The red knob on the lens mount (8) must   Grip the rear, fixed ring (10) of the lens.
      face the red dot on the camera body. Af-   Depress arresting button (7),, rotate the
       ter a short turn to the right the lens will    lens to the left and take it out.
     engage in the bayonet mount with a click.
     Change lenses in the shade (e.9. of your
I    own body).
 t    Remove the lens cap before you take pic-
       tures.

Flash synchronization
The LEICA M 4-2 accepts all flash units   Flash units and adapters without cable
on the market with standard flash plugs   connection can be connected through the
(coaxial plug) or with accessory-shoe   "X" flash contact in the accessory shoe
contact.                                                     (e).
The bushes for the cable connection of   Flash cubes and certain types of flash-
flash units are arranged on the back of   bulb are fired through the X contact bush.
the camera. Flashbulbs are connected to  The table on the right offers information
the left-hand bush (20) marked "M", and   about the various possibilities. Three flash
electronic flash units on the right-hand    units may be used simultaneously through
bush marked "X" (21).                        the 3 flash connections.




18

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lnserting the film
First make sure, by turning the rewind   Take the camera in your left hand, base-
crank (1 6) in the direction of the arrow,    plate facing you. Pull out the toggle in the
that the camera is empty.  lf you feel any   baseplate (19), turn it to the  left, and re-
resistance, proceed as described on the   move the baseplate. The film lead must be
following page.                         trimmed like that of all films sold in car-
20

Looking after your LEIGA and its lenses



LEICA lenses act like burning glasses if   Dust should be removed with a soft sable
the LEICA lies with the lens face upwards    brush, a piece of cotton cloth (e.g.a hand-
 in full sunlight. You must therefore pro-   kerchief) washed several times, or lens
tect the housing and the shutter by putting   tissue. Special cleaning cloths, such as
on the lens cap or keeping the camera in   are used for the cleaning of spectacles,
a case, or in the shade.                     are not recommended, as they are chemi-
Each lens has, in addition to its type, its   cally impregnated and might attack the
"personal" serial number engraved on  it.   lens surface (glass used for spectacles
You should make a note of this number   has a composition different from that of
as well as of the serial number of the   optical glass for high-quality lenses).
camera engraved on the top of the LEICA.  A colourless UVa filter can be left per-
This can be very helpful indeed in case of   manently on the lens, where it will pro-
loss or theft.                                tect the front element from external in-
The coating of LEICA lenses, together    fluences, e.g. of sand or sea water spray
with the use of special UV-absorbing ce-   on the beach.
ment, achieves effective exclusion of ultra-  The lens hood, too, protects the lens from
violet light. This ensures consequently   accidental finger marks and raindrops.
that all lenses possess the same colour-   Protect your precious lenses with the ap-
transmitting properties, inespective of fo-   propriate lens caps.
cal length. The external anti-reflection
coatings are wiperesistant.
22

--





    The LEICA system                        Exposure meter
                                    The LEICAMETER@ MR exposure meter
                                        can be coupled with the LEICA M 4-2 tor
                                            aimed exposure measurement. The clearfy
                                               outlined measuring  f ield of the LEICA-
                                METER MR corresponds to the picture
                                                area of the 90mm LEICA lenses. Indepen-
                                                   dently of the lens in the camera it can be
                                                  reflected into the field of view with the
                                                       field-of-view selector (4  at any time.

lnterchangeable lenses
Besides the lenses of 35, 50, 90, and  135mm lenses (except the 90mm TELE-
135mm focal lengths the LEICA owner has   @ELMARIT) can be unscrewed and used
a whole range of interchangeable lenses    for groundglass screen focusing with the
                                                                                        Bel-of shorter and longer focal lengths at his   VISOFLEX 3 and on the Focusing
command. The optical units of the 90 and   lows 2.





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