106 / Comprehensive instructions
Exposure modes
The LEICA M8 offers the photographer two exposure
modes: Aperture priority and manual setting. Depend-
ing on the subject, the situation and individual prefer-
ence, these modes allow a choice between a quicker
and easier procedure, and the familiar direct selection
of shutter speed and aperture.
Aperture priority
If the shutter speed dial (1.18) is in the
A
position the
electronics in the camera control the shutter speed
automatically and steplessly in the range
1
/
8000
s to
32s, in accordance with the sensitivity setting, the
metered brightness and the manually selected aper-
ture.
The generated shutter speed is displayed digitally in
the camera viewfinder; for better clarity it is displayed
in half steps.
For shutter speeds longer than 2s the remaining time
is counted down and displayed in seconds after the
shutter is released. The actually generated and step-
lessly controlled shutter speed can however vary from
the half step value displayed: If for instance before
releasing the shutter
16
(as the nearest available
value) is shown in the display, but the generated shut-
ter speed is in fact longer, as is shown by the count-
down after the shutter release starting at
19
.
Under extreme lighting conditions the exposure meter
may even, based on all the parameters, generate a
shutter speed that is outside its working range, i.e.
brightnesses that demand an exposure shorter than
1
/
8000
s or longer than 32s. In such cases the specified
minimum or maximum shutter speed is nevertheless
used, and these values flash in the viewfinder, as a
warning.
Metering memory lock
Important sections of the subject are often to be posi-
tioned off center for compositional reasons and they
may also occasionally be brighter or darker than aver-
age. However, as described in the section “Exposure
metering” on p. 105; the LEICA M8 metering is strong-
ly center-weighted, i.e. concentrated mainly on an
area in the center of the picture and it is calibrated to
an average grey scale value.
Such subjects and situations can be dealt with easily,
even when using aperture priority, by using Metering
memory lock.
To do this:
1. aim the center of the viewfinder image at the
important section of the subject in the first case, or
at another detail with average brightness in the
second,
2. and measure and store it by pressing the shutter
release button (1.20) to its 2nd pressure point. For
as long as the shutter release button is held down
to the pressure point, a red point appears at the
top of the line of figures in the viewfinder as confir-
mation, and the shutter speed information does not
change even if the brightness conditions change.
3. Continuing to hold down the shutter release button,
move the camera to the final image trimming
4. and then take the picture with the exposure origi-
nally calculated.
Changing the aperture setting af
ter completing Meter-
ing memory lock does not result in adjustment of the
shutter speed, i.e. incorrect exposure would occur.
Memory-lock is cancelled when the finger is removed
from the shutter release button.
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