The shutter in the Leica
SM (screw mount) cameras has a little known feature that most owners are
unaware of. That is its ability to take
double exposure with perfect registration, not only on the last exposed frame,
but any frame from frame one to the last exposed one.
The procedure is quite simple. Once the last exposure is made, turn the
rewind lever to “R” and rewind the film slowly. While doing so, watch the rotating shutter
release button. It will make one full
revolution for each frame on the film.
Rewind the film a little bit past one full revolution, about ¼ turn, and
then set the rewind lever back to “A” and turn the film advance knob until it
stops and take the second exposure. It
will have perfect registration.
This procedure will work
not just with the last exposed frame, but any frame prior to it. Use the same procedure, but count the number of
revolutions of the shutter release, depending on how many frames you wish to go
back. For instance, if you want to make
a double exposure on a frame 12 frames
back, rewind the film for 12 revolutions of the shutter release button, go a
bit beyond that (1/4 revolution), set
the rewind lever back to “A”, advance the film until it stops and take the
exposure. The registration will be perfect.
It is advisable to
practice this with an old piece of unexposed film. To do so, take off the lens and set the
shutter speed to “B”. Then take a number of “exposures” and hold the shutter
open to use a pen to mark each frame by outlining it in the open shutter. It also helps to number the frames
consecutively. This allows you to practice the described double exposure procedure.
Needless to say, repeating this procedure will allow for triple etc. exposures just the same.
To go back to exposing the
rest of the film, put a lens cap onto the lens or secure it in some other
manner to avoid any light from entering and advance the film for the number of
frames you went back and continue shooting.
It is interesting to note
that the Nikon rangefinder cameras as well as the first Nikon SLR model, the
Nikon F, have the same feature since Nikon copied the Leica shutter for use in
those cameras.
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Very interesting post, but please is there any way for you to post a video about what you described here? To see is a more practical way to learn instead only by reading this. Thank you very much
ReplyDeleteI know of no video regarding double exposure with Leica SM and Nikon cameras. This is a technique I learned many years ago and I have used it on many occasions. If you take a test roll and follow the procedure as described, you will find it relatively easy to do.
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