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Can I be battery free?

Y

ymc226

New Member
I have a 203FE and 205FCC which I have always used with aperture priority. Having discovered Leica RF, specifically M2, M3 and M4s and being more comfortable with using an incident lightmeter, I don't want to rely on the semi-auto mode with the Hassies anymore.

I also don't want to worry about battery leaks in the Hassies as they are irreplacible. Can I use the 203FE or 205FCC in full auto mode without a battery?
 
I don't see how. The battery is what powers the auto mode. It powers the meter and the shutter timing. You can use your cameras without batteries in the C mode, using shuttered lenses however.

Terry
 
Sorry,

I meant full manual mode. If the battery is needed to operate the shutter, I guess, I need a battery.
 
ymc226 said:
Sorry,

I meant full manual mode. If the battery is needed to operate the shutter, I guess, I need a battery.
Click to expand...

Battery is needed for the focal plane shutter.

You can use it as a 500-series without a battery. You'll need lenses with a central shutter, though. But it'll work just fine like that.
 
All cameras from the 200 series can be operated in C mode as manual cameras without battery power.
The same goes for the 2000FCW and the 2003FCW bodies.
In C mode the focal plane shutter acts as an auxilary shutter similar to 500 series cameras.
This goes only for lenses with a leaf shutter of course.

Why not buy a nice body from the 500 series to use as purely mechanical camera?
 
It is a great feeling to go out to shoot photographs on a cold winter day and not have batteries to worry about. Just another advantage of film.

Steve
 
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