Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/01/03

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Subject: Re[2]: M6 Shutter Failure
From: seungmin@luxmail.luxcom.com
Date: Fri, 03 Jan 97 15:31:45 PST

I make it a point at least once a month of hauling out all my seldom used 
camera equipment and clicking each shutter speed several times.  I  recently 
bought a Nikon F2  from a friend.  He was the original owner  (he bought it 
in 1971) and used the camera only on vacations and even then only rarely. 
The first thing I did was take it to a rapair facility (non- Nikon).  The 
guy told me that he couldn't measure the shutter speeds because the curtains 
wearn't moving at the same speeds (I think its called 'tapering').  I played 
with the camera for about a week and then took it to Nikon.  The shutter 
speeds were all within tolerances.  I had it checked a third time at a 
camera clinic and the speeds were almost perfect, except for the 1 sec which 
was maybe .85 sec, not too bad.  So yes, I would say that the F2 shutter, as 
long as it is exercised, is quite durable.
     
     *I also bought a F2 from a dealer several months ago to find out the 
     shutter was off at 1/8th and 1/15th.  It was obvious at these two 
     speeds because they failed at random.  I had no idea if it was fine at 
     the higher speeds, but seemed ok at 1 sec and 1/2.  I called the 
     dealer and regularly exercised it for about two three weeks as he 
     instructed.  It did not help at all.  I finally sent it to him to have 
     him repaired.
     
If you are saying that Leica should replace the cloth shutter with a similar 
one to the Nikon F/F2, I would have to disagree.  Have you HEARD what the 
Nikon shutter sounds like?  I think that if there is one absolutely 
satisfying feature of the Leica, it is the quietness of its shutter.
     
     *I agree with you on what Nikon F2 sounds like and hate the sound.  
     How about Nikon FMx or FEx?  If I remember correctly, their shutter 
     sounds pretty smooth and quite, quite different from F2's.
     
     
     Regards,
     David
     seungmin@luxcom.com