Re: [Leica] LEICA - M DRIVE

[Walter S Delesandri <walt@jove.acs.unt.edu>]

Ted, Mark, others, 
my .02:
The original, M4-2, single frame winder (14214) was the quietest.
It did NOT make the shutter button "clunk" up after release...in 
fact, it waited for you to release the button before winding on....
It operates via a "pin" in the bottom of M4-2 and MOST but not 
all M4-P bodies...I have heard.   I don't know if the M6 has the 
"pin" to operate...I don't have one at this time to look, and I don't
remember whether it did or not.  I'll check up on it, tho...
I owned two of these winders, and they were quiet and didn't sound 
like they were "tearing up" the body.....I also owned an M6 compatible 
one... it may be the one just prior to the current one....it was 
noisy, clunked like hell, and felt "bad" on both M6 and my M4-2.
(it was compatible with the M4-2 and I think the M4-p, but I sold 
the M6 winder before I got the -P model....)
If you want an electric winder (I don't), and if it'll work on 
your camera, might try one of the old ones...they're quiet and
only about $125 mint/used.....with the caveat that they don'd 
"do" continuous...but with practice will get you 2-1/2 frames/sec.

Cheers, 
Walt

On
Fri,
8
Jan 1999, Mark Rabiner wrote:

> Ted Grant wrote:
> > 
> > Mark wrote:
> > 
> > >To me a winder is a moterdrive that is smaller, quieter and doesn't
> > >always keep shooting when you hold the button down. It could even work
> > >with springs instead of batteries. My right eye and right thumb get
> > >along fine.>>>>>>>>
> > 
> Ted Grant wrote:
> > 1/ I haven't seen nor used an M winder...battery operated that is
> > small...light...and quiet!  The thunk clunk every time you use it gives you
> > away almost as quickly as using flash.
> > 
> > But the main point you may not understand is....not everyone is right eyed
> > as you fortunately are  ...
> snip
> I wrote(Mark)
> I shouldn't make fun of you left eyed people.
> When I first got my fist Leica, an M6 five years ago the last piece of
> equipment I'd thought I'd ever get was the winder as from what I could
> see or imagine this was not what Leicas was all about and it was not
> what it was all about for me as I was going to used it for personal
> street work. My nikons and Hasselblads would continue in my studio on
> commercial location work even. 
> In no time flat and after getting a 90 I had no time or patience left
> for the nikons but missed the winder. So I got the Leica winder when I
> was able to swing it and it was not the same:
> You can't take it off or on in the middle of a roll. big problem.
> I found the with the motor on (I tend you use "motor" and "winder"
> interchangeably just to confuse things) the camera was not with me, it
> was safe in my studio with the drive on it...and not with me.
> Much quieter then the MD12 for the nikon fm's.
> When you hit the shutter release which is not a separate shutter release
> but the same one you always hit on the camera it thunks back into your
> finger. This takes some getting used to but doesn't make a sound. But
> there is a poing sound after it which is quite a bit louder than
> anything the camera makes without the drive.
> There is also an on off switch that  you can hit at any time that turns
> off the drive and the sound of it and when you turn it on again it
> advances to the next frame which is soundless event.
> The weight of the drive i think is not insurmountable and is about the
> same as the MD12. It could be said it adds stability to the camera
> although it is not counterbalancing the camera like a big fat long zoom
> on a piggy slr.
> I think its an underrated thing and people should try it before they
> decide they hate it.
> I would love smaller, lighter and soundless like a Leicavit but it would
> have to advance the film.
> Mark Rabiner
>