Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/05/16

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: mechanical shutters
From: Ray Moth <ray_moth@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 16 May 2001 23:50:17 -0700 (PDT)

Slobodan Dimitrov wrote: 
thought some of you might want to know about this:

I have an R6 whose shutter took a dive a few months ago. Apparently 
they are not rebuildable. The shutter had to be sent to Leica for an
exchange. I was told that the shutter might even be Japanese. The
failure was at 1/15 and at 1/30, where it stuck at 1/8. All the other
speeds were fine. The shutter apparently hits a piece of plastic at one
point of its cycle, not sure when, as I can't recall that part of the
conversation. With use this piece of plastic gets gummed up and makes
the shutter stick, possibly creating the problem I had. Nearly $500.00
later, I wondered why I didn't just get the R6.2 or just another
Leicaflex SL.  Lesson in this, is that even the mechanical gear is as
prone to failure as the electronic gear, of the more recent vintage
that is.
========================================================================
Someone correct me if I'm wrong ... yes, I know this is the LUG but
please don't be shy ;-) ... but AFAIK what distinguishes the
"mechanical" shutter of the R6/6.2 and the "electronic" shutters of
other R models is the timing mechanism. The R6/6.2 shutter is timed
using a mechanical escapement while the others use an electronic delay
circuit and solenoid for that purpose. The design and construction of
the shutter curtains themselves are essentially the same for all R
models (allowing for technological improvements as the R system
evolved). This suggests that the problem you describe above could
happen to other R models as well - except, possibly, for the R8 with
its radically different body shape.

Regards,

=====
Ray

"The trouble with resisting temptation is
 you never know when you'll get another chance!"

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