[Leica] I dropped my M!

[h_arche at yahoo.com (H. Ball Arche)]

Ouch!

The other thing about split rings is that some of them can, over time, chew 
up web strapping.

I've been very happy with the solution to the split ring problem that 
Gonzalo Medina suggested here: to use short lengths of Kevlar cord to tie 
the strap loops to the lugs. Although I haven't had this in place for a long 
period of time, they seem to work very well, and have the added benefit of 
not causing bright marks. Also the Kevlar doesn't lock up sideways against 
the lug and torque on it, which may eventually loosen the lug and cause 
light leaks.

The only potential down side I can see in using the Kevlar cord is with lugs 
that are so worn that they have developed a sharp edge, which may slowly 
hack at the cord.




----- Original Message ----
From: John Beeching <johnbeeching at gmail.com>
To: LeicaUsersGroup <lug at leica-users.org>
Sent: Tuesday, September 1, 2009 3:22:57 AM
Subject: [Leica] I dropped my M!

Dear All,

I suppose it has to happen some time, but it is painful when it does.  I've
had my M6 for ten years now, put thousands of films through it, taken it all
over the world - up tributaries on the Amazon in dugout canoes, across
India, up Kilmanjaro, etc. - but have never dropped it.  This summer I was
walking around a French chateau when the split ring on the strap worked
itself off and the camera dropped off my shoulder onto the stone floor.  Of
course it had on a heavier lens than my usual 35mm Summicron, the 90mm
Elmarit.  It was more painful than when I cut off half my big toe with a
lawnmover.  I staggered to a cafe and ordered a double espresso and a large
brandy to calm myself down before checking the camera out.   The damage: a
dent on the camera body just below the winder and a bent lens hood.  It
still seemed to be able to focus as before and the shutter fired OK.  I put
plenty more film through it since the drop and have got used to its war
wounds, though they do ache when the weather is damp.  I am now steadily
developing all the film.  The negatives look as good as ever, though I have
yet to scan them, but I envisage no problem.

The cause of the disaster.  I do not like plastic and so I had replaced the
strap that came with the camera with a leather (for Leica) one from Luigi (
http://www.leicatime.com/).  The split ring had worked off the camera once
before, though I noticed it in time.  I should have taken that for a warning
and gone back to the plastic Leica strap.  However, I did try to cannibalise
the rings of the genuine Leica strap on to the leather one but without
success.  Needless to say I now have the genuine plastic strap on my M6.

Yours,

John

-- 
John Beeching
http://johnbeeching.com/

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