Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1996/09/30
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]>>[...] >>Unlike my M3 the M4-P does not have a screw you turn to >>make the adjustment, but instead it appears to have a piece >>of metal that can be moved to make the adjustment. >>[...] >>My question is: how well does the M4-P hold the adjustment >>compared to the older systems ...[snip] >The same appears to be true for the M6, though I would never have the guts >to take mine apart. My vertical alignment is constantly going out of whack, >and it drives me crazy. A rapairperson once told me about the advantage of >the earlier M3s with their adjustment screw. Does anyone out there know how >to permanently fix the alignment in M6s (and M4-Ps)? I have an M6 from the mid-late 1980s and an M4-P from 1983. So far, they have had their various service work done at Leica in NJ. I have found that the relative alignment of the rangefinder images has been very solid over time - it's just that they were never in precise alignment in the first place. Repeated trips back to NJ never made it any better. The cameras are not subjected to harsh treatment very often. At worst, the M6 is subjected to the vibration of overseas air travel, any shock occuring to a camera bag or brief case during travel and the occaisional light knock when around my neck. But, man 'o man, they stay in their own particular degree of unalignment like a rock... I, too, would be interested in finding a worthy service person who could put them right, stand behind their work, and not cause other problems while making the adjustments. I've talked to other Leica users about and have had phone conversations with a few of the independent service people popular with members of the LHSA. None seemed to have gotten glowing reports in all dimensions. One particular service tech told me that any M body newer than an M4 would continue to have problems requiring frequent service. Since I can't judge the accuracy of such a statement, I decided to not test their theory with my camera and money. Such statements are a bit hard to swallow on the face of them, but then I have two late model M cameras that could use a rangefinder adjustment. - Kevin kburke@iterated.com