Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1996/12/15
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]In article <199612151402.PAA12790@ftp20.jet.es>, Nicolas Levinton <nicolev@jet.es> writes >But what I find strange, is that afterwards, the bee keeps buzzing for >about another 3 seconds (in the 1 second exposure). This happens with the >speeds I mentioned above (with the others I imagine that it goes too fast >to hear it) and the bee buzzes less time in proportion. >Is this normal? Yes. The M6 is marketed as an all-manual camera, but what is not openly discussed is the fact that the slow shutter speeds are timed by unpaid bee labour. A captive bee lives inside every M6, and probably inside earlier Leicas as well, with its wings harnessed to the second shutter curtain. After the shutter has closed, the bee slows down and then stops beating its wings, but it is not instant, hence the "after-buzz". It is often recommended that an M body be serviced every three years or so regardless of how much the camera is used. This is to replace the bee. A Leica that has been unused for many years will probably contain a dead bee, which is why the shutter may not work properly. Understandably, a service usually puts everything right. I suspect my shutter hiccup problem simply indicates that the bee in my Leica is ill or understimulated. If you ever hear someone say "My new Leica is a real honey" or "I exposed for twenty seconds on bee" you'll understand what is going on. - -- Joe B. (no relation)