Re: [Leica] Need Help Using A IIIc/IIIf

[dmm@bronze.lcs.mit.edu (Andrew M. Moore)]

> Throughly bummed out over the recent threads, I took some time out to
> visit a camera store and ended up with a beautiful IIIc that had a
> IIIf flash sync conversion.
...
> There is a lever underneath and coaxial to the rewind knob that
> seems to affect the focus of the rangefinder.  What does this do, and
> when do I use it?

This is the rangefinder magnification focusing lever.  When focusing on
relatively distant subjects, set it at the "infinity" position (if marked).
On the IIIf, at least, this is the forward (towards subject) position.
When focusing on relatively close subjects, move it towards the opposite
position.

> There is a plate underneath and coaxial to the shutter speed dial with
> numbers 0 to 20, together with a rotating selection indication.  What
> is this for and what does it do?  Is it related to flash sync?

Right -- this is the flash synchronizing dial.  A thread about the
operation of this dial appeared recently -- to summarize, on a IIIf
"red dial" body with flash sync of 1/50, the dial should be set at 20.
Earlier IIIf's with a slower flash sync (is this 1/25?) should be
set at the zero mark.

It's not clear to me how the dial is calibrated.  I assume one can set
the dial to compensate for inaccuracies in the flash sync timing, but
I don't understand exactly what the numbers of the dial represent.  My
main Leica manual ("The Leica / Leicaflex Way", 10th edition, Andrew
Matheson, 1972) doesn't go into those details, or at least, not that I
have found.  Maybe someone else can elaborate.

Andrew