Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/11/16
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Tina and Francesco: Hello. When I was learning camera repair, the old german I worked for used to clean mildew off the curtains of Leicas and Pentaxes (nearly identical material) with a large medical swab (deluxe Q-tip) SOAKED with ammonia, water, and hydrogen peroxide (to kill the fungus that produces mildew). He would clean one curtain, then the other, rotating the drums as he went. I 'bout crapped the first time I saw this!! They'd dry clean and looking virtually new. When I got my mint- M4 after many years of storage, I did the same. No problems with curtains in the last ten years. (a bit of "worldly" wear, tho...) In fact, after a cursory cleaning and routine maintenance, I've never thought about it again. Check/tweek curtain tensions every few years, it keeps on going, like the bunny..... As Tina observed, tho, all bets are off with salt water!! The biggest fear about high humidity/water damage is the curtain take up springs. If they were to deteriorate, it would be a monumental job (possibly uneconomical in the average M) to replace them. Same with the pin that couples the supply side drums. The only camera I ever had to send to Leitz for mechanical repair had this problem. I didn't have the nerve!! some might..... Pretty damn good cameras, in spite of some funky design points!! Walt