Re: [Leica] M-6 Scratches on Pressure Plate

[DonjR43198@aol.com]

Good morning, again, Mr. Jolly:

Your method for examining film for M-6 pressure plate scratches is certainly 
superior to merely checking the film after it has been handled during 
processing, drying, and inserting into negative sleeves.  Your method is so 
self-evident that it was the one I used right off to check my M-6.  I failed 
to note in my early post that I used the same method for detecting film 
scratches that you have outlined.  I did not process the film, but ran a few 
frames through, opened the back and inspected the back of the film, then 
advanced the film without the pressure plate down to determine if the felt 
cassette lips were the problem, and they were not; and then the back was 
closed up and more film cranked through with another strong light check and 
the scratches were again present.

It appears to me the pressure plate is so poorly finished that it gouges and 
catches tiny specs of film backing until the bits build up sufficiently to 
put large enough scratches on the film that they are visible to the eye.  

Regardless of the specific mechanical reason for the scratches, a remedy must 
be developed and applied before priceless negatives are ruined.  Just the 
other day an American M-6 owner was corresponding on the Net from South 
America advising his camera was locked up and he could not use it to 
photograph scenes he will not have an opportunity to shoot again.  It may 
have been a godsend that the camera locked up and he will not use a camera 
that has the potential for rendering such negatives worthless.  Things like a 
faulty pressure plate are "silent killers" since they lull a person into a 
false sense of security that all is well until the slides are projected or 
large prints viewed.  Then it is too late to recapture the subject.

Several years ago there was a warning posted on the Net that a brand of 
negafiles were putting scratches on film and now I wonder if the scratches 
were placed on the negatives prior to their being placed in the negafile 
sleeves.  I checked my negatives at that time and there were no scratches but 
I was not using an M-6.  My old M-3's have never exhibited the scratching 
problem.

Enough for now; gotta go find the special screwdriver so I can remove the 
pressure plate and determine if it is interchangeable with the old M-3 
pressure plates.

Thanks for your thoughts.