Re: [Leica] black M6 top plates bubbling like crazy

[John Collier <jbcollier@home.com>]

You seem to imply that the bubbling started after you visited the sulphur
mine. No thin plating is going to seal against highly corrosive substances.
Leica is right in that every time you expose the camera to high humidity,
and possible airborne salinity, it seeps into the bubbling areas and
reactivates the corrosion. After all, sulphur, salt and water is a great way
to make sulphuric acid. Possibly wiping the camera down with a damp cloth
after the exposure in the mine could have prevented the problem in the first
place. The M6 top plate is made of a zinc composite material that is,
unfortunately, highly susceptible to acid corrosion. You can either change
the top plate, leave it alone as a wonder of the camera world or break open
the bubbles and apply a neutralising agent such as what a body shops uses on
rust.

John Collier

> From: brice777@yahoo.com
> 
> I have two black M6's and both top plates are corroding as manifested by
> tiny bubbles popping up (although not bursting) all over the place.
> 
> Is it ironic that it gets worse every time i visit a tropical country?
> Additionally, on the trips I've made, I've visited a sulfur mine, where
> there was a tremendous amount of exposure to volcanic sulfur fumes... is
> this a possible culpurit?
> 
> Any ideas what might be causing this? Any ideas how to stop the bubbling?
> 
> Leica USA was stumped and blamed the humidity....
>