Re: [Leica] M6 shutter-release problem

[Dante Stella <dante@umich.edu>]

It needs a cleaning.  That's exactly the problem I had with my M3 when I
first got it - you could press all the way down, no shot, then let up and
press again and it would go.  You should probably have everything done at
the same time; if that lube is congealed, it is likely to be so elsewhere
in the camera.

- ------------
Dante Stella

On Fri, 8 Jun 2001, Otto Giesenfeld wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I have a problem with the shutter release of a used M6 that I just bought
> by mail. The camera looks good and seems to be in excellent working order
> except for the problem that I am about to describe, so I would rather solve
> the problem and keep the camera than cancel the deal and ship the camera
> back.
>
> Now for the problem: If I depress the shutter release button slowly, the
> shutter triggers when the button is in a very low position, or it does not
> trigger at all, even when the button is pushed all the way down. Sometimes,
> I can push the button all the way down, and then the shutter releases after
> one or two seconds. Sometimes, I can depress the button fully and keep it
> there until I get tired of it without releasing the shutter. If instead I
> give the button a fast and vigorous push, the shutter always releases, but
> the trigger point still seems to be quite low. (The problem here is that at
> slow shutter speeds, it may be difficult to handhold the camera steadily in
> combination with the vigorous pressing of the release button.) Using a
> cable release, the problem persists but does not occur as frequently.
>
> Also, the motion of the release button is sometimes a bit jerky when I try
> to depress it softly, as if it needed to be lubricated. (This depends
> somewhat on the angle of the pressure.)
>
> The impression I get is that some spring-loaded part does not move as
> freely as it should, maybe because of dirt. The camera otherwise looks very
> clean though, and it is not too old (produced in 1994 according to the
> serial-number table at cameraquest.com).
>
> I found a post in the LUG archives where Henning J. Wulff stated in
> response to a question about the release point of an M6 that: "There is a
> long arm under the cover under the baseplate which controls how far down
> you have to push the release before it fires. A small adjustment here is
> what you need."
>
> Does anyone know if this is a simple adjustment that I, carefully, could do
> as a user with a reasonable understanding of mechanics but modest
> experience in camera repair? Would any special tools be needed? Would I run
> a high risk of destroying something.
>
> If the best solution is to have the camera professionaly cleaned and
> lubricated, would it be a complicated operation? As I said, everything else
> seems to work perfectly, so I would rather not pay for having the camera
> taken apart completely if not absolutely necessary.
>
> I would be grateful for any answers or suggestions.
>
> With best regards,
>
> Otto Giesenfeld
>