Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/02/27
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Great tips, Larry! Many thanks. I'll work on them tonite using your suggestions. Ken --------------------------------------- sent via .mac webmail from: Ken Frazier Senior Minister First Congregational Church Waterbury, Connecticut --------------------------------------- On Friday, February 27, 2009, at 10:58AM, "Lawrence Zeitlin" <lrzeitlin@optonline.net> wrote: > Just like a human runner, if you plan to exercise that old Leica, >warm it up a bit. Sitting in a drawer for 20 years lets the >lubricants dry up and parts tend to stick together. If something is >still and you force it, you may do damage. > >The best suggestion is to wrap the Leica in a heating pad for an hour >or so. The camera should be warm to the touch, not hot. This will >lower the viscosity of the lubricants. Then try clicking the shutter >at the moderate speeds, 1/30 to 1/100 sec. for a few dozen times. >Slow speeds are most affected by long periods of inactivity. The slow >speed escapement has tiny moving parts that bind easily. After you >are satisfied that the moderate speeds work well, try setting the >shutter at 1/15 sec. Click for a few times, then try a slower speed. >You can tell by ear approximately how long the shutter is open. When >the speed is set at 1 second, if you can get the shutter to close in >less than 1 1/2 seconds, congratulations. You have almost freed up >the mechanism. > >Adjusting the higher speeds for accuracy is a bit tricky. The >individual shutter curtain springs tend to relax over the years and >may need to be readjusted. Timing of the Leica shutter is a >balancing act of mechanical forces. The Leica shutter is a simple >design but requires great precision in design and adjustment. This is >probably why it was so difficult for imitators to copy. The spring >tension controls not only the rate that the shutter opening and >closing curtains move but also their relative spacing. You may have >to adjust the springs individually to achieve approximately the right >speeds and uniformity of exposure across the field. You can do it >yourself but it is a fiddly task similar to adjusting the carburetors >of an old Jaguar engine. Instructions for doing this are in the >archives. If you don't want to bother, get the camera a CLA by a good >shop. If the viewfinder is clear, the rangefinder works, and the >cosmetics are adequate, then a $200 CLA is a fair price to restore a >LTM to functionality. > >Remember, get that camera warm before exercising it. > >Larry Z > >_______________________________________________ >Leica Users Group. >See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > >