Leica m4, some questions about filter and manteniance

[ziofanale]

I Am the proud owner of a leica m4.

I have a few questions for you ;D

First of all I was looking for a uv filter to protect the summilux 50/1.4 lenses.
Watching around I found some problems: first of all I discovered that the correct filter diameter is a 43mm, but the only filter I found was a canon polarized one (ten years older than me); second of all I discovered that the leica filters of the same age of the camera had a different name code.. not the usual diameter, but something like h2 h3 h1 etc, I tried one of those, it was a leica uv h2, but 2mm too small for the summilux. Does someone know the correct code for my lenses? It would be a great help.. I could look on the web for some used stuff (better than watching for it in shops around).

Second of all: The m4 is wonderful! works great!! Looking around on leica home site I found that is suggested a periodical cleaning of the camera, (to be done by an authorized leica center). I own the camera from about four years, and I am quite sure that from the previous ten years It had not been even used.
I am italian, and the leica center indicated for the maintenance is a lot far from me.. Is it necessary to do the cleaning of the camera even if it is in good conditions? On how many years is suggested to do it?

Thank-you!

[andybarton]

Welcome to the forum, Charlie.

As far as the clean, lube and adjust is concerned, if the camera is working properly (with all shutter speeds correct, or thereabouts) I would be tempted to leave it alone. If it hasn't given you any trouble in 4 years, then I would keep on using it until it does.

A Leica CLA costs around €150 on a manual M like yours, btw.

[tummydoc]

The Summilux accepts 43mm filters, available from B+W and Heliopan for certain. However if you have the shade for your lens you will not be able to fit it past those filters without modification. Leitz 43mm filters had no frontal female threads, and later Leica 43mm filters had a groove encircling the mount into which the shade claws fit.

[chris_livsey]

If you pick up ANY 43mm filter Leica or Leitz (try searching under that name for this vintage) you can remove the glass and use a new B+W UV 43mm filter to supply a new unscratched UVa glass to fit the holder. The B and W filters eg green often are sold very cheaply. I have done this with my summilux circa 1968.
Ensure the 43mm Leitz is the slim fit for this lens.
The only coding on the filter I have is a type designation GGr and Ernst Leitz Wetzlar Germany no part number.
Good Luck

[luigi bertolotti]

Hi Charlie, nice to see a new italian guy here;

the original UV filter for the Summilux (diam. 43 as said) had the code 13206, or YMZOO when the old five letter coding was used: I have it on my old Summilux s/n 1.884..... and it gives no problem even with the original shade attached (that has 2 lines of clamping tabs, for it can be also mounted reversed with the lens cap on it) .
A wonderful lens: I used it for more than 15 years on my M4, and now also on M8.

Cheers

Luigi

[ziofanale]

Thank-you everyone!!! I didn't thought there was a similar community so full of leica-lovers!

Andybarton: thank-you! ... The camera is working perfectly! No trouble in four years, really a swiss clock precision!
In fact i was concerned about the price, but of course if it could prevent the m3 from any future harm, and if I was yet too late on the maintenance suggested timeline, I would not have thought twice before bringing it to clean.

tummydoc, ChrisL: I didn't know b+w was making the correct filter diameter .. Now my research is a lot easier! .. I know that putting a filter behind a summilux is a kind of murder ;D .. but for some photos in certain conditions I prefer to have a protection in the bag!

Luigi: I will surely look for a original filter now that I know the correct letter code!!! (thank-you also for the leica / leiz suggestion .. really appreciated for my future google searches) Thank-you! ... Nice to see another italian guy here too!

Charlie.

[luigi bertolotti]

Regarding the problem of maintenance...where do you live ? I do not know even what is the suggested repair center in Leica site but in Milano and Genova there are excellent Leica repair shop : if your M4 (I have an M4, too...) has not clear problems, a well done tech review with little adjustings, professionally made, costs no more than 100-120 Euros in Milan, and is worth.

Thinking again to the Summilux filter issue... I forgot to specify that my set (lens + filter) is chrome... if you have a black Summilux maybe you'd prefer a black filter... I do not know if the codes I wrote are the same for black filter... usually Leitz codes were absolutely univocious....

[ziofanale]

What's the name / address of the Milan repair center? I live there and if you suggest it I would surely go to try .. (my leica m4 is the same crome model as yours ).

[luigi bertolotti]

R & C SERVICE di Rentsch Wolfgang e Calvi Ennio - Via Plinio 40 - 20129 Milano - Tel. 0229531867 - Fax 0229513803

Brava gente... da più di 30 anni nel giro... poi c'è anche

BENATTI - Via Dezza 41 - 20144 Milano - Tel. 02435461 ; anche lui storico... anni fa faceva anche dei duplicatori di focale per Leica M basati su ottica Kenko... accoppiati al telemetro...ne ho uno... diciamo che se proprio uno vuole poter dire di aver usato un 270mm con una M4... in realtà non sono gran che.

Moderators: sorry for the language: I know I'd done better to make a personal message...

[andybarton]

Originally Posted by luigi bertolotti

Moderators: sorry for the language: I know I'd done better to make a personal message...

Looks like a perfectly decent language to me.

Nowhere does it say that English is the language of this forum...

[tummydoc]

Originally Posted by andybarton

Nowhere does it say that English is the language of this forum...

Quite true, as evidenced by the significant numbers of Americans

[ziofanale]

Another problem (because you are all so kind ) ... I had started to make b & w photos.. and found a little spot on my prints, always in the same place.
After excluding it was a problem of the film, I found that putting the summilux below a halogen light under a certain inclination (even if there are absolutely no scratches) I can see a little spot on the lens: at that certain inclination while all the lens looks kind of violet, there is a small not-violet spot.

Is it a resolvable problem?
If I bring the camera to a center is it possible to make also a lens check-up? (there is also some lenses-internal dust.. that I do not have the braveness to try to remove)

Thank-you!

[flavio]

Ciao Charlie,
I am another one from the Italian side :-)
Also use an M4. I'd suggest you a CLA in Milan or Genova as stated by Luigi, just to live in peace and during that work all your Leitz equipment will be under qualified control.

BTW: welcome on board :-) !

[luigi bertolotti]

Originally Posted by ziofanale

Another problem (because you are all so kind ) ... I had started to make b & w photos.. and found a little spot on my prints, always in the same place.
After excluding it was a problem of the film, I found that putting the summilux below a halogen light under a certain inclination (even if there are absolutely no scratches) I can see a little spot on the lens: at that certain inclination while all the lens looks kind of violet, there is a small not-violet spot.

Is it a resolvable problem?
If I bring the camera to a center is it possible to make also a lens check-up? (there is also some lenses-internal dust.. that I do not have the braveness to try to remove)

Thank-you!

Mmmhhh.... seems a no-fine problem... a "hole" in the coating... maintaining lenses is some more delicate than bodies... but can be adjusted...ask the shops I mentioned.

[dkpeterborough]

Originally Posted by ziofanale

Another problem (because you are all so kind ) ... I had started to make b & w photos.. and found a little spot on my prints, always in the same place.
After excluding it was a problem of the film, I found that putting the summilux below a halogen light under a certain inclination (even if there are absolutely no scratches) I can see a little spot on the lens: at that certain inclination while all the lens looks kind of violet, there is a small not-violet spot.

Is it a resolvable problem?
If I bring the camera to a center is it possible to make also a lens check-up? (there is also some lenses-internal dust.. that I do not have the braveness to try to remove)

Thank-you!

Would seem to be unlikely that a spot on/in your lens would create a spot on your film ... because that lens spot would not focus as such onto the film.

Dunk

[ziofanale]

That's Great.. if is not a problem with the lenses!
In every case tomorrow I have an appointment on one of the shops suggested to me (in Milan) .. I found the 43 leiz filter and also the original "paraluce" (I can not find the word in english: the ring that saves the photos from the "out-of-field" light).. I am probably going to bring the lenses and ask for a suggestion on the "spot problem" .. Thank-you!

Ps. for the hi-level maintenance on historical cameras I was suggested to bring the m-4 to a center specialized on old-ones (while they told me that the italian costumer support center, indicated on the leica website near Milan, is better for actual models). They told me that on historical ones is probably as good as Solms, it is named Sam.ca and it is located in Genova.

[flavio]

Sam.Ca is the hystorical point of Italian Leitz service during the "golden age". Seems to me that the Italian importer at M4 time(and even earlier) was Ippolito Cattaneo.

[ziofanale]

Originally Posted by flavio

Sam.Ca is the hystorical point of Italian Leitz service during the "golden age". Seems to me that the Italian importer at M4 time(and even earlier) was Ippolito Cattaneo.

That's true!!
below the lenses release lever I have a small "Ippolito Cattaneo" square with the "I C" logo.. the m-4 serial number is 1187 328 but I don't know exactly the year.

[flavio]

Charlie,
BTW I suppose that "lens hood" may sound as "paraluce" :-)

[luigi bertolotti]

Yes, I confirm all about Sam.Ca ("Sam" is Mr. Sammartini) in Genova: probably the best in Italy: a lab with lot of original eqipment for lens & body maintenance/adjusting.