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Remote cable release for M240 - has Leica modified their standard one?


wlaidlaw

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I needed to use a remote release on my M240 the other day, when I was using a Telyt 280 on it. I have two that I regularly use, a Leica one from around 2000 and a 1980's Minox one. These are nice metal mesh covered releases with a mechanical shutter latch down if required and look absolutely identical. I suspect they were made by the same third party supplier.

 

However, neither fit well on the M240. They only screw in about half a turn and tend to come undone, as you move the release about. Has anyone bought a Leica release since Leica modified the shutter release thread for the M9-P and M-E, carrying the design on to the M240? Have Leica modified the thread on this? I don't want to pay out £44, only to find it is the same as the ones I already have.

 

Wilson

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Wilson, there was another thread where someone posted that his "softie" wouldn't screw in and a reply said Leica had changed the thread pitch for the 240.

Hope this helps.

 

Exactly. The new thread is shorter and has less taper. None of my old mini softies fit but Tim Isaac at Match Technical has new versions for the new threads. Tom Abrahamsson has softies as well in the new thread but only the large ones. It is not just the M240 but the M-E and final M9's as well.

 

Wilson

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Leica sells one (PN 14076) which I bought in desperation a few years back as I had lost my treasured Hama 20" on a city street somewhere.

 

Then I found a Hama for half the price of the Leica one which looks identical to the Leica one with the exception the top says "Germany" on the Hama and "Leica" on the Leica. Both have a screw in stop

 

The Hama number is 005331. But since I now have a few extra as I do not want to get caught without one again, I see my records show another number for the Hama one --HACRC20.

 

OK, so they DO fit the M just fine and screw in many turns. I do have a Bower release which does not screw in too well. Upon closer examination of the Bower versus Hama, it appears to my old eyes that the Hama is slightly larger in diameter all the way down the thread area from top to bottom.

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Leica sells one (PN 14076) which I bought in desperation a few years back as I had lost my treasured Hama 20" on a city street somewhere.

 

Then I found a Hama for half the price of the Leica one which looks identical to the Leica one with the exception the top says "Germany" on the Hama and "Leica" on the Leica. Both have a screw in stop

 

The Hama number is 005331. But since I now have a few extra as I do not want to get caught without one again, I see my records show another number for the Hama one --HACRC20.

 

OK, so they DO fit the M just fine and screw in many turns. I do have a Bower release which does not screw in too well. Upon closer examination of the Bower versus Hama, it appears to my old eyes that the Hama is slightly larger in diameter all the way down the thread area from top to bottom.

 

Algrove,

 

It is ironic that the Hama one fits and my Leica (and identical Minox) do not. The easiest way might be to go to Park Cameras (I drove past it this morning on my way to get my wife's new tyres fitted) and see what fits. The only problem is that nowadays everything is wrapped up multi layers of plastic that you need either tin snips or a cutting torch to get in to.

 

Wilson

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And why would they do this except to sell overpriced accessories ?

 

Worn tooling ? My M9P is from last Sept 2012 and all the old releases fit including a Leica one from 1985 , some cheap $ ones, and Calumet House Brand.

 

I submit if you have one that does not take standards, the Leica ones may not fit either. Are they selling two types now ?

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And why would they do this except to sell overpriced accessories ?

 

Now, why would Leica risk their reputation to make a few pennies with such a tactic? This might just be a case of erred oversight on batch checking.

 

With that said, is there a tap we can purchase to fix the thread ourselves?

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I called the Leica store in Wash DC to inquire. They said they were aware that the cable release thread was changed for the Monochrom, ME and the new M. They said that an ill-fitting cable releases will lean to one side.

 

Further to my post #5 above, the Hama has been working just fine on my MM as I never even realized there had been a change made. There is a chance my Bower has a messed up thread at the very end. No, I just tried a second Bower and it does not fit very well either. I would stick with Hama. All above are black covered cable releases.

 

I also just found another red cloth covered cable release "Made in Japan" which works well on the M. (Yes I have too many!) It is called Dot Line PN DL0494. Again a 20" release with soft touch lock. The end has a huge screw on it which lends itself to larger fingers. Now at the look of it the threads on this one look to be considerably smaller than the Hama thread, but works well.

Edited by algrove
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Now, why would Leica risk their reputation to make a few pennies with such a tactic? This might just be a case of erred oversight on batch checking.

 

With that said, is there a tap we can purchase to fix the thread ourselves?

 

Pico,

 

I understand there is now a waterproofing seal at the bottom of the shutter release, so it would need to be very much of a plug tap. I think mine is a standard M240 thread as the Match Technical mini softie fits perfectly. Below is a pic which clearly shows how different the threads are.

 

BTW, there is an issue with the SF58-D working on the M - faulty communication - I will post a separate thread.

 

Wilson

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  • 2 months later...

I don't know whether Leica has changed the shutter release button threads yet again but I received my new M yesterday and tried out some old soft releases (Chinese) with very short threads. They worked fine, as did a soft release from Oliver Lott. I did also receive a new soft release from Tim Abrahamsson and that works fine as expected. Both of my very old cable releases also worked. So now I am confused about what Leica did and did not do on the threads. Had I not read these posts about difficulties with older soft releases and cable releases, I would have, in bliddful igniorance, simply used what I had without a second thought.

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Can someone send a link where I could buy a cable release with a lock?

I've been looking for it on ebay and actually wasn't sure which one to buy. So if someone bought one recently or knows where and what to buy, I'd appreciate it.

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Hello Wilson,

 

I have an old Linhof 25cm. Sort of a "big brother" to the Leitz/Leica equivalent. It has fit every mechanical camera with an "M" (not Barnack) type thread I have ever tried it on. Regardless of film format. I have never tried it on a digital M.

 

Linhof also makes this in a 50cm version if you need it.

 

I also sometimes use an even older Kodak #1 cable release which can be very useful. The cable release itself converts any mechanical camera's "B" into the photographer's choice of either "B" or "T". It only works on some cameras. It works on mechanical "M's"

 

Best Regards,

 

Michael

Edited by Michael Geschlecht
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Leica sells one (PN 14076) ... they DO fit the M just fine and screw in many turns...

Sounds like your 14076 is not the same as Wilson's. Does it look like that?

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Sounds like your 14076 is not the same as Wilson's. Does it look like that?

I would guess that Leica may well not have made these releases themselves and over the years (my release is around 40 years old) will have been made by a number of different sub-contractors. The end on my release looks identical to the one in your photo but there may be tiny differences in thread pitch, taper and diameter, which prevents it screwing in more than about 3/4 of a turn on the M240 and being very insecure. It may be cheap-skate but I am not minded to pay £45 for a new Leica one. Once I am fit enough to drive again in around four weeks, I will drive across to the Hailsham Camera Centre, who have cabinets full of old junk and see if I can find a release that fits. My M240, hopefully, will return from its holiday in Solms on Thursday.

 

Wilson

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I would guess that Leica may well not have made these releases themselves and over the years (my release is around 40 years old) will have been made by a number of different sub-contractors. The end on my release looks identical to the one in your photo but there may be tiny differences in thread pitch, taper and diameter, which prevents it screwing in more than about 3/4 of a turn on the M240 and being very insecure. It may be cheap-skate but I am not minded to pay £45 for a new Leica one. Once I am fit enough to drive again in around four weeks, I will drive across to the Hailsham Camera Centre, who have cabinets full of old junk and see if I can find a release that fits. My M240, hopefully, will return from its holiday in Solms on Thursday.

 

Wilson

 

Feel better Wilson.

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I don't mind the price difference, but this seems to be have better ergonomics.

Would this work with the new M?

Shutter Release Cable 16 Leica M1 M2 M3 M4 M4P M5 M6 M7 | eBay

 

......but with the old tapered long thread, will it screw in securely or not on a 240.

 

Wilson

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