my first OLD Leica - help, please!

[frank brown]

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I just purchased a 1952 model Leica IIIF and after doing the usual YouTube/Google searches for information, I turn to this group in hopes that someone will share some information with me.  First, I read that it is critical to "trim" the leader on film to make it longer before inserting it into the camera.  Is this true?   I loaded a roll into it today and did not notice a problem, but I have not shot any pictures with it yet.  It might not advance.   Next, what is the purpose of the secondary dial below the shutter speed dial? (little movable ring with a window that follows the "0 to 20" number on the camera body) Thanks for any help. -  Frank Brown

Edited July 24, 2015 by frank brown

[earleygallery]

Firstly you can download a manual here http://www.butkus.org/chinon/leica/leica_if_iif_iiif/leica_if_iif_iiif.htm

 

The small dial is the slower shutter speeds and will only work when the main dial is set to 1/20. The small dial should also be set to 1/20 if using faster speeds.

 

Yes it's important to trim the film leader to ensure it loads correctly and that you don't end up with a piece of torn off film jamming the shutter.

 

There are work arounds but it's easy just to trim the leader with a pair of scissors - never end the cut through a sprocket hole!

 

Up until around the late 70's all film had a long leader as standard. The short leader was a cost saving measure - and most cameras didn't need a longer leader.

 

These are great cameras, enjoy it!

Edited July 25, 2015 by earleygallery

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[gyoung]

I think the secondary dial referred to is the flash delay dial rather than the slow dpeeds which are in the front of the camera

 

Gerry

[250swb]

  I loaded a roll into it today and did not notice a problem, but I have not shot any pictures with it yet.  It might not advance.  

 

It is easy to check if you loaded the film properly, and become acquainted with the slow speed dial at the same time.

 

Cock the shutter, remove the lens, then set the 'fast' shutter speed to 1/20th (or 1/25th) and turn the slow speed dial to 'T', take the lens off and fire the shutter. The 'T' setting will keep the shutter open until you turn the front dial from 'T' to 1 second. Look into the camera and you will see the film, if you can see any sprocket holes you haven't loaded the film properly. You can put your finger in and push the film into position, what you are trying to achieve is to get both sets of sprocket holes onto the sprockets. This is what a long leader does, it allows the bottom sprockets to engage with the film without the top sprockets snagging on the film edge. But using the technique of taking the lens off and setting the camera on 'T' it is possible to load it OK by pushing the film into position via the open shutter. Don't however do this after you've taken a few pictures just to check, you will fog the frames either side of the open shutter, only do it at the start of the film when it doesn't matter.

 

Edit:

 

I think the secondary dial referred to is the flash delay dial rather than the slow dpeeds which are in the front of the camera

 

 

Yes, that is what the OP is talking about.

Steve

Edited July 25, 2015 by 250swb

[frank brown]

Thanks everyone..  yes, I have determined that the dial in question is the flash delay adjustment dial, and I unloaded the film (it was NOT advancing) and cut back the leader, and it loaded properly and all knobs are turning when I wind the camera.  I'm going out this afternoon (after the temperature reaches about 100 F here in Texas) and shoot a roll of Tri-X and will process it tonight and see how she does.  Many thanks to all, again.  - Frank

 

[TomB_tx]

Enjoy it Frank! I got my  IIIf in 1969 (already had an M4) and have used it as a carry-around through the years. Don Goldberg did a fine CLA on it a few years ago and it is still nice to use. 

The hard part about summertime processing in Texas is getting the wash water cool enough...

[pico]

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Frank, for more than you need to know about the Leica film trimming, try this link.

Enjoy the Texas heat. Even here in the Tropics of Minnesota it is 90F.

 

There should also be a drawing that shows on the bottom of the camera

when the bottom plate is removed.

Edited July 25, 2015 by pico

[frank brown]

My wife's family is from Minnesota, of Norwegian ancestry.  Speaking of processing, I cool the developer, fixer, and final rinse solution down in an ice bath, but use tap water to rinse between steps..  the water temp at that faucet is running about 75F so I figured its well within the realm of OK. 

 

I do have one more observation, and would like to know if this is out of the ordinary.. the take up spool seems to go into the camera too deeply.  I have only loaded it once (well, twice, but only once succesfully) ...  and I actually pulled the take up spool "up" from as far as it would go to position it so it looked like the film was going to bind.  It is almost as if a washer or bushing that prevented the take up spool for being too deeply seater was missing.  Or maybe it is supposed to go in that far... but it is observably not at the same height as the same as the film canister spool. 

 

Thanks again to all, will see you on other sections of the forum.   

[TomB_tx]

The original Leica film cassettes are longer than the standard pre-loaded films, so the LTM Leicas used to need a spacer washer at the bottom of a standard canister to hold it in place, or the canister would work down in use so the film would slip too low on the rails. The IIIf prevents that with a guide finger on the bottom plate that fits into a slot at the back that holds the film in the correct place. For my older models I bulk load into the original longer Leitz cassettes. 

So your observation is correct, but the take up spool should fit deeply into the body.

Edited July 25, 2015 by TomB_tx

[pico]

My wife's family is from Minnesota, of Norwegian ancestry.

 

For sure we got a lot of Norwegians here. You betcha. Seriously, we do. They are a part of our culture in this town. And Germans and Irish.

 

About the spool's depth - I just checked my wife's and if you remove the spool and shine a flashlight down there you will see a couple of fine gears, no spacer. That's normal. I put a depth gauge in there and from the edge of the spool the recess is 13mm, or about 1/2".