Leicavit iiiG - Help needed please

[Jon Pop]

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Just purchased a Leicavit for my iiig, looks nice etc. However, when it seems to take two strokes to advance/re-cock the shutter...which kind of defeats the purpose of having a rapidwinder. I'd heard about this before on the web somewhere (rangefinderforum...someone said "you may need to get the Leicavit adjusted to fit with the iiig's advance action"....).  I don't have film in the camera right now (could this be a factor?), but would welcome insights from the Forum members. I have a good relationship with the seller so could return it, but I'm hoping there's just something I've missed...? I'd like to use and enjoy it....

 

Best

Jon

 

[Jon Pop]

Also, in looking at this Leicavit off the camera and operating it off the camera, I checked as I pulled the trigger and the spindle (which goes into the take-up spool) makes one perfect revolution with one full advance of the trigger - if this helps describe anything.

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[M9reno]

This is easily fixed and no reason to return the winder.  The problem is with the advance spindle inside your camera - often, after a CLA for example, a technician carelessly replaces it the wrong way round, since it makes no difference in normal use without a winder.  A good repairman should be able to see, dismantle and correct this problem in the camera quickly, and get your Leicavit working with one stroke.

Also, in looking at this Leicavit off the camera and operating it off the camera, I checked as I pulled the trigger and the spindle (which goes into the take-up spool) makes one perfect revolution with one full advance of the trigger - if this helps describe anything.

Edited August 18, 2015 by M9reno

[Jon Pop]

Thanks very much! Does anyone have a picture of the 'correct way' for the advance spindle to look in the camera? I'm just confused...unless it's actually upside down, I'm not sure how the end could be the wrong way around, as it were. Here is a photo of mine...

 

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[probert]

I have a similar issue with my Leicavit on the IIIG. Not two strokes, but one stroke and then I need to put pull it again, about one millimeter. I was told that this is caused by the chain inside the Leicavit which can stretch in use. Also a problem that can be fixed, but by a mechanic. 

[M9reno]

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Jon, just had a look inside my IIIg and am not sure if the spindle position differs at all.  For what it's worth, I rechecked Malcolm Taylor's invoice, which reads "refit wind spindle correctly". 

[mavricich]

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HOLA, SOY NUEVO EN EL FORO, GRACIAS X AYUDARME!!!!! TENGO EN MI PODER UN MOTOR DE ARRASTRE MANUAL PARECIDO AL LEICAVIT PERO DE ACERO INOXIDABLE, POR SUPUESTO QUE ES DE ERNEST LEITZ, PERO NO DICE LEICAVIT Y NO ES IGUAL, TIENE EL GATILLO SEMIESFERICO Y LA CORTINILLA DE AVANCE DE TELA ES EXTERNA...ALGUIEN ME PUEDE AYUDAR A SABER BIEN QUÉ ES Y QUÉ TIPO DE MODELO PUEDE SER? MUCHAS GRACIAS!!

[M9reno]

The poster above is referring to SCNOO.

 

mavricich:  tu aparato se llama SCNOO.

[mavricich]

AHHH MUCHISIMAS GRACIAS X RESPONDER, NO ENCONTRABA NADA EN INTERNET ACERCA DE ESTE APARATO...OTRA PREGUNTA, ES MUY RARO?  HAY MAS UNIDADES FABRICADAS DE LEICAVIT TRADICIONALES O DE ÉSTE APARATO ? TAMBIEN FUE COMUN EN SUS DIAS? OTRA VEZ MUCHAS GRACIAS, MUY BUEN TRABAJO EN COMUN HACE ESTE FORO... ATTE PABLO

[TomB_tx]

​I ran into this situation when I worked on the winder on my Canon VIT, which has a clone of the Leicavit built into the camera. The chain wraps around a sprocket in the winder, and if the sprocket is positioned a tooth or so off when wrapping the chain, it will behave just as if the advance spindle in the camera is positioned wrong - needing a second partial stroke to complete the wind. This was easy to fix on the Canon by pulling slack in the spring-loaded chain to rotate the sprocket a tooth at a time until it worked properly.

So I'd guess the OP's original issue was the sprocket alignment in the Leicavit. These are simple mechanisms, and are not hard to service.

[jc_braconi]

​I ran into this situation when I worked on the winder on my Canon VIT, which has a clone of the Leicavit built into the camera. The chain wraps around a sprocket in the winder, and if the sprocket is positioned a tooth or so off when wrapping the chain, it will behave just as if the advance spindle in the camera is positioned wrong - needing a second partial stroke to complete the wind. This was easy to fix on the Canon by pulling slack in the spring-loaded chain to rotate the sprocket a tooth at a time until it worked properly.

So I'd guess the OP's original issue was the sprocket alignment in the Leicavit. These are simple mechanisms, and are not hard to service.

I second

[willeica]

I have experienced this problem with both the SCNOO (earlier version) and the Leicavit for later LTMs. When I was having the SCNOO repaired some years ago, the man doing it asked me to send in the camera I was using the SCNOO with, but I did not do this, as he had not explained the reason for his request. When I got the SCNOO back, I found that it took one full wind and another tiny pull to wind on fully. The same with the Leicavit. It will work on some cameras with a single wind (pull) and on some others it needs another little wind on- still quicker than the using the wind on knob. What I have noticed is that the Leicavit works perfectly with cameras which have not had a CLA, whereas it is more likely that it will not work, fully as designed, with cameras that have had a CLA. What seems to happen is that the internal spindle is not replaced, by the CLA technician, in the exact same manner and orientation as it was when it left the factory. I now have the Leicavit on a camera where it works fully as per specifications. The comment attributed to Malcolm Taylor and mentioned above, is the way to deal with the matter. You can teach yourself how to make such adjustments but, for most people, the best way forward is to send the winder and the camera you wish to use it with to a qualified service technician.

 

William