c-dub Posted January 22, 2010 Share #1 Posted January 22, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) I have just inherited a very nice Leica IIIf with 50mm F:2.0 Summitar lens. I have no experience with old rangefinders (and not terribly much photo experience in general) but I’m excited to start learning. I think there might be something wrong with this camera, though: at some shutter speeds, when I press the shutter release, I hear a very quiet click – and if I hold the shutter release down for a few seconds, and then let it up, I hear a very short whirr and a louder, more substantial click. This doesn’t happen at every shutter speed, though: at 1/200 at faster, I get what seems to me to be a “normal” click, but at all the slower shutter speeds (with the exception of 1/50) I get the two clicks: one when I press the shutter release, and another when I release it. Can anyone tell me what’s going on? Is that normal? I’ve run a couple of rolls of film through the camera, but I haven’t developed them yet; I’m not sure I should bother, if it’s clear something is wrong. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 22, 2010 Posted January 22, 2010 Hi c-dub, Take a look here Possible shutter problems with a IIIf?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
earleygallery Posted January 22, 2010 Share #2 Posted January 22, 2010 Hi, the lllf does have a distinctive sound with some of the slower speeds, a clockwork sound of the mechanism and the shutter brakes working. I suspect its normal but remember to set the shutter speed only after winding on, and keep the slow speed dial to 1/25th when using the speeds on the fast dial. You could check the shutter by removing the lens and looking at the curtains as you fire the shutter to see if all looks normal, but getting your films developed will be the best test. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
c-dub Posted January 22, 2010 Author Share #3 Posted January 22, 2010 Thanks for the incredibly fast response, James. Taking the lens off in order to watch the shutter did the trick. It appears to be sticking: when I press the shutter release, the shutter begins to move, but stops with about a 1/4" of the film exposed, and then completes its travel when I let up on the shutter release. This camera hasn't been used in quite a long time, so I suspect it might just need a good cleaning and a tune-up. Can anyone suggest how I might best have that done? I live in Minneapolis, Minnesota, but I could obviously ship it off somewhere. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted January 22, 2010 Share #4 Posted January 22, 2010 Yes a CLA is needed its probably just dried up lubricants etc., so don't fire the shutter any more. I'm sure others will respond but there are a few specialists in the US, including these people DAG Camera Parts Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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