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Marks in chrome top plate


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I have a chrome M4-P which I regularly use but I try to take care of it in order to maintain its value. It is/was virtually mint but an odd mark has just appeared on the vertical part of the top plate just above one of the strap lugs.. It consists of concentric rings, slightly elongated, about a centimetre in diameter; almost like a faint thumb print. It was not there when I bought the camera. Does anyone have experience of such a thing? I am not too hopeful about being able to remove it since I expect this would involve re-chroming the whole of the top plate. I do not use a camera strap so that can be ruled out.

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"I do not use a camera strap so that can be ruled out".

Very strange

 

Usually thess marks are coming from the belt attachments especially on the one near the viewfinder due to the fact that the lens is not in axe with the camera but a little on the left side.:(

 

People use some leather protection around the clips/eyelets to protect the finish coating.

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......the discolouration seems to be actually within the chrome, just under the surface. Perhaps is was a plating fault that got through the quality control process, or perhaps it is something that has migrated to the surface from the underlying zinc.

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Here is a photograph. The mark appeared almost a year after I bought the camera and it has been used and stored with care, which suggests it is some sort of chemical reaction within the chrome plating rather than something that has made contact later.

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Hi Parsifal,

(Serial number is 1650387, which suggests a zinc top-plate. (It also has the M6-type viewfinder frame, and 2 synch-posts)

 

Well, the serial number seems that is an late M4-P, most of M6 example show some wrap, bubble and other disease. Zinc it's highly sensible to chemical agent with reaction and corrosion.

So, your problem is not rare on zinc top and bottom plate scenery samples.

 

Don't worry about it, your camera will work with success for long decades, one more reason to use it without worries, so will also feel that intensely lived.

 

Kind regards

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I am late to jump in here, but that does definetely NOT look like anything associated with the zinc bubble problem. To me, this looks like the residue of some cleaning liquid. Have you tried to rub off the marks? Try doing that and use some moisture in the process. If simple water doesn't help, use some ethyl alkohol and/or some lighter fluid. I am pretty sure it will go away.

 

Andy

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...I now think the marks are on the underlying zinc and were created when it cooled when being formed.

 

I doubt that. On the zinc base material the chrome layer is applied, which is thick enough to cover marks like that. And there is no blistering (which is the usual defect with zinc top plates). I'd try to clean those marks away, they do appear to be at the very surface of the material. You could also try some nose grease, rub it in slightly with your fingertip and see if that brings some change.

 

Andy

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Wizard said: "...but that does definetely NOT look like anything associated with the zinc bubble problem".

 

But I never told that was zinc bubble problem on Parsifal M4-P.

I just said, generally speaking, different of layer imperfections: "...late M4-P, most of M6 example show some wrap, bubble and other disease".

 

That's it.

 

Anyway, I'm satisfied that the special Leitz grease of nose working fine, but remain some issues inherent corrosion and chemical reactions on top and base plate zinc of the late some M4-P example and some early M6 cameras.

 

Regards

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Anyway, I'm satisfied that the special Leitz grease of nose working fine, but remain some issues inherent corrosion and chemical reactions on top and base plate zinc of the late some M4-P example and some early M6 cameras.

 

My M6 classic is 242xxxx (circa '97?) and has a large number of bubbles on top plate and back door, the base plate is as new.

 

Noel

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Yeah, unfortunately, sometimes the last specimens are affected by these problems, the reason is always the same; corrosion and sensitivity to chemical reactions of zinc. Spray sea salt or many chemicals elements in air suspension, air pollution, can produce these zinc "diseases".

 

However, these machines will enjoy good health to do many, many photographs, until the market will continue to provide the beloved film.

 

Regards.

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