CrisRose Posted June 17, 2011 Share #1 Posted June 17, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hi all, After the best part of a decade of wanting a Leica, i was finally able to get my hands on my very first, an M2 from 1959. I eagerly loaded it up with Ektar 100 and went out for the day with a f3.5 35mm and a Nokton 50mm. It was always going to be a test roll, to get used to the camera and the lenses, but i gotta say that i didn't get as good results as i'd hoped. Partly i think this was due my attempts to make use of shallow depth of field, so i was shooting as wide open as possible with high shutter speeds 500-1000. Clearly my light meter wasn't accurate as i ended up letting in far less light than i needed. Aside from this, i suffered some light leaks and some strange shots i've not seen on any of my other 35mm cameras - i was hoping someone here might be able to tell me what this is due to, whether it's my rookie mistake or an issue with the camera that might need some addressing? Thanks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted June 17, 2011 Posted June 17, 2011 Hi CrisRose, Take a look here First Leica, First roll - some advice?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
tüdelband Posted June 17, 2011 Share #2 Posted June 17, 2011 The Shutter is stucked, sorry your M2 needs an Overhaul called CLA (Clean Lubricate Adjust). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunsworth Posted June 17, 2011 Share #3 Posted June 17, 2011 Looks like a combination of a sticky shutter and a light leak. You'll need to have the camera serviced - or returned to the seller. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrisRose Posted June 17, 2011 Author Share #4 Posted June 17, 2011 Thanks for the swift replies, it's much appreciated. First question - is this something i can address myself? I'm quite handy and capable of repairing most things given a suitable guide. I only ask as i'm going away next week and i'd hate not to be able to take the M2 with me. Secondly - if not, where should i be getting this done and any idea of price? (i'm in London) many thanks Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunsworth Posted June 17, 2011 Share #5 Posted June 17, 2011 First question - is this something i can address myself? I think this is one of those situations where if you have to ask the question the answer is no <grin>. The two UK repair people who are recommended the most are Malcom Taylor, and CRR in Luton. CRR are here... CAMERA REPAIRS & RESTORATION - LUTON , ENGLAND - 2011 Give CRR a call - they're the nearest to you. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrisRose Posted June 17, 2011 Author Share #6 Posted June 17, 2011 Thanks for the reply and link A couple of issues tho - they state they can't do any servicing until Sept/Oct, that's quite a few months off! And did i read right £175 for a service? Clearly i was naive in my cost expectations... I really can't see that being in my budget Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
250swb Posted June 17, 2011 Share #7 Posted June 17, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) I would contact Malcolm Taylor who does superb work, but before then, have you fired off the shutter all night at different speeds while watching TV? It can be a great way to free things up, but don't put a film in Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrisRose Posted June 17, 2011 Author Share #8 Posted June 17, 2011 That's pretty much what i'm doing now! I figured it couldn't hurt. One thing tho - when set to 1/125 and fired, the dial spins round to 1/60 - it doesn't do it on any other speeds, but the dial is certainly not stiff! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted June 17, 2011 Share #9 Posted June 17, 2011 £175 isn't really that much in the scheme of things (Leica). When it's done, you camera will be good for decades. Worth sorted, as the camera is clearly not good for much now There is a list of repair shops in the Customer Section, btw Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted June 17, 2011 Share #10 Posted June 17, 2011 As Steve said you have two issues, a faulty shutter AND a light leak - most probably light getting in from the viewfinder/rangefinder area due to perished light traps. You have two options, return to the seller for a refund and buy a better example, or repair the camera you have. As Andy said, spend the money now and you have a camera that should be good for the next 20/50 years. Apart from CRR and MT, there are any number of camera repairmen that can fix Leica's. Speak to one or two Leica dealers (I think Red Dot have a guy they send repairs to for example). Don't send it to Leica themselves however, the repair bill will be more like £500. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrisRose Posted June 18, 2011 Author Share #11 Posted June 18, 2011 Thanks for the reply guys. Scheme of things as they are, £175 is a lot of money for me to drop unexpectedly. At best, I'll have to make do for now and look into it further down the line. Cheers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
giordano Posted June 19, 2011 Share #12 Posted June 19, 2011 One thing tho - when set to 1/125 and fired, the dial spins round to 1/60 - it doesn't do it on any other speeds, but the dial is certainly not stiff! That certainly shouldn't happen. The dial shouldn't be stiff to turn between speeds, but the detent at each speed is normally quite strong. Along with the uneven exposure that suggests the shutter is out of whack and needs skilled attention. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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