carstenw Posted March 26, 2007 Share #1 Posted March 26, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) I have been reading the Ron Benvenisti post on how to get off the Leica Red Dot, paint it, and put it back on: Replace the Red M6 Logo with a Black One I just managed to get it off, using just a few normal wood matches. I took the lens off, stood the camera on its top plate, and alternatingly pushed on the Leica L-bar next to the 'L' and on the bar next to the 'a'. The matches kept breaking, since the dot is made of metal, as far as I can tell, and has sharp edges. I would just grab another match, or cut it straight again with a knife. Eventually (after 10-15 minutes!), it just fell out. Here is a (crappy cellphone) photo of the dot and the hole. Now I just have to paint it, polish the letters back, and put it back on. I think I will put it on with a *tiny* spot of silicone. That should make it easier to get off the next time. Looking through the little hole, I can see an ever tinier hole in the bottom right corner, which is presumably how the vertical offset of the rangefinder is set. The odd thing is that the special tool for adjusting this makes it look like it needs to be rotated, but as far as I can tell through the hole, it simply moves up and down. I am wondering if I should attempt to move it a little and see what it does... The vertical adjustment is out anyway, and needs to be adjusted, so what could it hurt? Anyone? Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/19885-leica-red-dot/?do=findComment&comment=212975'>More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted March 26, 2007 Posted March 26, 2007 Hi carstenw, Take a look here Leica Red Dot. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Guest WPalank Posted March 26, 2007 Share #2 Posted March 26, 2007 Why??????? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
carstenw Posted March 26, 2007 Author Share #3 Posted March 26, 2007 Why what? Red is not everyone's colour. It is easy to do, so why not customise? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shootist Posted March 26, 2007 Share #4 Posted March 26, 2007 Carsten from the image of the tool posted here it seems it fits in the dot circle and the round projection fits through the odd shaped area. Yes when rotating the tool it would move the adjustment bar up or down depending on which way you rotate it. I suspect you only need to move it slightly to make large adjustments to the vertical, IE much less movement then on the old style slotted screw type for the smae adjustment. I say go for it and post back. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
carstenw Posted March 26, 2007 Author Share #5 Posted March 26, 2007 Hehe, easy for you to say: not your camera Okay, I wanted to do this anyway, here goes. If you hear a scream... (Man, I would love to be self-sufficient on this issue. I hope it works.) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WPalank Posted March 26, 2007 Share #6 Posted March 26, 2007 Why what? Red is not everyone's colour. It is easy to do, so why not customise? It's funny, I guess everyone has their thing. I remember being a high-school student and dreaming of the days that I could afford "the red dot". Now that I can..... Having attended a recent Leica M8 seminar, they gave me a schwag bag full of Leica goodies! My mouse here at my computer proudly sits on a red dot mouse pad. Next to it, a Leica key chain with you guessed it, a red dot. I just took down a note from my answering machine with my new pen with a red dot. If I had a t-shirt, I'd probably be wearing it now as well. Long live the red dot! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
808 Posted March 26, 2007 Share #7 Posted March 26, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) FYI, you can order black dots from Leica as replacement parts. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shootist Posted March 26, 2007 Share #8 Posted March 26, 2007 I hope it works also. I think mine need a tweak. I don't notice it much with the standard viewfinder but when I put on the 1.25X magnifier I see it is off slightly. Which as you know make nailing the focus a bit difficult. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mat_mcdermott Posted March 26, 2007 Share #9 Posted March 26, 2007 FYI, you can order black dots from Leica as replacement parts. Really? I was under the impression that black dots were as rare as hen's teeth. What's the part number? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
808 Posted March 26, 2007 Share #10 Posted March 26, 2007 Really? I was under the impression that black dots were as rare as hen's teeth. What's the part number? Don't know the part number, I just ordered them via email. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guy_mancuso Posted March 26, 2007 Share #11 Posted March 26, 2007 It's funny, I guess everyone has their thing. I remember being a high-school student and dreaming of the days that I could afford "the red dot". Now that I can..... Having attended a recent Leica M8 seminar, they gave me a schwag bag full of Leica goodies! My mouse here at my computer proudly sits on a red dot mouse pad. Next to it, a Leica key chain with you guessed it, a red dot. I just took down a note from my answering machine with my new pen with a red dot. If I had a t-shirt, I'd probably be wearing it now as well. Long live the red dot! LOL I have my leica hat on that i just got, along with a Mouse pad, pen, keychain . ROFLMAO Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robsteve Posted March 26, 2007 Share #12 Posted March 26, 2007 Here is a (crappy cellphone) photo of the dot and the hole. Carsten: I think you forgot to mount the UV/IR filter to the cell phone before taking the picture Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WPalank Posted March 26, 2007 Share #13 Posted March 26, 2007 LOL I have my leica hat on that i just got You guys got hats!!!!!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hankg Posted March 26, 2007 Share #14 Posted March 26, 2007 You can also order black dots from DAG. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
carstenw Posted March 26, 2007 Author Share #15 Posted March 26, 2007 Leica used to be very protective of the black dots, not wanting to even let dealers have them. You would have to send in your special edition LHSA Leica M6 (I think) for them to replace it. Maybe they have come around...? IT WORKED! My God it worked. I was nervous, but I have done difficult things like this before, so I decided to try it. Here is how I did it. Note that I am not recommending that anyone does this. It is tricky and there is room for serious errors. - I took the dot off, as described above. - I found a little, fat nail like the one in the picture below. - I poked it in the triangular hole, and noticed that the metal behind it moves. Realising that it moves backwards and forwards with the rangefinder arm wheel, I would push the wheel, insert the nail, push it to the one side of the hole, and make a small, firm, but not hard, push in the either up or down direction. - Then I would test the result. Most of the time, it didn't move, and I got nowhere. Once in a while, it moved a little. It is kinda stiff, but I didn't force it. I just pushed firmly, commensurate with the small size of the device and the nail. If a focus patch reflects objects which sit too high compared to the static viewfinder image, then I pushed down. If it sits too low, I pushed up. With a little trial and testing, it was actually not hard. I just had to be really, really careful. Meanwhile, my black dot was ready, so here are another two shots with it on, one with the cellphone, and another in the mirror. Now I just need to fix the near-far focus balance. I think this is doable too, in a similar trial and test fashion, with great care. Just to repeat: I don't recommend that anyone do this. Please don't. But if you do, post pictures Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/19885-leica-red-dot/?do=findComment&comment=213090'>More sharing options...
carstenw Posted March 26, 2007 Author Share #16 Posted March 26, 2007 Oh btw: I own the cap (can be bought from the LFI site, or in Leica dealer stores), the mouse pad, the pin, and I think that's it. What does the pen look like? What about the keychain? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
carstenw Posted March 26, 2007 Author Share #17 Posted March 26, 2007 Carsten: I think you forgot to mount the UV/IR filter to the cell phone before taking the picture Heh, funny how things work out, eh? Sony-Ericsson K750i. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shootist Posted March 27, 2007 Share #18 Posted March 27, 2007 Carsten is that a real Leica Black dot or your red dot painted? If the original what paint did you use and how did you polish it to gt the Leica back. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AaronJ Posted March 27, 2007 Share #19 Posted March 27, 2007 I put black dots on my Leicas as well. You can buy them for $15 from dagcamera.com Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WPalank Posted March 27, 2007 Share #20 Posted March 27, 2007 Oh btw: I own the cap (can be bought from the LFI site, or in Leica dealer stores), the mouse pad, the pin, and I think that's it. What does the pen look like? What about the keychain? The pen is gorgeous and seems to be of very nice quality. Kind of like a silver "Cross" pen but with a slightly bulbous red dot at the non writing end. Good ergonomics and I think quite handsome. My girlfriend found the keychain dangling at the bottom of a nice black canvas bag (with Leica Logo) that she wanted to use to carry some things to work. She placed some loose house keys I had just laying around. Just a big red glass dot with one of those round cork screw key holders. Simple yet elegant. (At least in my mind!) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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