Don't trust old leather neck straps

[ironringer]

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I must report on a disaster that was avoided by luck and quick reaction. My son wanted a Leica film camera to use occasionally; he is a filmmaker-journalist in Berlin and uses an M8 and M9 for his work. Santa Claus provided a Christmas present - a fine, newly-serviced, single-stroke M3 with Summicron 50mm and MR meter. He has enjoyed using it for the past week, and I gave him a 1960s M3 leather case (without the front) to serve as a "half-case". I tested the old, worn leather straps by pulling hard, and decided they were strong enough for light service. My son took his M3 for a city photo expedition, and as he walked away I thought briefly that the heavy camera-lens-meter was putting a lot of stress on the old straps, bouncing with each step.

He returned with a tale of disaster averted. Soon after he started taking pictures in Old Montreal, he luckily caught the camera before it fell, when BOTH sides of the case strap suddenly broke. One side broke 2 seconds before the second, so the strap was sliding around his neck, friction slowing the fall before the second side broke. This small delay allowed him to react and catch the camera before it hit the sidewalk. The Leica Gods intervened, and the disaster never happened.

So I repeat the advice of the technician who serviced the gift M3 - DO NOT TRUST LEATHER NECK STRAPS, especially old ones!

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[wda]

A very lucky escape and a valuable lesson learned and circulation. Thank you.

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[iphoenix]

Just checked mine. Oops, thanks for the alert. 1 Leica, 2 Canon, 1 Nikon leather straps at risk of failing. I should check my equipment more often.

[fotoism]

Really happy for you being able to avoid a costly repair!

 

Leather straps themselves are not to be blamed - there are so many fine ones out there. The fact that your strap is in really poor condition was the cause. If you look closely at the second picture you can see a lot of paint loss on the strap (old age no doubt), and there are fold marks/crease running across the entire width of the strap (a very experienced strap I would say ) only an inche from the broken end!

 

Thanks for the post: I'm sure a number of us who read this thread will run and check their leather straps now.

[spydrxx]

I had a similar experience years ago with a vintage strap. Since that time I've made my own leather straps and, knock on wood, haven't had any failures. My advice to anybody choosing to use a leather strap is, if it isn't new, either buy a new one or have one made for you (or if you have the knowledge & tools, make one yourself).

[jc_braconi]

Just put a new neck strap on the leica case and start it a new life

[bocaburger]

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Those brown straps on the everready cases seem to perish more than the black ones made for the cameras themselves. My rule of thumb is if the black or brown shiny finish has cracks in it, I won't trust the strap.

[michaelwj]

All I can add is that I wish Santa left an M3 set like that in my stocking! I did get the new edition of the decisive moment, so only a few degrees of separation off.

Lucky save.

Cheers,

Michael

[ironringer]

As Mr. Braconi advised, the M3 half-case is now equipped with a strong, nylon neck strap, and the M3 with case is operational again.

Finding a strap that "properly" fits the square metal fastener on the M3 case was not so simple, because 90% of neck straps terminate in a metal split ring, not a strap loop that can be opened and re-fastened. That would work, but the connection would be always sliding and wearing both metal fittings, a "sloppy" situation. In my favourite Ottawa camera shop I found (in a box of older Leica accessories) a nylon web strap with the unusual "flat loop" end that matched the case metal fastener. I'm sure it is not a genuine Leica neck strap, but it works well, without modifications. The flat loop is an artificial rubber-canvas material, and seems very strong.

The attached pictures show the solution.

Conclusion - we should check our camera straps frequently to avoid disasters.

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[smb]

Yes, that strap is a poster child for do not use.

[bocaburger]

Wow the front element of that Cron looks really clean! I would put a UV filter on that baby to avoid cleaning the soft coating. FYI what I have done in the past was swap the filter glass from an e39 B+W MRC (multicoated) UV into a chrome Leitz filter mount so it looks period-correct. (It doesn't have to be a Leitz UVa, any Leitz chrome filter will work, and hazy/faded colored filters are a lot cheaper). Getting the glass out of the B+W can be tricky, but the Leitz filters have a retaining ring with spanner notches.

[jc_braconi]

Adding a lens hood will prevent not only flare but hurts when you come close of certain low walls, barriers, car doors etc...

and rub 2 or 3 turn of some black adhesive tape around the clips.

Edited January 12, 2015 by jc_braconi

[ironringer]

Lens hoods:

As Mr. Braconi suggests, a lens hood does protect against flare and physical damage. However it does extend the lens and makes it easier to hit something if you are not careful in tight locations. My son was reluctant to use the mid-1950s ITDOO hood that came with the 1959 Summicron 50 mm lens, saying it “looks large and clunky". But we found (again at our dependable Ottawa camera store) a 1970s 12585H vented hood that he prefers and uses – it’s a classic trio of M3, Summicron and vented hood (see pictures).

Summicron condition:

Member bocaburger comments on the nice condition of the Summicron lens on the M3, a correct observation. In fact it has (now, and always) a protective filter on it. I first inspected this lens at the furniture auction, where I bought a very early 1954 “double zero” M3 with this 1959 lens. Initial inspection using my trusty Leuchtturm illuminated 3X cheque card magnifier (never leave home without it) showed the Summicron (apparently) to be in bad condition, with a mottled, fungus appearance on the front element. Then I got smarter and removed the Wetzlar UVa filter and looked closer: it was the filter that was terrible (see picture). Underneath, the Summicron was in beautiful minty condition (see picture). It was protected by the Leitz UVa filter that deteriorated but “sacrificed itself” and did its job for the past 55 years; it appears the filter was never taken off the lens since Day 1. Pictures taken with the M3 and an M9 show it is a fine, sharp, contrasty lens, one of Leica’s best products.

Retrofit filter:

Bocaburger makes a very good suggestion, to use modern B+W MRC filter glass to retrofit an older Leitz flter – the best of both worlds. Does a 39mm B+W filter have glass that fits properly in a Leitz rim?

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[spydrxx]

I've got (3) 39mm B&W filters for my Leica use....they fit the lenses just fine.