fouro Posted June 10, 2007 Share #1 Posted June 10, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) I might be getting a M6 soon from a friend and perhaps even a lens. I've been really tempted to get a Leica rangefinder as my second camera (I've started photography "seriously" only recently with dSLR) to take with me everywhere. The problem is that the camera has been a childs toy for a while and now sat for long time in a drawer and there is no idea about it's condition. Also the person who has it really don't know that much about it or does it work. Are there any ideas about how I could check it's condition myself? Naturally best idea would be to get a film (if I'll get the lens with it). But are there any other things I should watch for or something I can test myself? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted June 10, 2007 Posted June 10, 2007 Hi fouro, Take a look here Checking condition of M6. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Photoskeptic Posted June 10, 2007 Share #2 Posted June 10, 2007 All novices to Leica M photography should do themselves a favor and go to CameraQuest Home. You will find many answers to your questions. The author of the site is biased (naturally) towards Leica, but I know of no other site which does a better job. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
topoxforddoc Posted June 10, 2007 Share #3 Posted June 10, 2007 I might be getting a M6 soon from a friend and perhaps even a lens. I've been really tempted to get a Leica rangefinder as my second camera (I've started photography "seriously" only recently with dSLR) to take with me everywhere. The problem is that the camera has been a childs toy for a while and now sat for long time in a drawer and there is no idea about it's condition. Also the person who has it really don't know that much about it or does it work. Are there any ideas about how I could check it's condition myself? Naturally best idea would be to get a film (if I'll get the lens with it). But are there any other things I should watch for or something I can test myself? Your friend must be a very affluent person to let a M6 be a child's toy. If it's been in the possession of a young child, then you'll almost certainly need a CLA (clean, lubricate adjust) at Leica or a good Leica specialist. M cameras are pretty robust creatures, but repeated dropping by children will lead to rangefinder misalignment. I hope your friend is letting you have it at a good price. Good luck Charlie Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
k_g_wolf ✝ Posted June 11, 2007 Share #4 Posted June 11, 2007 LEICA- parents normally have proper children ... Normally. In case father and/ or mother didn´t enjoy dropping a camera, most leicaly their kids didn´t drop cameras as well. A LEICA can stand a lot, if a kid handled ít with a bit of care, it won´t have done any harm. It could all be done in a decent CLA. Best Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkCambridgeshire Posted June 11, 2007 Share #5 Posted June 11, 2007 I might be getting a M6 soon from a friend and perhaps even a lens. I've been really tempted to get a Leica rangefinder as my second camera (I've started photography "seriously" only recently with dSLR) to take with me everywhere. The problem is that the camera has been a childs toy for a while and now sat for long time in a drawer and there is no idea about it's condition. Also the person who has it really don't know that much about it or does it work. Are there any ideas about how I could check it's condition myself? Naturally best idea would be to get a film (if I'll get the lens with it). But are there any other things I should watch for or something I can test myself? Get it on approval first before paying for it ... and then ask someone knowledgeable to check it over .. maybe there is a forum member nearby?? If you want to check it yourself do so with a lens fitted to make sure the LED's are illuminating properly as you change the aperture and shutter speed settings ...Exposure is correct when BOTH LED triangles are illuminated ... You need to wind on the shutter and press the shutter button slightly to switch on the meter and thus illuminate the LED's ... Make sure it has a fresh battery in it ... make sure the battery compartment is clean and not corroded by a leaking battery .. If the shutter speed dial has been left on any other speed apart from B the battery may have drained ... Check the shutter by firing it at every speed ... at the 1 second setting fire it and say "ONE THOUSAND" to yourself ... it takes approx 1 second to say that ... if the shutter has not closed after you say it then it is proabably running slow on the longer speeds .. nothing to worry about but could mean a possible " re-negotiate price 'cos the shutter is slow" ... make sure the rangefinder is working ok as the lens is focused ie that the two images merge together perfectly without one being being out of vertical alignment ... estimate the distance of the subject and check that the lens indicates the same distance when focus is confirmed in the rangefinder ... take the baseplate off and examine the shutter blinds for ripples (there should not be any) ... check the film pressure plate for scratches (should not be any) ... check the film take up spool teeth to make sure none are missing (ie broken off on a jammed film) ... check the viewfinder frames come up ok in the finder by pressing the frame selector lever on the front of the camera on the viewfinder side ... Check the strap lugs for looseness ie make sure that the camera does not 'swing' on the strap lugs with a strap attached ... Turn the film rewind on the top plate and make sure it turns smoothly and is not distorted ... Make sure the frame counter is advancing properly each time you wind on the shutter .... and that it 'zero's' when you remove the baseplate ... but note it will not zero onto figure '0' ... itr zero's onto 40 something to allow for winding on the first few frames of a new film ... if you don't have the instruction manual you should be able to download one somewhere. They are normally quite reliable cameras and if it has no serious dents or battery compartment corrosion it should be working ok ... but if it has been left in a drawer for a long time the shutter might be a bit sluggish. Dunk Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fouro Posted June 11, 2007 Author Share #6 Posted June 11, 2007 Thanks for the reply's. I'll see the CameraQuest. I've been looking for a source of information about Leicas anyway, so that might come handy. Your friend must be a very affluent person to let a M6 be a child's toy. Just someone who didn't know it's value. In the end, it is an old fim camera, so people might expect it to be not that valuable. Wouldn't be suprised, if there are loads of old Leicas in some drawers just becouse people don't know their value. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.