Chinese LTM lens and body cap sets inaccurately machined

[wlaidlaw]

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Given the price I paid for 2 pairs of LTM body/lens caps, I should not really be surprised that these cheaply made items are inaccurate. The diameter of both, are slightly oversize. This means that although the lens caps will fit, the caps are quite loose as they screw on. The male thread body caps will however, only screw in about one third of a turn. It may also be that the threads have been cut to metric M39 x 1.0mm pitch standard rather than 39mm x 26tpi and the lens cap gets away with it because it is oversize. 1.0 metric pitch is actually 25.4 threads per inch, so not a massive difference. These were the items, still currently on sale http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Metal-Body-Cap-and-Lens-Rear-Cap-for-M39-LTM-LSM-Leica-Screw-Mount-MCM39S-black-/152297744527 

 

I mainly wanted it for the lens caps so not too unhappy. I have sent a FYI to the seller. 

 

Wilson

[greyelm]

I too bought a set just for the lens end cap and hadn't tried the body cap. You're right it is machined wrong and didn't fit properly on my LTM and FSU bodies. I notice the listing is now removed.

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[sabears]

Given the price I paid for 2 pairs of LTM body/lens caps, I should not really be surprised that these cheaply made items are inaccurate. The diameter of both, are slightly oversize. This means that although the lens caps will fit, the caps are quite loose as they screw on. The male thread body caps will however, only screw in about one third of a turn. It may also be that the threads have been cut to metric M39 x 1.0mm pitch standard rather than 39mm x 26tpi and the lens cap gets away with it because it is oversize. 1.0 metric pitch is actually 25.4 threads per inch, so not a massive difference. These were the items, still currently on sale http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Metal-Body-Cap-and-Lens-Rear-Cap-for-M39-LTM-LSM-Leica-Screw-Mount-MCM39S-black-/152297744527 

 

I mainly wanted it for the lens caps so not too unhappy. I have sent a FYI to the seller. 

 

Wilson

Hi Wilson, give them a chance: look for two "chinese Leica bodies"  ant try to put them again...

Edited June 15, 2017 by sabears

[wlaidlaw]

Hi Wilson, give them a chance: look for two "chinese Leica bodies"  ant try to put them again...

 

Not Chinese but I have a Leotax F on the way. I wanted to buy some of the Leotax film take up spools, which are a better design than the Leitz SVOOP, with taller spring up removal collars. My Reid and Sigrist still has the earlier type non-spring loaded spool, and like everything on the R&S, both the spool and spindle are machined to perfect interference fit tolerances (too tight). This makes the spool a *&^^%$£ to get out and last week I split my thumb nail halfway down trying to change films. I could not find any Leotax spools for sale and the Leica equivalent SVOOPs don't come cheap. I spotted someone in the UK selling just CLA'd Leotaxes at very reasonable prices and asked him if he could sell me the better condition model F but with the spring loaded spool shown on the cheaper and not as nice K he was selling. The F apparently will have a spring loaded spool anyway and the seller is going to send me an additional spare Leotax spring loaded spool. The whole lot is going to cost me about the same price as 2 Leitz SVOOP spools would have cost, so an all round win. I have a Canon Serenar 5cm f1,8 in perfect condition, if slightly stiff to focus, that will be perfect on the Leotax. It is rumoured that the Leotax F viewfinder is better than all Barnacks except possibly the IIIg, so might also be a good match with my Summarex 8.5cm/f1.5. I will try the Chinese body caps in the Leotax but I would be amazed if they fit. 

 

Wilson

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[TomB_tx]

The Leotax cameras are nice. However, they will not work with FILCA or IXMOO Leica cassettes, as they opted for a latch design more like Canon / Contax.

[wlaidlaw]

The Leotax cameras are nice. However, they will not work with FILCA or IXMOO Leica cassettes, as they opted for a latch design more like Canon / Contax.

 

Hi Tom, 

 

I load my own 70mm cassettes, as there is no alternative and without a daylight loader, what a pain in the butt it is, doing it in a dark bag, especially cutting the film off at 90º when you have loaded the cassette. If you use Linhof 70mm cassettes as I mainly do, unlike the superior Kodak/Hasselblad 70mm cassettes, which have a pair of stainless steel spring clips to retain the film on the spool, the Linhof have just a very shallow groove with a pair of tiny angled sprocket hole film-retaining teeth. The film has to be cut off at exactly 90º to sit square in the groove on the spool.  I would buy a 70mm daylight loader if I could find one at a reasonable cost. The Haas F1 team had one but they wanted $400 plus $100 postage for it and then import duty and taxes would be on top of that. 

 

The film companies seem to charge so little extra for supplying their product in a cassette than in bulk film, that I really cannot be bothered for 35mm. I do occasionally buy films from the Film Project but usually end up thinking: "why did I buy that weird film, when there are so many good alternatives?"  I swapped my Leitz 35mm daylight loader with a friend about 20 years ago, for a whole lot of Cokin specialist square filters. He loved to do things the difficult way (well who else would buy a DV Gilde 6 x17mm camera), so hand loaded all his 35mm cassettes. I now really just stick to four films. 35mm and 120: Fomapan 200 for B&W, Provia 100 for colour reversal, Ektar 100 Pro for colour negative and Rollei 400S for 70mm. I might change to Fomapan 100 once I have finished my current stock of the 200, so that all of my main 35mm films are 100 ISO, thus avoiding errors with mis-set light meters. Anything for an easy life 

 

Wilson

[spydrxx]

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As far as the viewfinders on the Leotax vs the Leica Barnacks I have a very biased opinion, based on the ones I own. I prefer the Leica rf because of the telescope/diopter adjustments...

[mikemgb]

I now really just stick to four films. 35mm and 120: Fomapan 200 for B&W, Provia 100 for colour reversal, Ektar 100 Pro for colour negative and Rollei 400S for 70mm. I might change to Fomapan 100 once I have finished my current stock of the 200, so that all of my main 35mm films are 100 ISO, thus avoiding errors with mis-set light meters. Anything for an easy life

 

Wilson

I'm still hunting for my favourite films but I recently decided getting eveything in the same ISO would be an excellent idea, in the past month I have shot two ISO 400 films at ISO 100.

 

Fortunatelyt one was colour neg and the other was BW400CN and both had enough latitude that the photos were usable.

 

I remember back in the 80s you could buy a self adhesive frame to stick on the back of your camera in which to insert the box lid, I could use a few of those today!

Edited June 16, 2017 by mikemgb

[Doug A]

I remember back in the 80s you could buy a self adhesive frame to stick on the back of your camera in which to insert the box lid, I could use a few of those today!

 

I write the film and the ISO I've chosen on a strip of blue masking tape and stick it on the baseplate.

[Doug A]

And on the original topic, whenever I buy anything threaded from China I buy the plastic version so it won't damage the metal threads I screw it on to if it doesn't fit.

[wlaidlaw]

I have some paper rolls for my Dymo Letra-TAG printer. I print off a label and stick it on the bottom cover. Of course, I have reminders on my IIf, IIIg and M4. Sadly the perspex windows on the wind-on knob of my IIf, like the light-meter window on my Rolleiflex 3.5 Planar F have gone very yellow from age deterioration. There might be replacements for the IIf, but sadly no meter covers are available for Rolleiflexes. I suppose one could be 3D printed, like I have had a new shutter drive locking lug ring for my Combat Graflex 3D printed in titanium. 

 

Wilson

 

 

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[wlaidlaw]

To give the Chinese lens and body cap sellers all due credit. They have come back to me and said that on checking the exact measurements of the body cap, I am absolutely correct, it is oversize and slightly the wrong thread. They will replace with correctly sized and threaded ones. They apologised for any problems this has caused and thanked me for bringing it to their attention. 

[Doug A]

That's good to hear.

[romualdo]

And on the original topic, whenever I buy anything threaded from China I buy the plastic version so it won't damage the metal threads I screw it on to if it doesn't fit.

Like that idea - unbeknowingly, that's what I have done

Regarding film reminders, Scotch Magic Tape is useful as you can write on it (pencil, biro, marker pen) & doesn't leave sticky residue on your camera base etc when removed.

Also if you write on Magic Tape with a pencil you can then you can remove it with an eraser & rewrite onto the same tape

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Edited July 10, 2017 by romualdo

[gyoung]

I remember a friend buying a Leotax in the 60s, I found it a very impressive piece of engineering, and nicer to operate than Prominents and Vitessas. But I have it in my mind that the Leotax doesn't take Leica lenses? Has its own system with an 'outward facing' thread on the body and a collar on the lenses?

I may be wrong, its a long time ago!

 

Gerry

 

PS I have a horrible feeling I am nixing it up with the Lordomat, if necessary ignore this!

Edited July 10, 2017 by gyoung

[wlaidlaw]

Gerry, 

 

The Leotax I bought is a close Leica III clone including lens mount and beautifully finished but with an RF more akin to a Model II, having no focus control. The one I bought seemed almost like new but sadly the RF is far from right. It is not getting infinity convergence and the adjustment behind the blanking screw on the bottom right of the VF window, does nothing. The seller was very apologetic and as it had just had a CLA, it  has been returned to the repairer for the RF to be repaired. I also think the RF is not as clear as a non-focus RF should be. My Model II actually has the clearest of all my various Barnack RF's albeit quite low magnification, so that it is useless on for example, my 8.5 cm/f1,5 Summarex. 

 

Wilson

[gyoung]

Yes old age and confusion is setting in! Sorry about that!

 

Gerry

[pop]

I remember a friend buying a Leotax in the 60s, I found it a very impressive piece of engineering, and nicer to operate than Prominents and Vitessas. But I have it in my mind that the Leotax doesn't take Leica lenses? Has its own system with an 'outward facing' thread on the body and a collar on the lenses?

I may be wrong, its a long time ago!

 

Gerry

 

PS I have a horrible feeling I am nixing it up with the Lordomat, if necessary ignore this!

The Leotax does indeed take LTM lenses.

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[wlaidlaw]

The Leotax does indeed take LTM lenses.

 

 

 

The Leotax was waiting for me when I got back to the UK at the end of June. I had brought a 5cm f1.5 Summarit with me to use with it but as I posted, sadly its RF was far too far off to use at all. At least the seller is going to send it back to me in France with no postage costs, when its RF is repaired. 

 

Philipp, how clear is your Leotax RF? With the lower magnification and no focus control, I would expect it to be very clear

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[pop]

Philipp, how clear is your Leotax RF? With the lower magnification and no focus control, I would expect it to be very clear

It is noticeably clearer than both my II and III, even though its magnification factor is quite a bit larger. However, it's a bit difficult to assess on account of the greeenish and orange filters in the finder. Also, both Leicas and the Leotax are in need of a CLA and the mirrors want to looked after.