I burnt through my shutter cloth :(

[lb1800]

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I was shooting the kids swimming this morning when they asked me to join them in the pool. I passed the camera to my wife and she put it on the sun lounger for 20-30 mins. 

 

I didn't even know burning shutter cloth was a thing. Unluckily, it was set to f1.4 (I was messing around with an ND filter for shallow depth of field in the bright sunlight).

 

My initial reactions are:

 

- annoyance that I've caused myself the cost of a repair

- disappointment that a camera I bought for it's entire lack of electronics, and therefore seemingly unbreakdownable, has broken down and left me without a camera for the duration of my vacation

- irritation that I didn't pack a spare body as I wanted to travel light. 

 

First world problems...

[Doc Henry]

If the hole is not important ,  look at this link

https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/261035-hole-in-the-shutter-cloth/

if too big send to Wetzlar for changing 

Henry

 

... or another solution:

https://transienteye.com/2015/02/13/leica-shutter-curtain-burn-and-repair/

Edited August 18, 2017 by Doc Henry

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[lb1800]

If the hole is not important ,  look at this link

https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/261035-hole-in-the-shutter-cloth/

if too big send to Wetzlar for changing 

Henry

 

Thanks Henry. There are two holes  - one about 5mm across, one about 3mm. I'll take it to Leica when I return to London. I blame the French sunshine in Antibes! (We Brits are not used to it ) 

[Doc Henry]

Thanks Henry. There are two holes  - one about 5mm across, one about 3mm. I'll take it to Leica when I return to London. I blame the French sunshine in Antibes! (We Brits are not used to it ) 

 

You're welcome !

Yes you had some days ago , a heat wave at 42°C , global warming becomes a reality

Who said not ?

Better you send to Wetzlar

What camera have you ?

Best

Henry

Edited August 18, 2017 by Doc Henry

[Michael Geschlecht]

Hello lb1800,

 

Welcome to the Forum.

 

I had a similar experience long ago, back in the 20th Century.

 

Leitz (The predecessor to Leica.) repaired the pinhole with some sort of goppish stuff which is cosmetically challenged. None the less, after years of use (But no more new pin holes.) the repair is still fine.

 

No need to replace the shutter blind(s).

 

Best Regards,

 

Michael

[lb1800]

Henry - this was on my M-A. I also have an M4 (at home).

[lb1800]

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Thanks Michael. I'll go with whatever Leica suggest.

[Doc Henry]

Henry - this was on my M-A. I also have an M4 (at home).

 

It's a superb camera my next purchase , no digital for me

Please post your pictures in our thread I like film

https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/205842-i-like-filmopen-thread/page-1935

Henry

[pico]

Rather than being without your camera during vacation, you might want to go an auto supply place and look for Vinyl repair. It comes in a tiny bottle with a few colors to mix into it. It is the goopy stuff Michael mentioned. Carefully paint over the holes. Let it set, then apply again until you cannot see daylight through the holes.

Edited August 18, 2017 by pico

[Ko.Fe.]

Welcome to the club.

 

I was taking pictures once for contest where images must be taken with only one particular lens and only wide open (at f1.5). So, one very sunny day I jumped out from office to take fence shadow on the white snow. Few minutes, like five, and curtain was burned. Across the ocean (Germany) another photog was taking same kind of pictures for same contest. Also managed to burn his Leica curtain. 

 

Oh, I prefer to not give Leica to my wife or else and if I'm not using it, it is always in the bag.

Edited August 18, 2017 by Ko.Fe.

[TomB_tx]

Oh, I prefer to not give Leica to my wife or else and if I'm not using it, it is always in the bag.

A few years ago at the Grand Canyon on a sunny day I was using my M9 while my wife used my M6. Then she asked about changing a setting and turned the camera lens-up. So I said "This one's easier" and traded cameras for the rest of the trip. No damage to camera or wife.

Edited August 18, 2017 by TomB_tx

[lb1800]

Welcome to the club.

 

I was taking pictures once for contest where images must be taken with only one particular lens and only wide open (at f1.5). So, one very sunny day I jumped out from office to take fence shadow on the white snow. Few minutes, like five, and curtain was burned. Across the ocean (Germany) another photog was taking same kind of pictures for same contest. Also managed to burn his Leica curtain. 

 

Oh, I prefer to not give Leica to my wife or else and if I'm not using it, it is always in the bag.

 

Wow. I didn't realise the shutter was so fragile. Maybe I didn't cause the burn today. I put the film in yesterday afternoon so that was the earliest it could have occurred - I was shooting on the very sunny promenade at Cannes .....but not wide open.

 

Is it only wide open shooting when this tends to occur?

 

@pico. Thanks for the tip. I may give it a try. 

[arno_nyhm]

Is it only wide open shooting when this tends to occur?

 

no. any f-stop will do. on a sunny day in may acouple of years ago i made the test with an already-otherwise-handicapped FED4 and an industar 50/2,8. burning holes into the curtain took 5seconds wide open at just about any setting of distance. that makes 20s in f=5.6. maybe 10s at f=11 on a really sunny southern france day in august will do the job as well.

 

by the way i also tested fixing the holes with liquid latex. that worked only for a couple of days. then the latex fell off. theic camera was broken anyway. but under real circumstances those latexpatches would have started travelling through the camera from then on. that is why i would not attempt repairing my leicashutter with any material that is not recommended by leica themselves.

[Doc Henry]

Just an idea , send a message to Leica CS , to ask how they can resolve the problem ,

with one picture of holes.

H.

[Michael Geschlecht]

Hello lb1800,

 

The problem often occurs when the lens is focused at or near infinity & the lens is pointed so that the Sun is within the frame that designates the lens that is on the camera at that time.

 

The aperture that is set is not that important. It is more the time that the camera is left immobile & pointed at the Sun.     

 

Learning to hold the camera pointing away from the Sun while carrying it & pointing the camera away from the Sun when putting it down, is something that most Leica users learn reasonably quickly once they realize how important it is to do.

 

Best Regards,

 

Michael

Edited August 18, 2017 by Michael Geschlecht

[avatar230]

To the original poster--

 

I wondered if it's not too much trouble if you should share some photos, front and back, of the damage? I just posted in a different thread in the forum because I also have some marks on my M-A shutter curtain that I believe may be sun burns but that didn't go all the way through. Would love to be able to compare the appearance for forensic purposes. Many thanks, and sorry to hear about the incident!!!

Edited August 18, 2017 by avatar230

[pico]

From the beginning from advice from my mentor in 1965 I carried my M cameras from my shoulder, lens pointing inward toward my hip or backside. In fact, I still did that with much later Leica M until someone here reminded me it was no longer necessary. Another liberating moment! Thanks, all.

[lb1800]

As requested.....

 

 

 

(Apologies - I'm doing something wrong in the image upload - but if you click on them they appear larger)

Edited August 19, 2017 by lb1800

[lb1800]

To the original poster--

 

I wondered if it's not too much trouble if you should share some photos, front and back, of the damage? I just posted in a different thread in the forum because I also have some marks on my M-A shutter curtain that I believe may be sun burns but that didn't go all the way through. Would love to be able to compare the appearance for forensic purposes. Many thanks, and sorry to hear about the incident!!!

 

 

Not sure if yours yours is mild sun damage or not but hope it's not too problematic for you. As you can see, mine is considerably worse! 

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Hallo,

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