Broken M6: Help needed, please

[readonly]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Dear Leica fellows.

A good friend of mine, living in the US, is visiting the Republic of Georgia right now. He is an enthusiast Leica M6 user, but need some help now. Today he wrote me:
 

I’m in the Republic of Georgia, and my Leica M6 film lever jammed on me. It is not advancing.

Background: after shooting the last few shots on a roll, I could not rewind the film. I’ll spare you the details on how I got the film out manually without its casing. The negatives are now loose in a black film can.

However, after solving this problem, I ran into another more aggravating problem, the film lever doesn’t advance.

Do you have any advice as to a fix?

I appreciate your time in advance.
 

 

Is somebody able to help my friend? Any help is much appreciated.

 

Thanks.

 

Best regards,

Stefan

[michaelwj]

Sounds like this, but more info might be needed to be sure. Good luck.

 

https://www.photo.net/discuss/threads/leica-m6-rewind-knob-issue.414761/

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[readonly]

Thank you Michael!

 

I agree there is more info needed. So I asked him the question:

 

"You cannot wind up the shutter, even without a film is loaded in the camera!?"

 

His reply:

 

 

 

 

That’s right. When I push the rewind lever, I can use my fingers to roll did take up spool and the gears right under the shutter release. But the shutter lever itself is jam. It won’t go past a quarter of the way.

 

 

 

 

Probably that helps to identify the problem.

 

Sincerely,

Stefan

Edited October 6, 2017 by readonly

[michaelwj]

Sometimes changing the shutter dial to B can free a jammed shutter...

 

The language is a little confusing as there appear to be many names for the same part. I call the slanted bit for rewinding the film the rewind crank, the small lever that allows rewinding the rewind lever, the lever for advancing the film and cocking the shutter I call the advance lever, and the shutter release is the shutter release...

 

So, from my understanding there is no film in the camera, the advance lever won't advance, the shutter won't fire, but upon moving the rewind lever to the R position the gears will allow rewind? Does the rewind crank spin freely?

 

It's late here so maybe someone else can carry on.

[arno_nyhm]

as long as your friend does have no knowledge about camerarepair -and his questions make me think, he doesn't- he should put the camera in a bag and keep his fingers off it. the he should walk right into any random camerastore that sells analogue gear and present the camera to the staff in that store. they will know what to do.

 

maybe it is easy to get it running again. but if he fails and does it in the wrong way, he can easy risk a repair of several hundred dollars just from a simple mistake ind handling.

 

so please do not encourage him to try anything himself. he just does not have ebnough practice in using analogue gear to get along with this problem! he needs help from someone who has enough knowledge AND who has his fingers on the camera!

Edited October 6, 2017 by arno_nyhm

[readonly]

Many thanks for all your help!

 

My friend and his camera are on their way back to San Francisco, USA.

 

There is a Leica repair shop, for sure a good place for the broken M6...

 

Sincerely,

Stefan

Edited October 8, 2017 by readonly