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Leica M6 strange light leak, please help me try to locate it.


callmedave

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Hello,

 

After saving for a long time I was able to do two things I’ve always wanted: Travel to Japan and buy a Leica M6!! I bought the M6 from a reputable dealer in Tokyo I was told it has just had a CLA.

Long story short when I got home the 5 rolls of porta I took had a strange light leak. Not every frame and it moves slightly. It happens mostly mid roll say shots 15-30.

 

I contacted the dealer and they paid to ship it back to Japan. They said they could not find the light leak but replaced all the light seals anyways. They tested it with film and could not duplicate it...

I received the camera back and ran a roll though and still have this damn light leak.

On thing I can think of is when I sent it to Japan I did not include the strap....

 

Thanks for reading and any help is appreciated. I’ve been searching for days and have found some info but the threads are old, pictures are no longer uploaded and original posters are not responding.

 

Sorry for the small photos, it’s the only size I could attach. If it helps I can post more/bigger ones from another site.

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Did you try different lenses? Did you send the camera with or without lens to Japan?

Try the following please. Open the filter door, open the shutter ("B") and shine with strong light on the lens mount. With your standard lens mounted.

Jan

Edited by jankap
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Did you try different lenses? Did you send the camera with or without lens to Japan?

Try the following please. Open the filter door, open the shutter ("B") and shine with strong light on the lens mount. With your standard lens mounted.

Jan

 

Automatic replacements. :angry:

Not filter door, but film door or backdoor.

Jan

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It happens with both lens I have. It also it doesn’t matter if I change the lens or leave it on the whole roll.

I sent it back without the lens. Like I said it happens with my 50 cron or 35 Voigtlander.

I have a roll of B&W loaded and I’m half way through so I’ll tape the back door.

 

Also it does have the plastic pads above the lugs.

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The color indicates light is striking the front of the film, not through the back, so the back door is unlikely. The film winds on the take-up spool emulsion out, so a leak in the take-up chamber is likely - possibly the rewind lever as Michael suggested, as I've heard of that a few times.

 

You might try putting black tape over the take-up lever area and see if that helps.

Edited by TomB_tx
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That sounds like a possibility.

I’m not sure why but it doesn’t happen at the beginning of the roll. It starts more towards the end of the roll.

I was looking at the two rolls of film they tested in Japan but they were only 24 exposure rolls so that’s probably why it never showed up.

Thanks for help, I’m totally at a loss.

Having a problem like this sucks for my first Leica experience.

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I’m not sure why but it doesn’t happen at the beginning of the roll. It starts more towards the end of the roll.

 

Likely this doesn't mean anything. Many more things are random than we like to admit, and if there is an explanation it is likely something that is very far from obvious.

 

The tape over various bits makes a sensible test. Test one variable at a time, and eliminate things one by one.

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Good luck. And don't worry to much about it. Its a beautiful older machine and it just needs a bit of maintenance. Plastic and rubber seals deteriorate over time. Once it's fixed you will be good for hundred if not thousands of rolls.

 

I know this has nothing to do with your current problem; but one thing you may want to consider down the road is the MP viewfinder upgrade. I did mine years ago and it was the best decision I made besides buying the camera.

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True. You guys are taking about the rewind knob on the front of the camera? I think I’ll tape that up first.

 

Yep - I had the same thing with an M4-2. The little "-> R" lever/switch on the front wasn't seating tightly against the front of the camera, and so light leaked around it though the hole for the shaft.

 

I figured it out by determining which pictures had the mark - they were those where I had taken that picture, advanced the film, and then not taken a picture for a while (1+ hours). The leaking light shown down through the camera like light from a cathedral clerestory window....

 

https://i.pinimg.com/236x/23/57/44/23574410388ebc3c723671eeb02eb9ce--sun-rays.jpg

 

.....and between the shutter box and the film take-up spool, just where the "last exposed" frame sits until the next film advance. Confirmed by pointing the front of the camera at a bright light, opening the rear door, and peering thought - Hah! a little speck of light from the upper front of the camera casing!

 

In my case, I unscrewed the retaining screw and took off the L-shaped rewind switch, and handed it to the maintenance guy at the hospital where I was working. He ground 1 mm off the back of the "L" - the shaft that goes in through the hole. Replaced, the lever then pressed up tight against the camera body, sealing the shaft hole to light. End of problem.

 

@ Michael Hiles - did your M2 have a self-timer?

Edited by adan
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Thanks for everyone’s help. Specially Adams advice I was able to find it. Unfortunately I don’t think I can fix it.

Looking at the pictures it seems when the camera was pointed towards a light source it flared! It flares on the film side. You can only see it when the shutter is up.

 

Anyways with a powerful flash light pointed in the left rangefinder window you can see the light leak.

I was able to get some pics of it.

 

Now....not sure what’s next.

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Edited by callmedave
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If you want to be charged extra for digging this foam out of film avance gears, go ahead.

 

Sorry to hear what you were getting skunked by "reputable" dealer. What a clueless scumbags...

Just send it for real and known service or ask you money back from "reputable" dealer.

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