M6 maintenance

[redlensandgreenbody]

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Hi, 

 

How do you store and maintain M6 when it is not in use? 

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[spydrxx]

Cool, low humidity, out of direct sunlight. If long storage remove battery.

[TomB_tx]

Definitely remove the battery. A battery leak in my M6 seeped into the meter circuit and shutter mechanism for an expensive repair.

[Steve Ricoh]

Assuming no film in the camera, every month or so I'd fire the shutter cycling through all the available speeds. Also it's probably a good thing to operate all the other bit and pieces that should move, eg frame line selector and the rangefinder mechanism.

[Rob L]

I never see this talked about, but never leave a film camera wound. It affects the springs in the shutter mechanism.

[TomB_tx]

The change in loading on the shutter springs isn’t much compared to the pre-load on the springs in the after exposure position. In the ‘60s Leitz said the springs were designed under-stressed, so they wouldn’t weaken if left cocked. However, there may be other reasons to release the shutter, for example some camera models turn on the meter when cocked, etc.

It is my habit to fire the shutter before storing.

[jasperipg]

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I place mine in it's original case, no battery, with the gel humidity packet to minimize fungal growth. 

[spydrxx]

I place mine in it's original case, no battery, with the gel humidity packet to minimize fungal growth. 

Not a good idea if its original case is leather...there's the potential of fungus growing on the leather, even when packed with silica gel. Much better to placevthe camera in a bag with silica gel and a separate bag for the leather case.