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The Ghost Of My Leica 111f


Stealth3kpl

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That was lucky. I was about to head off on a ski mountaineering trip with this Leica 111f. I bought it in 2014 and ran a film through it, and all was hunky dory, and I set it aside for too long, rarely giving the shutter a bit of exercise sans film. Fast forward to 2019, and I load it with an expired film. It was a cold day and the shutter seemed to be working

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But then it looks like the cold got to the lubrication

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And I notice a pinpoint light leak

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The shutter almost gets across fully

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And then it doesn't

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And then there's a huge light leak

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Then the ghost stands behind my wife

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Then we're almost back to normal

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But I think there's a hint of the leak in front of the trees

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And in front of these weeds

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and here seems normal

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Edited by Stealth3kpl
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But then this ghost hides the robin

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7 hours ago, Stealth3kpl said:

Probably I need to send for a CLA and shutter curtain repair. What do you think about the leak? The leak varies with angle of the sun, I suppose, but I can't think why in some photos, the leak explodes. What are your thoughts?

Pete

I have never seen anything like this that is why I am purely guessing that there is leak from curtains and you see different pattern as light thru lens moves around as you hike. (#8 and #12 look similar with full leak. Rest seem partial). 

But if you did have lens cap on then I got nothing. :(

Edited by jmahto
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there are 3 problems with the camera

- shutter capping - opening curtain is too slow at the end of travel. Even on a photo in post #6 you may see it is darker on the right side - CLA will cure it

- pinholes in (at least) one curtain - if you wind the camera immediately after shooting it is opening curtain, if shortly before shooting than closing

- light leak - this might be difficult to locate, so firstly I would start with locations within the camera where Lietz placed light shields (around slow speeds knob, around self-timer ,if you have one) and then go further (rangefinder, wind knob, rewind lever, etc). This everything is under the top cover so nothing what you could do by yourself

Pinholes problem may be prevented if you will use lens cap and avoid lens pointing to the sun, light leak possibly if you'll use everready case opening it for taking photos only.

Photo in post #9 shows pinholes problem (left and right to your wife) but as well flare from the lens (more right)

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  • 1 month later...

Unfortunately, these now-ancient cameras are prone to age-related 'illnesses' - I've had several (including two Barnacks, a IIf and a IIIg, and two Ms, a 2 and a gorgeous single-stroke 3 which looked 'minty' but in fact had everything go wrong with it over a two year period) since 2000 with similar ailments. 

Alas, the 'solution' is to throw lots of money into having them repaired - at least here in Australia where fixing anything to do with 'classic' cameras involves paying in A$100 increments. Like the good old days (okay, 1990s, not so long ago, but now long gone time past) when I owned a Hasselblad kit for use in my architectural practice and the least little thing to go wrong with it involved paying at least A$500. The low point in my 'blad ownership days took place when a pristine (looking) EL I was using for a professional shoot actually exploded while I was working with it on a tripod, in a church during a mass. No angels descended and the celebrant carried on like a true trooper. I gathered up the bits and pieces on the church floor and sneaked out, suitably chasened and feeling quite, well, sinful. 

But this is about Leicas and not Hasselblads, so enough complaining. 

Irritating, yes! jerzy (#17) has, I believe, provided some excellent advice for you to follow.

If I were in your shoes, and intended to keep the camera to use long-term, I would cough up the money and have it serviced professionally. For peace of mind and a good warranty if needed. A good pro shop will have equipment to hand to find the curtain light leak very quickly, saving you hours of fiddling about and a fair bit of sanity. 

Properly serviced, your beloved IIIf will then go on shooting for a long time. It may even outlive both of us! 

 

Edited by Jay Dann Walker
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