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shutter problems, fix yourself?


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Hi guys,

 

I got an M2 in good condition but the cloth-shutter sometimes "drags" at high speeds:

Any idea what this is? Fixable by yourself? What does it cost sending it to Leica?


Thank you,

Heiko

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Hello Heiko

I had a similar problem after receiving my M3 back from CLA of a retired camera repair guy.

At exposure times of 1/500 and 1/1000 the exposure was increasing with the shutter moving forward. So I took a Nikon 1V1 and filmed the shutter movement at 600 FPS concluding that the second curtain was moving a little bit too slow. So the slit width increased with the advancing shutter and thus exposure time was not constant.

The repairman was so kind to explain me how to adjust the curtain tension (2 screws below the plate which on the bottom of the camera body once you take off the bottom plate for film loading). I fixed th problem, ran a test roll with an exposure series from 1/30 to 1/1000 on a gray background and now the camera works fine.

So if everything else is running fine maybe the problem is that one curtain’s tension is too low or too high. Is the problem consistent (I prefer to take an exposure series against a white or grey background).

The thing is to have a high speed camera in order to determine which curtain is running not at the right speed (should be 1/50 from left to right) and then turn the right screw and check again and again.

If you are interested, send me a personal message as I have noted somewhere what I did exactly at that time.

But of course it is all at your own risk. I am not a photo technician but a mechanical engineer and interested in the technical objects that I use. Thus I preferred to get an advice how to set the shutter speed rather than send my camera back.

Best regards

Frank

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  • 3 years later...

I wouldn't recommend adjusting the curtain travel time/tension to compensate for gummed/dried up lube. Doing this is only a temporary fix and high shutter speeds will not always be consistent. Plus if the curtains are already tensioned properly, tensioning it more will add premature wear. It is best to do a proper CLA if you plan to keep and use this cameras for years/decades.

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Hi, Yes I am looking for a firm to fix it.

I have  attempted to make contact with firms but messages on websites dont seem to be picked up very quickly. I shall have to  find their phone number or email address later today if there is no reply. Unfortunately some of these firms have long lead times saying they have so much demand for their services.

As you say it will be best to have a full CLA done.

Thanks for your reply.

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Am 6.4.2022 um 08:37 schrieb 69xchange:

I wouldn't recommend adjusting the curtain travel time/tension to compensate for gummed/dried up lube

More often it is the first, opening curtain that is too slow. Below is the shutter of an M3, white deposits is remaining of lubricant. Part of lube vapourised leaving hard, sticky residues and this must be cleaned. 

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My personal opinion is that if I have to ask if I can do it myself, I don’t know enough to do it myself.  I have some late 1950’s and early 1960’s cameras that are now 60 years old and work great.  I don’t want to end their life prematurely because I don’t fix it properly.  Truth be told, if you ever want to sell an older film camera for a newer one, a CLA from a reputable person will keep the value.  IMHO.

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