Will I break the camera if i move the slow shutter speed dial on the FRONT of the camera before cocking?

[Cheeky Greggs]

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Will I break the camera if i move the slow shutter speed dial on the FRONT of the camera BEFORE cocking? 

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Edited April 9, 2021 by Cheeky Greggs

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[jdlaing]

You should cock the shutter before setting shutter speed. The dial would spin before the shutter is cocked.

[TomB_tx]

While the front (slow speed) dial doesn't spin, the Leica IIIc owner's manual states that it is "most important" to set the top (fast speed) dial to to the "30-1" index BEFORE adjusting the slow speed dial. Since the top dial can't be correctly set before winding the shutter, this assumes the shutter is wound first. 

In the summary table for "setting shutter speeds" the sequences vary a bit. For setting fast speeds it notes
1. Set slow speed dial at 30;  2. Wind shutter, lift...and set fast speed dial.

But for slow shutter speeds it says 1. Wind shutter and set top speed dial to 30-1; 2. Set slow speed dial

So it sounds like you won't break the camera if you move the slow speed dial before winding the shutter, but maybe the slow speed time needs to be set last for it to be accurate.

[Michael Geschlecht]

Hello Cheeky,

Welcome to the Forum.

The reason that it is important for the shutter to be cocked before setting the slow speed dial is that the slow speed mechanism requires the first curtain be entirely open without the second curtain being released in order for the slow speed mechanism to operate properly.  At any speed faster than the slowest high speed the first & second curtains begin to travel together, as a pair, before the first curtain is entirely open.

Winding the shutter first allows the photographer to make sure that the high shutter speed dial is set to the lowest high speed.

This is because for the slow speed mechanism to operate properly the first curtain has to open entirely across the frame without the second curtain beginning to run. This only occurs when the high speed dial on the top is set to the slowest numerical setting which is 20 - 1 on the IIIa in your photo.

Then the timing mechanism controlled by the slow speed dial on the front can correctly time the exposure at the end of which time the second curtain is released.

If a different setting is set on the high speed dial then the exposure will not be correct. Whether or not it damages the camera.

Best Regards,

Michael