Paint Leak

[a.noctilux]

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34 minutes ago, ianman said:

Hand sanitizer? Would that affect the paint?

Ian I think that you have the 'solution'.

I think so, when it contains more than 60% of alcohol.

[Gobert]

Absolutely. Especially in the pandemic times, never tough painted surfaces, polished wooden furniture or coated glass from the watch.

Edited June 25, 2021 by Gobert

[a.noctilux]

2 minutes ago, Gobert said:

Absolutely. Especially in the pandemic times, never though painted surfaces, polished wooden furniture or coated glass form the watch.

Do you mean never touch ?

[Gobert]

Thanks mate.

[250swb]

1 hour ago, ianman said:

Hand sanitizer? Would that affect the paint?

Sanitiser has alcohol in it so maybe, especially a gel.

[pedaes]

Another nasty Covid side-effect then😧

[Helge]

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I don‘t think that alcohol can do that (unless the red dots are really shellac).

Paints used for products that can be touched by hands are usually not susceptible to alcohol. I clean all my vintage camera with pure alcohol and saw never any fainting or leaking paint.

Insect repellent on the other hand and sunscreen could damage paints, even if I would think today‘s paint should be resistant to almost everything people are putting to their hands.

Minox had an issue in the 80s (IIRC) with their first 35mm camera. It was built of glass fiber reinforced plastic coated with black paint. People who used sunscreen faced spots on the film. The paint got resolved and the glass fiber did lead the light to the film. Issues like that shouldn’t happen today anymore, 40 years later. However there is more than sunscreen, there is also hand sanitizer without alcohol using alternative chemicals.

[moghul]

So one thing I can confirm is that I didn’t use anything like a gel or alcohol based repellent so we can rule that off as I only took my camera out on my days off for local walks. 
 

I’ve emailed Leica just to see what they say. In the scheme of things it’s certainly not a big issue but it’s more about knowing what caused it and avoiding it for the future, no point being negligent. 

[giannis]

14 hours ago, moghul said:

I purchased a new Leica MP and have been using it now for about 4 months. I was reloading some film and noticed the paint in the two red dots on the rewind knob had leaked. Has anyone every encountered a similar issue? 

 

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[250swb]

12 hours ago, Helge said:

 

Paints used for products that can be touched by hands are usually not susceptible to alcohol. I clean all my vintage camera with pure alcohol and saw never any fainting or leaking paint.

 

But that would be the point, nobody has seen anything like this before going back to the days of the M3. I use IPA to clean my cameras as well.

So maybe Leica changed the infill paint recently? Why they would change it from a hard enamel to what looks what may be an acrylic is debatable, environmentalism, easier touch up after service, cheaper, whatever? I use acrylic paints in my work and water or alcohol are alternative thinners for the paint but generally only alcohol can reactivate it. But equally the paint may not be drying properly, simple as that.

[Helge]

I don‘t think that’s acrylic. And even acrylic would be somewhat resistant to water and alcohol once it has dried.

I‘m still thinking that (after 4 months) that something from the outside did either change the dots‘ paint or they have been all the time like that, however nobody noticed.

Edited June 26, 2021 by Helge

[moghul]

One thing that may have caused it; I was out at a BBQ on one of the hottest days of London. Can’t confirm if it happened there but the excess of heat could have played a factor. 

[BradS]

I think I'd get some 99% isopropyl alcohol and some tooth picks and q-tips and try to remove the remaining red paint.

 

Am very curious to hear what Leica have to say about this.

[moghul]

1 hour ago, BradS said:

I think I'd get some 99% isopropyl alcohol and some tooth picks and q-tips and try to remove the remaining red paint.

 

Am very curious to hear what Leica have to say about this.

I’ve emailed Leica and sent them the picture. Will post the response in this thread. 

[Herr Barnack]

@moghul In your photo, the white paint in the arrow and the "R" are fine.  If the running of the red paint was due to something on your hands that had gotten onto the rewind button, it seems that the white paint would be running, too.  Therefore, my best guess is that Leica got a batch of defective red lacquer.

Since your MP is just 4 months old, replacing the rewind button should be covered under warranty (hopefully they will have gotten rid of the defective red lacquer by now).                      

The only down side is being without your camera for a while when you send it in for service.

This is a small thing, but when you pay $5400 USD for an MP, it is within reason to expect even the small things to be right.

 

Edited June 26, 2021 by Herr Barnack

[moghul]

@Herr Barnackagreed. I didn’t spend money on something brand new to have second hand problems. Not to mention there’s already dust in my viewfinder. 

I appreciate Leica, but they also sell themselves on high standards of perfection, so it’s hard to give them a break on silly issues such as paint leaking. 

On the contrary it works, no functionality issues and to be honest I’m not going to send it in for a small cosmetic issue. There’s a 5 year warranty, I’ll keep using it and if it gets to a point where there’s a functional issue I’ll send it in. 
 

Nevertheless, interested to see Leica’s response.