Leica lens mount on M3 stored for half a century - is it a good idea to use a very tiny bit of oil on the surface?

[MikeMyers]

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5 hours ago, 250swb said:

OK, I understand you are a sensitive type and like to stir the pot, but while you feel Don is in your pocket does he know that? I paste for your information just three points taken from the DAG website, the underlining is mine.........

Not sure what makes me sensitive, but I didn't call Don until so many people here encouraged me to do so.  He didn't seem discouraged that I did so, and we had an enjoyable conversation.  He told me about so many things that I was unaware of.  We had much longer discussions about the lens he fixed for me, and he gave me estimates for the things I may have him do for me.  If I knew then what I know now, I wouldn't have posted this thread.

You're right though - I probably do like to "stir the pot" until I get an answer I can understand.

Thanks for the feedback!!

[Jeff S]

3 minutes ago, MikeMyers said:

Not sure what makes me sensitive, but I didn't call Don until so many people here encouraged me to do so.  He didn't seem discouraged that I did so, and we had an enjoyable conversation.  He told me about so many things that I was unaware of.  We had much longer discussions about the lens he fixed for me, and he gave me estimates for the things I may have him do for me.  If I knew then what I know now, I wouldn't have posted this thread.

You're right though - I probably do like to "stir the pot" until I get an answer I can understand.

Thanks for the feedback!!

He was talking to me, not you, Mike.

Jeff

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[MikeMyers]

Oops!   

[earleygallery]

My point is that if you are meant to oil a lens mount it would say so in the manual, you would/should/could also notice that other camers you have had oily lens mounts.

Reading the manual is always a good idea, I think there's a section that also confirms which lenses you shouldn't use on a digital M.

[MikeMyers]

18 minutes ago, earleygallery said:

My point is that if you are meant to oil a lens mount it would say so in the manual, you would/should/could also notice that other camers you have had oily lens mounts.

I don't think my manuals covered what to do when I left my camera sitting for 60 years or so.   🙂

I accept what you guys are saying, but if you do a Google Search for "what parts of old camera to oil" there are lots of other opinions.  

Most ancient stuff I try to get working again needs cleaning or lubrication.  Oh well, I'm not gonna oil this mount, so no need to go on and on.

Thank you again for all the feedback!

[250swb]

3 hours ago, Jeff S said:

Don is not in anyone’s pocket, pot stirrer. I’m well aware of his site and had already read this and very briefly discussed with him. He doesn’t want idle camera chat or emails, unless they relate to his sales and repairs, are quick and to the point, and not repetitive. He appreciated when I called him about a repair to determine if it was good time to send gear in or wait, and took literally a minute or two. Mike had just donated gear to him, which he had already explained, and I thought Don wouldn’t mind a brief question, and a potential repair, from a guy who treated him well.  My typical recommendation here is for folks to give Don work, not bullshit with him. 
 

Jeff

Well I'm glad to see he now has an agent, or secretary, PA, or however you think of yourself. But this thread was going along nicely until you decided a bit of common sense was an outrageous insult against you. 

[MikeMyers]

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Hey, let's all get along.  

I just found this video on restoring an 85 year old Leica camera!

     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRwjVR6Y2XE

[Jeff S]

1 hour ago, 250swb said:

Well I'm glad to see he now has an agent, or secretary, PA, or however you think of yourself. But this thread was going along nicely until you decided a bit of common sense was an outrageous insult against you. 

And in the end, Mike followed my recommendation, with a good call to Don.  That’s all it was… a recommendation… until you sarcastically dismissed it, which is your style here in general, not just with me. It’s always your way or the highway, and a flip tone.
 

Jeff

[MikeMyers]

Well...    the recommendation was good, and Don and I had a nice chat, for much longer than I expected. The lens is back on the camera, and the more I use it, and remove/remount it, the better it gets.  My M2 is even smoother.

I'm not doing much of anything today - I got my Covid Booster shot yesterday, and I woke up with a sore shoulder, and feeling a little "groggy".  Now it's early afternoon, and all that stuff has gone.  

Once the film is finished, I'll look in from the back of the camera, and try to recognize a "spring loaded" thingie which Don thinks is what's causing my issue.

There's always something - when this is all finished, I need to get my negative scanner working again.

[250swb]

29 minutes ago, Jeff S said:

And in the end, Mike followed my recommendation, with a good call to Don.  That’s all it was… a recommendation… until you sarcastically dismissed it, which is your style here in general, not just with me. It’s always your way or the highway, and a flip tone.
 

Jeff

As your recommendation will be shared, and is also shared by many people in many camera forums, to 'just' give Don or Sherry a call it comes down on the side of being arrogant with a persons time. In this thread I rightfully questioned this, but I also recommended a book, and to use some alcohol to clean the lens mount, that it shouldn't be lubricated, and also in passing assured the OP with very similar advice as Don gave. And all you can say is I'm being nasty because I question a knee jerk remake to 'give somebody a call', advice like so much knee jerk advice on the forum.

[Matlock]

25 minutes ago, MikeMyers said:

The lens is back on the camera, and the more I use it, and remove/remount it, the better it gets.  My M2 is even smoother.

There's always something - when this is all finished, I need to get my negative scanner working again.

I think any camera that has been idle for that long is bound to be a little stiff (my knees are much the same) given regular use it will probably be as smooth as the M2.

May I ask is it as single stroke or double stroke M3? I ask as my D/S M3 is now unrepairable so is something to consider.

I have just finished some scanning, not the most exiting job in the world but very satisfying when you see the results. I still miss my darkroom though, no room in my present house.

[Jeff S]

4 minutes ago, 250swb said:

As your recommendation will be shared, and is also shared by many people in many camera forums, to 'just' give Don or Sherry a call it comes down on the side of being arrogant with a persons time. In this thread I rightfully questioned this, but I also recommended a book, and to use some alcohol to clean the lens mount, that it shouldn't be lubricated, and also in passing assured the OP with very similar advice as Don gave. And all you can say is I'm being nasty because I question a knee jerk remake to 'give somebody a call', advice like so much knee jerk advice on the forum.

Well, the good news is that if they actually can read, they’ll also be making camera and lens donations to Don, as well as giving him repair orders and referrals. And they’ll read about the kind of conversations he prefers, and the ones he does not.  As I wrote, nasty is your style, regardless of person or topic.  

Jeff

[MikeMyers]

My M3 is single-stroke.  

Scanning - I had it all worked out - need to find the settings again, for VueScan.

[Matlock]

20 minutes ago, Jeff S said:

  As I wrote, nasty is your style, regardless of person or topic.  

Jeff

Well, as they say "it takes one to know one". Both you and Steve have a great deal to offer this forum but your petty squabbling does no one any good.

[Matlock]

19 minutes ago, MikeMyers said:

My M3 is single-stroke.  

Scanning - I had it all worked out - need to find the settings again, for VueScan.

That's good Mike. Good luck with the scanning.

[250swb]

33 minutes ago, MikeMyers said:

My M3 is single-stroke.  

Scanning - I had it all worked out - need to find the settings again, for VueScan.

If you have lost all your settings simply start by setting the input and output settings, so input/scanning resolution and output resolution and file type, TIFF etc. If in doubt and to avoid having to rescan try bigger scanning resolution and output resolution (you can always make a file smaller, but never bigger).  Vuescan can usually fill in the bits in between and the Vuescan web site has a good tutorial for anything else. But like Photoshop, you don't need to learn everything about Vuescan, just the bits you used before, most of it can be ignored.

[MikeMyers]

This isn't the place to ask, but I would like to create several "recipes" for VueScan, and select the one I want at any given moment.  Maybe someone has already posted the better settings for B&W film cameras.

I have no idea if I lost my settings.  I was scanning negatives, then I needed to scan a B&W print.  

[Jeff S]

2 hours ago, Matlock said:

Well, as they say "it takes one to know one". 

Or apparently to know two.

Jeff

[Matlock]

9 hours ago, Jeff S said:

Or apparently to know two.

Jeff

Thank you Jeff. Your reply says it all.

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[Mute-on]

11 hours ago, MikeMyers said:

This isn't the place to ask, but I would like to create several "recipes" for VueScan, and select the one I want at any given moment.  Maybe someone has already posted the better settings for B&W film cameras.

I have no idea if I lost my settings.  I was scanning negatives, then I needed to scan a B&W print.  

Mike, perhaps you might want to start another thread so we don’t all need to wade through the personal attacks and petty squabbling between forum members who are not interested in much more than asserting themselves over others.  
 

As for your M3, good on you for revitalising your interest and getting the old girl back up and running. Most importantly, enjoy!