After market rewind levers: Camera Quest vs Pop Flash

[caloosajo]

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Anyone care to share their preference on film rewind levers for the MP 0.72?

Looks like LHSA endorses the offering by Camera Quest via a recent IG post. There’s also the one made by Photo Equip (offered by Pop Flash).

https://shop.cameraquest.com/classic-cameras/leica-mp/m3/m2-film-rewind-lever/

https://www.popflash.com/accessories/leica-mp-winder-black-new-by-photo-equip-a/

Just been curious for a while, and have not come across much user feedback for either option regarding functional reliability.  If it’s fiddly or slips off often, I’d rather not bother. Thanks. 

[kivis]

Had the camera quest version years back on am M3 worked fine as can be. was not fiddly at all. Now you just reminded me how dumb I was to sell that rig. Now I have an M-A and really haven't thought getting one of these handy film rewind levers. Oh yeah I have already spent over my budget lately.

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[romualdo]

8 hours ago, caloosajo said:

Anyone care to share their preference on film rewind levers for the MP 0.72?

Looks like LHSA endorses the offering by Camera Quest via a recent IG post. There’s also the one made by Photo Equip (offered by Pop Flash).

https://shop.cameraquest.com/classic-cameras/leica-mp/m3/m2-film-rewind-lever/

https://www.popflash.com/accessories/leica-mp-winder-black-new-by-photo-equip-a/

Just been curious for a while, and have not come across much user feedback for either option regarding functional reliability.  If it’s fiddly or slips off often, I’d rather not bother. Thanks. 

I have both - the "cameraquest" one for my M3 & the "Popflash" one for my MP - both are sturdy & ergonomic - have never loosened or come off

There is generally plenty of space/tolerance between the bottom of the winder & the top plate of the camera when fully extended - you just have to be aware when rewinding that the lever can on occasions move slowly downwards & has the potential to scratch the camera top plate surface while you are still winding - this hasn;t happened to me

[Pyrogallol]

Just a novelty, how many times do you really need to rewind a film very fast, you are not a war photographer in the 1940/60’s.

[250swb]

I had the Leica made version and sold it. I could rewind faster by turning the knob, needing to be careful about not scratching the top plate actually made the rewind lever slower to use. If it was raining or I was wearing gloves, and even a bit of sweat or sun cream it made it feel perilous to use. Remember it was invented at a time when professional photographers didn't care about the top plate of their Leica which in any case would be bashing up against a Nikon around their neck. The sentiment of 'it's never happened to me' should be followed by 'yet'. 

[Huss]

I like to slowly rewind my film, as I gaze into the distance contemplating the masterpieces that I have shot.

[Capuccino-Muffin]

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Cameraquest is Brass, double too notch.

popflash is aluminum. Top notch.

Soom on ebay, brass. super top notch. 125$ ish, cheap.

Wasserman, brass, double top notch

Magnum rewind, brass, triple top notch. 

Yes, I collect those babies.

[caloosajo]

Thanks all. If only I were a 1940s war photographer to validate my inquiry. And so continues the LUF troll festival…

[iPacific]

Cameraquest is an old style rewind levers

just like the SOOM

Very nice to use, easy to use. Good feeling

The pop flash is modern design.

I used to use the Leica 14438

But I find the SOOM style is much more better 

it rewind faster and easy to hold it. 

[iPacific]

If you’re looking for sliver chrome or black paint. Go check out the SOOMUU 

[davidmknoble]

Just a thought, I have considered these several times for M3, and two a-la-carte MP’s (0.58 and 0.85), but each time I worry that the rewind screw will catch on something either pulling out / putting in my camera bag.  Curious what others think. 

That said, I like the look of the pop flash one better because the screw looks lower and the idea of a buffer from the set screw to the rewind knob.

[intangiblethings]

I had an M6 and also picked up an MP. I thought I would want an rewind lever to replicate the same experience and convenience. But as I used the knob for the first time in the MP I found it pretty pleasant.

I couldnt justify adding something else to it for what I thought was minimal upside (but increased cost).

[davidmknoble]

@intangiblethingsI tend to agree, but more to the point, I don’t shoot film in such a way that taking 30 seconds to rewind film causes me to lose a shot that I really wish I hadn’t missed.  I also think speed rewinding, if not done carefully, causes potential scratches and static discharges, so again, the knob isn’t bad.  I never had trouble on an M4 or M6, but I don’t rewind with a vengeance either.

The only time I missed a film shot was 1994 on my honeymoon in Bar Harbor, Maine.  I was on a whale watching excursion and we were photographing humpback whales.  I was changing roles when one came up and out with a perfect display of a tail right in front of the boat. The only tail.  It was a cannon.  I learned my lesson

[caloosajo]

Thanks @davidmknoblefor the thoughtful and practical insight. 

Re: whale watching excursion, was the lesson to bring your mirrorless-telephoto setup? Or merely to not fiddle with film on your honeymoon? 😇

[davidmknoble]

3 hours ago, caloosajo said:

Thanks @davidmknoblefor the thoughtful and practical insight. 

Re: whale watching excursion, was the lesson to bring your mirrorless-telephoto setup? Or merely to not fiddle with film on your honeymoon? 😇

LOL!  no it was to no longer use a cannon film camera, and switch to Leica;  Hahaha!

[farnz]

On 4/5/2022 at 6:25 AM, romualdo said:

There is generally plenty of space/tolerance between the bottom of the winder & the top plate of the camera when fully extended - you just have to be aware when rewinding that the lever can on occasions move slowly downwards & has the potential to scratch the camera top plate surface while you are still winding - this hasn;t happened to me

I've used  a Wassermann, a Cameraquest, and a cheapo Asian one variously on my M3, M2, and MP.  In the end I preferred the Wassermann although the Cameraquest one was fine except the knurled handle remains proud of the top deck and snagged a few things in its time.

If you're concerned about accidentally marking the top deck as the lever moves while winding, I found that cutting to size some small self-adhesive felt circles, that are designed to protect polished furniture, and sticking them to the underside of the lever worked very well and saved the deck on a couple of occasions.  The felt circles are very inexpensive.

Pete.

[DoubleE]

I had an early one of these on my M3 for a while.  I found that it tended to snag on my camera bag and other stuff and I wasn’t crazy about how it looked on the camera.  I realized I actually like the mindful pause unloading and loading an M3 requires.  I took it off.

[ktmrider2]

I have used lots of M2's (my favorite film body) and even an M3.  And I just purchased a MP but I remember Leica going to the tilted rewind crank on the M4 and thinking it was an upgrade.  I do not think I will be tempted by one of these for the MP.  Of course, the best rewind system Leica ever devised was the bottom rewind on the M5 with the clutch.  Of course, we all know the M3 was Leicas perfect camera and any change is for the worse.

[chris_livsey]

On 2/29/2024 at 8:52 AM, gigithephotographer said:

What's a Magnum rewind ? Never hear of this one. 

Leica M M3 / M2 Rewind Levers (cameraquest.com)

 

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[chris_livsey]

5 hours ago, gigithephotographer said:

Thank you. 

To anyone that tried both the CameraQuest and the SOOM third party levers, do you have a preference ? the CameraQuest seems to be larger and have therefore a better ergonomy

No problem.

Like many others I have used such devices and again like many others have "abandoned" them. They may rewind faster, may because I'm not convinced they do and then not by a sufficiently great enough margin to be useful and they also, the ones I have used, snag on any possible thing they can find. What do you intend to do in the precious seconds saved by using one? The process of rewinding when changing a Leica film is far from the rate limiting step, usually for me its finding somewhere secure to place the back. If continuity of shooting is vital multiple bodies is the answer not a "rapid" rewind, having a spare reel already threaded and secured with a band will save more time, use both I suppose.

I remember, I know old age, camera shows in the UK back in the day ran competitions for photographer's assistants to time reloading a Hasselblad back, I watched in fascination and awe.

Should I not have persuaded you of the folly of this curse of action I will report the Leica brand rewinds have a handle that is IMHO too small and fiddly to be practical, the Cameraquest ones are better in that regard and would be my choice of the two. They however are a little thicker and do not fit, again in my experience, all older bodies easily or at all. In particular the M3 and even more particularly the earlier bodies where the individuality of the builds seems to give fractional, and it is fractional but significant for fitting, gaps.