very strange technical question

[Tudor]

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Hello,

Apologies for the question - coming from a new member of the Leica community. Does anyone know if the back doors are the same size on mechanical M Leicas (M2 to M6). I know M2,3,4 have a rotating dial so you can remind yourself the type of film, while the M6 has a ISO dial that is electronically connected to the meter. But the door itself, is it the same across all itterations (can you switch them?)

thank you

Tudor

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[Capuccino-Muffin]

Should be

[TomB_tx]

Size is the same, and they will "fit" - but there were a number of detail changes along the way. Early M3s (glass pressure plate) had small spring-loaded ball-latches at the bottom side edges of the door that latched it closed. Later bodies don't have the detents that these snapped into. Early M3 & M2 have sharp corners on the vulcanite insert on the back, and later are rounded. But even the larger M5 had the same size door that will still fit on an M3.

The door was designed with a light-trap baffle seal around the edges, so only the hinged to had a fabric light seal. But some you find also have felt seals at the sides, which I suspect were added during later service to try and cure light leaks.

[a.noctilux]

Hello Tudor,

not as strange question, I asked myself many times.

- same as post #3, M3 door (and so many parts) is different and varied on the long time of manufacturing

- most of them, the back door of another M can mount on non-metered Leica M and I swapped them for fun

M2/M4/MDa/M4-2/M4-P

- on M6, other door without electronic circuit, so without the ISO setting, it would set itself to 100ISO, so if we use film at that speed,

the metering is usable

- I tried to swap doors on M5 with the one from M-A, it's same size, but I don't know if it works, even M5 metering works as usual.

 

seen here

 

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[Michael Geschlecht]

Hello Arnaud,

I think that the back door of an M5 has no connection to the meter circuitry because the film speed in use on the M5 is set on the meter by the very nice ASA/DIN dial on top of the camera. This is next to the also very nice shutter speed dial that overhangs the front of the camera. This overhang makes it easier to adjust the shutter speed dial while looking thru the range/viewfinder window. AND the shutter speed set is visible in the range/viewfinder window.

The dial on the back is a film type & speed reminder combined with a calculator for quickly knowing the range of alternative exposure combinations available for any given exposure combination metered in the camera.

By the way, did you know that the 3 different flash contacts on an M5 are wired independently of each other?

Do you think that it is possible to see the other side of both doors?

Best Regards,

Michael

Edited April 8, 2022 by Michael Geschlecht

[Michael Geschlecht]

Hello Tudor,

Welcome to the Forum.

No need to apologize. Part of why this Forum is here is for people to ask questions. 

Best Regards,

Michael

Edited April 8, 2022 by Michael Geschlecht

[davidmknoble]

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@Tudor, by the way, don’t ever apologize for asking a question here! Welcome to the group and ask away!