Fix or replace vulcanite on film M - Possible Cost?

[ivohula]

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I have been offered to purchase a nice looking M7, however the vulcanite cover is starting to separate from the camera at the top and bottom edges. With any heavy use, it will start to come off completely. As I want to use it a lot, what would the forum recommend be done and where. Possible cost? 

[Huss]

Super easy to do with the M7.  Peel off the old cover.  Clean the body underneath with isopropyl alcohol (drug store) or whatever product you have to remove left over glue.

Replace cover with one from here - which is precut to fit perfectly and has adhesive on the back:

http://aki-asahi.com/store/html/M7/M7.php

$27.  I've done it to many cameras.

[TomB_tx]

Agree with Aki-Asahi. I'e recovered a couple of Leicas and a few other cameras with their pre-cut materials.

[spydrxx]

Ditto. I didn't check current prices, but generally less than $50 USD

[250swb]

It isn't vulcanite on an M7, so just peel it off carefully and re-cover. The thing to consider in your purchase is if an M7 covering is coming off (very unusual) is this a sign the camera has been otherwise buggered around with in the past, so to speak.

Edited May 19, 2022 by 250swb

[adan]

Just for the record, "vulcanite" was (emphasis on "was") a specific material - rubber heat-treated and hardened with sulfur (vulcanized) and heat-molded onto Leicas and other cameras as faux-leather.

Which explains why, while a tough material, it is prone to (eventually) dry out, harden, and crack/shatter, and also develop a stink (from the sulfur compounds).

(I dropped a 25-year-old M4-2 once, and the vulcanite exploded off the camera in shards that traveled up to 5m - like hand-grenade shrapnel. )

See also: https://casualphotophile.com/2015/03/30/leica-m2-vulcanite-leather-replacement-how-to-video/

Leica quit using vulcanite as a covering around the time of the transition from the M4-P to the M6, and coincidental with the transition of M manufacturing from Midland, Canada back to Germany. It was a messy smelly 1920s industrial process Leica could do without.

And began using adhesive-backed vinyl faux-leather instead (except for real leather on some special limited-editions ). Which may peel or bubble at some point, but at least does not produce a "military event" under impact.

If one needs a generic term for faux-leather, "leatherette" works best.

[Huss]

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41 minutes ago, 250swb said:

It isn't vulcanite on an M7, so just peel it off carefully and re-cover. The thing to consider in your purchase is if an M7 covering is coming off (very unusual) is this a sign the camera has been otherwise buggered around with in the past, so to speak.

It's not unusual at all, I've seen it on so many early M7s.  The leatherette starts to come away from the body at the edges, and on the battery cover.  Leica improved/changed the material they used on later ones.

It's not a big deal though as it is very easy to replace because it is NOT vulcanite!

[250swb]

1 minute ago, Huss said:

It's not unusual at all, I've seen it on so many early M7s.  The leatherette starts to come away from the body at the edges, and on the battery cover.  Leica improved/changed the material they used on later ones.

It's not a big deal though as it is very easy to replace because it is NOT vulcanite!

You've seen it, so how often? Unless you are recording exceptional cases? I said it would be 'unusual', so the buyer has to consider how the camera has been used in the past and even if it has already been recovered, often a sign when the the covering starts to peel off after being poorly applied. It's an expensive purchase, worth questioning unless 'it has never happened to me' rules the day.

[Huss]

1 minute ago, 250swb said:

You've seen it, so how often? Unless you are recording exceptional cases? I said it would be 'unusual', so the buyer has to consider how the camera has been used in the past and even if it has already been recovered, often a sign when the the covering starts to peel off after being poorly applied. It's an expensive purchase, worth questioning unless 'it has never happened to me' rules the day.

I look at the M7s for sale.  I do this often as I like to find deals to flip.  It is extremely common in the earlier series and not a big deal as very easy to fix.  I would not let something that would cost me $28 to correct to push me away from buying an otherwise in great shape M7.  But the savvy buyer can use that as a bargaining chip.

[250swb]

Just now, Huss said:

I look at the M7s for sale.  I do this often as I like to find deals to flip.  It is extremely common in the earlier series and not a big deal as very easy to fix.  I would not let something that would cost me $28 to correct to push me away from buying an otherwise in great shape M7.  But the savvy buyer can use that as a bargaining chip.

I'm unsure what you want to argue about? No it isn't vulcanite, yes it can peel, but I will say that no it isn't endemic. I guess ultimately you just wanted to say you are a savvy buyer, be happy with yourself.

[Huss]

9 minutes ago, 250swb said:

I'm unsure what you want to argue about? No it isn't vulcanite, yes it can peel, but I will say that no it isn't endemic. I guess ultimately you just wanted to say you are a savvy buyer, be happy with yourself.

You're claiming the skin peeling off an M7 is an indication of the possibility of a serious problem and that camera should be avoided.  I'm saying I've seen it multiple times and it is common place.  Leica took care of it with later M7s and my two M7s do not have it.  They have serial #s in the 350XX and 420XXX range.   I see this "issue" with M7s in the 270XX- 280XXX ranges. 

That is all and the intention is to inform the possible buyer.

[Huss]

3 hours ago, ivohula said:

I have been offered to purchase a nice looking M7, however the vulcanite cover is starting to separate from the camera at the top and bottom edges. With any heavy use, it will start to come off completely. As I want to use it a lot, what would the forum recommend be done and where. Possible cost? 

I would be more concerned with whether the M7 you are looking at has the original viewfinder or the upgraded MP finder (which was incorporated into later M7s, and often was retrofitted by Leica into earlier ones). The original early viewfinder had a rangefinder patch that was susceptible to flare, as in Leica M6 series cameras.

You may also want to check if it has had the DX reader upgraded to the later version, as the early ones often were faulty resulting in Leica making a design change.  Both these things are far more relevant than the very easily fixed leatherette!

Edited May 19, 2022 by Huss

[adan]

7 hours ago, ivohula said:

I have been offered to purchase a nice looking M7, however the vulcanite cover is starting to separate from the camera at the top and bottom edges. With any heavy use, it will start to come off completely. As I want to use it a lot, what would the forum recommend be done and where. Possible cost? 

Leica quotes €200 to do the work themselves: https://leica-camera.com/en-US/service-support/services/leica-individualisation

That is for digital bodies - an M7 might be slightly more, due to the need for extra covering (back film door) and perhaps more complex cutouts (battery hole, ISO dial, rewind engage).

[jakontil]

Been always using akiasahi precut skins, be it original leather or just the leatherette 

[ivohula]

17 hours ago, Huss said:

I would be more concerned with whether the M7 you are looking at has the original viewfinder or the upgraded MP finder (which was incorporated into later M7s, and often was retrofitted by Leica into earlier ones). The original early viewfinder had a rangefinder patch that was susceptible to flare, as in Leica M6 series cameras.

You may also want to check if it has had the DX reader upgraded to the later version, as the early ones often were faulty resulting in Leica making a design change.  Both these things are far more relevant than the very easily fixed leatherette!

This is very true and I thank you for this advice. Any idea when the upgraded rangefinder and DX reader came to be? Serial numbers would help. The camera I was looking at was in the 285XXXX range, so I assume it is missing both upgrades.

[Huss]

6 hours ago, ivohula said:

This is very true and I thank you for this advice. Any idea when the upgraded rangefinder and DX reader came to be? Serial numbers would help. The camera I was looking at was in the 285XXXX range, so I assume it is missing both upgrades.

If it has not been retrofitted, then any M7 in the 270 - 280 range will have the old hardware.  It's actually easy to check if the RF has been replaced - just put it to your eye and start moving around with the camera pointing at different light conditions/sources.  If it flares, it's the old one.  Leica did replace them to customers who complained.

You'll have to web search ways of identifying the DX reader as I never bothered to find out as I was lucky enough to buy later build M7s where none of that is a concern.