Bicycle travel and RF calibration

[Bobonli]

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I do a fair amount of cycling and often bring a camera. I am wondering whether the bumps of road surfaces will cause the RF to go out of alignment. I carry my camera in a padded wrap inside a bag attached to either the handle bars or the frame’s triangle. Been doing this for years with digital cameras and my Nikon FM without an issue. Now that I’ve re-acquired an M body I don’t want to risk damaging it. 

[pgk]

M bodies are absolutely fine under any normal uses and conditions such as being cycled about with. One of mine has just spent a week being bounced around in a small diveboat and seems as good as ever and its far from being the first time its been in such conditions. Carry it, use it and don't worry about it.

[Ko.Fe.]

It is up to individual.

I see posts regularly where it is claimed to be necessary to regularly send camera to Leica for RF alligment. 

I have no idea what do they do with Ms.

I took my Ms on the ride. Never an issue.

[jaapv]

14 minutes ago, Bobonli said:

I do a fair amount of cycling and often bring a camera. I am wondering whether the bumps of road surfaces will cause the RF to go out of alignment. I carry my camera in a padded wrap inside a bag attached to either the handle bars or the frame’s triangle. Been doing this for years with digital cameras and my Nikon FM without an issue. Now that I’ve re-acquired an M body I don’t want to risk damaging it. 

No cycling will not harm it. Unless you take a spill and the camera hits the pavement But even then… You’ll be worse off. The camera is tougher than you are. 

[250swb]

Just be sensible, don’t strap it to the bicycle frame, but to something that naturally absorbs bumps, like your body. War photographers have used Leica M’s for decades, so I think outings on a bicycle will be fine.

[spydrxx]

I never had issues when bicycling, but kept mine on a strap across my chest. I did find, however, exposing the camera to extreme temperatures (-20 F to +110 F) occasionally, I assume due to expansion/contraction of metal, the viewfinder coincident image was slightly off. The repairpersons I consulted suggested either ignoring it if I wasn't shooting wide open, or a minor adjustment which they showed me how to perform. In your case I think everything will be fine.

[hepcat]

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I carried an M4-2 thousands of miles in the side bag of a BMW R100RT without problem.  You'll be fine and so will your camera.  Leica M bodies have been in war zones, seen other significant military service and have been through the mill as press cameras.  If they're so fragile they can't take bike rides, they're probably not much good, are they?

 

[Fotoklaus]

Ok, no bicycles here but....

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/08/opinion/the-man-who-shot-vietnam.html

[TomB_tx]

We used to vacation on my Tandem, with my Leica CL (film version, about 1973) in a handlebar bag. The CL was lighter built than true M models, but it never got out of alignment. In fact, I've traveled with and used Leica M cameras since 1968, and never had an RF go out of cal until my M9 a few years ago.

[250swb]

1 hour ago, Fotoklaus said:

Ok, no bicycles here but....

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/08/opinion/the-man-who-shot-vietnam.html

Can’t get past the paywall but I see who you were referring to and a great example.

[kivis]

The M-A is on a neck strap (short) around my neck when on my bike. Nary a problem.

[IkarusJohn]

11 minutes ago, kivis said:

The M-A is on a neck strap (short) around my neck when on my bike. Nary a problem.

Me too.  I ride a gravel bike.  At times the corrugations in the gravel are bone jarring.  With the camera around my neck and shoulder, hanging in front, I haven’t had a problem.

[LocalHero1953]

Ortlieb make padded handlebar bags for cameras. I have the Ultimate 6 - works well - unless you want another bag on your handlebars.

[IkarusJohn]

I use this, it has padding-

https://www.revelatedesigns.com/index.cfm/store.catalog/cockpit/magtank2000bolt

[Bobonli]

Thanks everyone. I have too many bike bags, more than camera bags

I had an M several years ago and took it everywhere because I was blissfully ignorant that the RF could fall out of alignment. 

[hepcat]

On 7/4/2023 at 7:17 AM, Bobonli said:

I had an M several years ago and took it everywhere because I was blissfully ignorant that the RF could fall out of alignment. 

Then fall back on your own experience.  If it wasn't a problem for you when you were in ignorant bliss, it won't be a problem now that you're informed.

 

[Becf]

I've been riding around for about a year now with one M or another in my bike basket/strapped around my body and I haven't had any issues with RF alignment. Between the city streets and gravel routes I have been on, there have been some rough bouncy sections and so far all is well; no issues on my M4, M6 (2023), or M10.  While in the basket cameras have always been in either a lightly padded bike bag or a Patagonia fishing sling that I use as a camera bag; so there has always been some level or protection.

I will admit, I have been curious if I've been doing any damage or taking an unnecessary risk, but it seems like these things can handle it.

[grahamc]

Not a cycling story but in the last month I've had some rough luck with my M kit ... my 90:2v3 fell off a 1.5m high shelf onto carpet/floorboards, my MP (with 50:1.4 lens) fell off my shoulder onto a clay floor, and my camera bag fell out of a car door onto concrete.  

All completely fine and still in calibration

So I'm now less worried about rangefinder alignment which is something I was cautious of previously 

 

[hepcat]

17 minutes ago, grahamc said:

Not a cycling story but in the last month I've had some rough luck with my M kit ... my 90:2v3 fell off a 1.5m high shelf onto carpet/floorboards, my MP (with 50:1.4 lens) fell off my shoulder onto a clay floor, and my camera bag fell out of a car door onto concrete.  

All completely fine and still in calibration

So I'm now less worried about rangefinder alignment which is something I was cautious of previously 

 

Your recent misfortunes reminded me of something I'd completely forgotten!  In about 1981 I was out on a Honda 3 wheeler in the Anza-Borrego desert with my M4-2 in one of the first, and then-new-to-the-market, LowePro padded bag along with several Canon Serenar lenses.  The bag was bungeed to the rack on the trike.  As we hit the arroyos at speed (maybe 20mph) I checked my bag just in time to see it go flying off the trike and go bouncing and rolling in the sand at speed, probably 50 feet or more.   I stopped the trike, walked back to where the bag had stopped rolling, and... heartbroken, expecting to find nothing but lens barrels and shards of glass in the bag... unzipped it to find all in perfect working order with no damage at all.   The M4-2 functioned perfectly and the lenses were no worse for the wear.  And I have been a Lowe-Pro customer ever since.

Yes, M-series cameras can "take it."

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[grahamc]

15 hours ago, hepcat said:

Your recent misfortunes reminded me of something I'd completely forgotten!  In about 1981 I was out on a Honda 3 wheeler in the Anza-Borrego desert with my M4-2 in one of the first, and then-new-to-the-market, LowePro padded bag along with several Canon Serenar lenses.  The bag was bungeed to the rack on the trike.  As we hit the arroyos at speed (maybe 20mph) I checked my bag just in time to see it go flying off the trike and go bouncing and rolling in the sand at speed, probably 50 feet or more.   I stopped the trike, walked back to where the bag had stopped rolling, and... heartbroken, expecting to find nothing but lens barrels and shards of glass in the bag... unzipped it to find all in perfect working order with no damage at all.   The M4-2 functioned perfectly and the lenses were no worse for the wear.  And I have been a Lowe-Pro customer ever since.

Yes, M-series cameras can "take it."

Good to hear ! Yes I was pleasantly surprised with the rough and tumble my kit has taken on this trip, particularly the 90 ... which landed with a dull “thud” but shows no signs of a fall. The thing is a brick !