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M-A’s “ping”


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I’m wondering if any of the folks here who own an M-A also have yours “ping” every time you advance. 
I’ve tried to illustrate with a couple of videos here: https://imgur.com/a/sYzfkJO

(It might be muted by default). The sound carries. My better half can hear it 10 feet away (3m).

I bought my M-A new last year (January 2022 manufacture date), and the ping has been there since day 1.

When I first got the camera the RF patch was a tad misaligned vertically. I sent it to Leica NJ then and inquired about the ping as well. While they addressed the RF, re: the ping they said it’s not a sound that’s outside of normal for a mechanical camera. I’ve never heard such a pronounced sound from other M’s I’ve had including using another M-A for a bit, however, although my sample size is limited.

Edited by Ediz7531
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Thanks (?) everyone .

Yes the sound is more like ka-ching: that’s the sweet melody of Leica’s high profit margin by taking shortcuts on QC.

The camera recently developed a problem with the frameline preview lever. I’ll send it to Wetzlar this time and will ask that they correct the ping too.

 

 

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The bottom line is that there are many things happening all at once when a clockwork film M is cocked. With independent "movements" all driven by the master winding lever. And most with springs involved.

- Shutter being cocked against spring pressure and then "pre-released" and caught by a pawl just before it starts to open, so as to be ready for the fastest possible response time when the shutter-release button is actually pressed;

- film being advanced, with a ratchet pawl and spring-return involved to allow several short multi-strokes, or one long one;

- frame counter being pushed forward a notch against the spring force that resets it to zero-minus-2 (zziiippp!) when the bottom is removed after rewinding.

- And there are five separate shutter drive-chains for different ranges of shutter speeds - B(ulb), 1 sec. to 1/8th sec., 1/15th-1/30th, 1/50th (flash sync lightning bolt), and 1/60-1/1000th. The sound may be present in just one of those speed ranges.

So, yes, have Leica do the checking when they look at the frameline lever. Could be any of those.

...................

When I had Canon F-1s, they rang like Big Ben when advanced - ding-dong-bing-BONG! Of course, those had additional sprung mechanisms for the mirror movement and aperture auto-stop-down arm to the lens.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 8/22/2023 at 3:23 AM, Ediz7531 said:

I’m wondering if any of the folks here who own an M-A also have yours “ping” every time you advance. 
I’ve tried to illustrate with a couple of videos here: https://imgur.com/a/sYzfkJO

(It might be muted by default). The sound carries. My better half can hear it 10 feet away (3m).

I bought my M-A new last year (January 2022 manufacture date), and the ping has been there since day 1.

When I first got the camera the RF patch was a tad misaligned vertically. I sent it to Leica NJ then and inquired about the ping as well. While they addressed the RF, re: the ping they said it’s not a sound that’s outside of normal for a mechanical camera. I’ve never heard such a pronounced sound from other M’s I’ve had including using another M-A for a bit, however, although my sample size is limited.

I finally understand what your talking about. I had to play the sound with headphones on otherwise I wouldn’t be able to hear the “ping”. I just checked and my M-A from late 2021 also does this but all my other film M doesn’t. Keep me up to date on what Leica says.  

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