M5 servicing

[easy_action]

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Just wondering if anyone has any recent experience with servicing or CLA on an M5?  I am in France, so I'm particularly interested in options within the EU.

Thanks.

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[Michael Geschlecht]

Hello easy_action,

Welcome to the Forum.

If you are not able to find someone who you like in Europe you might try contacting "Sherry Krauter" or "Don Goldberg" in the USofA.

Best Regards,

Michael

 

Edited September 24, 2023 by Michael Geschlecht

[TomB_tx]

Agree with Michael - Don Goldberg did an excellent job on my M5, and Sherry is known for her expertise with them.

[Huss]

I do not recommend Krauter. DAG had to fix the things she messed up on my M5.

[Lux50]

I think Don Goldberg stopped servicing M5’s a while back, can’t remember the exact date.

[Huss]

Jadon at Red Dot Repair services the M5

[easy_action]

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Thanks all for your input.  I recently acquired a beautiful black 3-lug M5 that is working perfectly, bar a little play in the frameline selector.  So i've no immediate need, but wanted to seek opinions should I want a CLA in the future.  My preference would be to not send it to the states to avoid any customs issues.

After a bit of digging I found the list of Leica repair centres on Matt Osborne's site (https://mrleica.com/leica-repair-centres/)

In the Europe section it lists Photo Suffren in Paris, who apparently repair the M5 (https://photosuffren.com/pages/reparations-de-materiels-photo-argentiques)

Do any of you have any experience with this company?

[Huss]

5 hours ago, easy_action said:

Thanks all for your input.  I recently acquired a beautiful black 3-lug M5 that is working perfectly, bar a little play in the frameline selector.  So i've no immediate need, but wanted to seek opinions should I want a CLA in the future.  My preference would be to not send it to the states to avoid any customs issues.

..

My M5 has a little play in the selector too.  It wiggles, but the frame lines in the VF do not.  It's been like that for years and I have not messed with it!  I'd only recommend sending in the camera for service if it really needs it.

[easy_action]

That's interesting.  In mine the framelines in the VF operate correctly too, just the lever that has a few millimeters of side to side play (and has lost it's little plastic insert).

I agree with you, there's no need to send it away while there are no other problems.

I was curious if anyone has had an M5 serviced recently, as it appears that the number of options is dwindling.  I read that around 34,000 were made, so there must be quite a few still around.  I wonder if eventually 3d printing will solve the problem of lack of spares?

[colint544]

1 hour ago, easy_action said:

That's interesting.  In mine the framelines in the VF operate correctly too, just the lever that has a few millimeters of side to side play (and has lost it's little plastic insert).

I agree with you, there's no need to send it away while there are no other problems.

I was curious if anyone has had an M5 serviced recently, as it appears that the number of options is dwindling.  I read that around 34,000 were made, so there must be quite a few still around.  I wonder if eventually 3d printing will solve the problem of lack of spares?

I had my M5 serviced in 2021 by Alan Starkie. The contact in the battery chamber had snapped off. He managed to repurpose one from an original SL. Whilst he had the camera, he gave it a CLA, re-silvered the narrow strip at the bottom of the big rangefinder window, and even replaced the missing bump stops on the back door. Great work, and a top guy.

[Michael Geschlecht]

Hello Everybody,

Is it possible that the "wiggle" in the frame selector is a small "dead spot" between the 35/135 position & the battery check, which is activated by pulling the frame selector a little further away from the lens mount?

Best Regards,

Michael

Edited September 26, 2023 by Michael Geschlecht

[easy_action]

On mine, given how well assembled the rest of the camera is I think it is unlikely that this amount of play is normal.  In the image below the lever moves freely from left to right.

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

[analogM]

6 hours ago, easy_action said:

On mine, given how well assembled the rest of the camera is I think it is unlikely that this amount of play is normal.  In the image below the lever moves freely from left to right.

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

Does it have the same amount of play when there is a lens attached instead of a body cap?

[Hintsalae]

The play in lever is no cause for worry. The mechanism is pretty simple fork-tab type brass linkage which will have some play for sure.

[Michael Geschlecht]

Hello easy action,

When you push the lever even further away in that direction: Does it activate the Battery Check?

Best Regards,

Michael

[Huss]

15 hours ago, easy_action said:

On mine, given how well assembled the rest of the camera is I think it is unlikely that this amount of play is normal.  In the image below the lever moves freely from left to right.

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

Mine is EXACTLY the same as yours! This is just one of those things.  The frame selector works perfectly - bringing up the correct frame lines and activating the battery check.

Do not worry about it.

[OR120]

Fantastic camera - enjoy!

[easy_action]

19 hours ago, analogM said:

Does it have the same amount of play when there is a lens attached instead of a body cap?

With a 35mm lens mounted the amount of play is identical to the photos above - no difference at all.

When I mount a 50 the range of movement is the same, but the starting point is shifted towards the lens mount (the level points to 12 o'clock rather than 1 o'clock as in the photo above)

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[Huss]

3 hours ago, easy_action said:

With a 35mm lens mounted the amount of play is identical to the photos above - no difference at all.

When I mount a 50 the range of movement is the same, but the starting point is shifted towards the lens mount (the level points to 12 o'clock rather than 1 o'clock as in the photo above)

 

14 hours ago, Huss said:

Mine is EXACTLY the same as yours! This is just one of those things.  The frame selector works perfectly - bringing up the correct frame lines and activating the battery check.

Do not worry about it.

 

[easy_action]

15 hours ago, Michael Geschlecht said:

When you push the lever even further away in that direction: Does it activate the Battery Check?

Hi Michael

The needle slides all the way to the left, rather than to the cut-out on the right indicating a good voltage.  But I have a 1.5v px625 battery installed, which may be causing it to do this.  I have a voltage reducing adapter but currently only sr44 batteries, which are a fraction too thick.  When I get hold of an sr43/386, which is thinner, I will give it a go and see if that changes anything.