Advice on buying a leica without a cla?

[roby]

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hello everyone, I am about to buy a leica m6 titanium at a very good price.
Talking with the seller it doesn't seem to me to be particularly risky as a purchase, except for the talk of distance since living far away he will have to give it to a friend of his who coming often to my city will have to sell it to me.
Since I don't have the chance to take it to my trusted photo store before buying it I would like to ask for some advice to make sure that everything works perfectly.
As far as I know the camera has not undergone cla services recently, despite the fact that before selling it the seller told me he had shot a roll on it without finding any problems.
The thing that scares me most is the shutter speeds, as a precaution I recorded the shutter sound of my m3 from 1 second up to the 1/30 of second to compare them when I bought it to see if the speeds are comparable.
Do you guys have any other recommendations?

[Radost]

There is a shutter speed app that is not bad.  Buy test and return if it is not good.

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[Chris W]

The only issue I ever had with my M6 was the winder. It is very easy to over wind it, and I had to have mine replaced after a few years.

Regarding the overall question, it's hard to say. For relatively affordable items I don't sweat it too much. I'll buy something off EBay as long as the seller has a few previous sales with positive feedback. For expensive items I will buy used from a store or reputable dealer, where I can send it back if I'm not happy.

[TomB_tx]

Seldom a problem with medium and slow shutter speeds, but 1/1000 and 1/500 typically don't age well. Don't fret a CLA - buy and use and later get a CLA when it needs.

[Danner]

Also, if it's running, just go-ahead and shoot it for a while.  Regular use tends to loosen up the mechanisms in a camera that has been on the shelf.  I may start running smoother and more accurately as it get some 'exercise'.

Edited February 13 by Danner

[coleica]

I bought my M6 (manufactured in 1985) from a local store last October (2023).  The camera had not had a CLA.  Made an agreement with the owner to extend his warranty to one year.  At the beginning of the year, I noticed the hot shoe was not working properly.  The repair was about $110 (shop owner honored the warranty).  Other than the flash, the camera has been flawless.

[earleygallery]

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Would you have the time/opportunity to shoot a quick test roll and find a 1 hour develop/print store?

Otherwise check it over, look at the shutter curtains as you fire the shutter, check for any burn holes, check the rangefinder alignment and the meter is working OK. The only things you can't check without a film is if the shutter is capping or if there are any light leaks (which usually come in via the viewfinder/rangefinder if interior seals have failed).

If you are buying privately without warranty you should expect the price to reflect that.

Edited February 14 by earleygallery

[UliWer]

Set the shutter to 1 sec and hold the camera close to your ear, then release the shutter. After the shutter has closed you should hear a whirring sound becoming quieter until it fades off. Try the same with 1/2, 1/4, 1/8 of a sec. The shorter the times the whirring will last shorter, at 1/15 there will be almost none at 1/60 none at all. But it should always be very regular becoming quieter the same way until it fades off. If it does as described, don't bother too much - if the whirring sounds stutters, it certainly needs a CLA.