Got an M4-p. Got some questions!

[timothyo]

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So I recently purchased an M4-p for a reasonable price. Its not in perfect condition - the top 'Leitz' lettering paint is partially missing, and the shutter speed numbering has faded a bit.  The black paint around the neck strap lugs has some wear marks. Would be interested in how people feel about restoring this sort of stuff, or should I just leave it? 

The finder is a bit cloudy when looking at it from the front, but it looks reasonably clear when looking through it.  The vertical alignment of the patch is slightly out but it doesn't actually prevent focus.  

When loading the film the first time, I read the manual and tried to do things the 'right way', but for the life of me I couldn't get it to work.  I could only get it to load by ensuring that the sprocket holes where lined up with the gears and partially advancing the film with the bottom cover off.  Does this indicate a problem with the camera that I should be concerned about, or just bad luck on my part? 😀  

 

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[Sandokan]

Get it CLA's (Clean-Lubricate-Adjust) but I doubt they do anything for the cosmetics; those are the character. 

Loading is how you did it above - or at least how I do it. Always watch it wind on, you may waste a frame but always better than getting to a shutter count of 40 and realising you havent taken a Pullitzer prize winning photo  

[hansvons]

3 hours ago, timothyo said:

I could only get it to load by ensuring that the sprocket holes where lined up with the gears and partially advancing the film with the bottom cover off.  Does this indicate a problem with the camera that I should be concerned about, or just bad luck on my part? 😀  

Just do what the graph inside the camera tells you. There’s no need to “adjust” the film sprockets. The lid’s “wheel” that goes on top of the take-up spool takes care of that. Imagine if Leica created the best range finder camera system in history, but failed to find an ingenious way to load film quickly and securely. It takes me to load my M4-P 15 in seconds and never fails. For more reading on this, I refer to the manual that is available online (can be also the M6 manual, the same camera but with a meter).

That said, don't worry about the cosmetics, but have the camera CLA-ed. It will serve you another 30 years day in day out. 

 

 

Edited September 22, 2024 by hansvons

[dkCambridgeshire]

3 hours ago, timothyo said:

So I recently purchased an M4-p for a reasonable price. Its not in perfect condition - the top 'Leitz' lettering paint is partially missing, and the shutter speed numbering has faded a bit.  The black paint around the neck strap lugs has some wear marks. Would be interested in how people feel about restoring this sort of stuff, or should I just leave it? 

The finder is a bit cloudy when looking at it from the front, but it looks reasonably clear when looking through it.  The vertical alignment of the patch is slightly out but it doesn't actually prevent focus.  

When loading the film the first time, I read the manual and tried to do things the 'right way', but for the life of me I couldn't get it to work.  I could only get it to load by ensuring that the sprocket holes where lined up with the gears and partially advancing the film with the bottom cover off.  Does this indicate a problem with the camera that I should be concerned about, or just bad luck on my part? 😀  

 

Hazy finder is a common M4-P anomaly and is caused by rangefinder optics' original sealants' "gassing" and condensing onto finder optics. The haze can be removed without the need for a full service – if you can find a technician prepared to remove the top plate and also remedy the rangefinder alignment. 

[timothyo]

15 minutes ago, hansvons said:

Just do what the graph inside the camera tells you. There’s no need to “adjust” the film sprockets. The lid’s “wheel” that goes on top of the take-up spool takes care of that. Imagine if Leica created the best range finder camera system in history, but failed to find an ingenious way to load film quickly and securely. It takes me to load my M4-P 15 in seconds and never fails. For more reading on this, I refer to the manual that is available online (can be also the M6 manual, the same camera but with a meter).

That said, don't worry about the cosmetics, but have the camera CLA-ed. It will serve you another 30 years day in day out. 

 

So I had a old dummy roll of Kodak gold that I spend tonight experimenting with.  Not sure exactly what my problem might have been, but I had no problems this time 😎  Just pulled the leader across and into the loading area, ensured the canaster was pushed down all the way, closed the bottom plate and then advanced once - took up the slack on the rewind knob and that was it.  Its definitely an unusual loading method, but Im OK with it.  

2 hours ago, Al Brown said:

Regarding the paint:
I have successfully retouched all my letterings & lens markings with a tiny brush (the marking says 0 or 1) & acrylic paint. You can also use a syringe to micro dose the paint like Leica does in-house. Acrylic paint is solvable with water when fresh and with washing petrol. Just wipe the excess off immediately after painting, I use an ultra fine cloth with a big coin wrapped inside to wipe the surface, thus avoiding catching the paint inside the engraved recessed parts. Use white paint on black bodies or vice versa. Tons of videos on the web on how to do it and tons of advice on this forum. There is virtually no wong way.
 

I bit the bullet and redid most of the lettering - I haven't done the shutter speed dial yet, as on further cleaning, it is not too bad.

[timothyo]

12 minutes ago, dkCambridgeshire said:

Hazy finder is a common M4-P anomaly and is caused by rangefinder optics' original sealants' "gassing" and condensing onto finder optics. The haze can be removed without the need for a full service – if you can find a technician prepared to remove the top plate and also remedy the rangefinder alignment. 

Thanks - going to see if someone in Melbourne (Australia) can do this - I have a Minolta CLE that needs the same treatment so I might get both done.

[MarkP]

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20 minutes ago, timothyo said:

Thanks - going to see if someone in Melbourne (Australia) can do this - I have a Minolta CLE that needs the same treatment so I might get both done.

Take it to Imaging by Design (previously Camera Clinic) in Easey St, Collingwood.  They are also the authorised service centre used by Leica Australia.

Yes, that's the infamous Easey Street you've seen in the news today 🙂
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-22/easey-street-deaths-arrest-history-extradition/104380114

Edited September 22, 2024 by MarkP

[williamj]

On 9/22/2024 at 6:55 PM, MarkP said:

Take it to Imaging by Design (previously Camera Clinic) in Easey St, Collingwood.  They are also the authorised service centre used by Leica Australia.

Yes, that's the infamous Easey Street you've seen in the news today 🙂
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-22/easey-street-deaths-arrest-history-extradition/104380114

Good to know there’s a place in Australia you can send your camera to get it serviced. Not that mine needs it at the moment but if it did I had it in my mind it would have to go to the USA. Of course, now I won’t forget the address. 

[burchyk]

Vertical alignment is not a problem when focusing on vertical lines, but makes "contrast focus" much harder or downright impossible, and may mislead you when focusing on angled objects. Get it calibrated.

[adan]

On 9/21/2024 at 10:36 PM, timothyo said:

The black paint around the neck strap lugs has some wear marks. Would be interested in how people feel about restoring this sort of stuff, or should I just leave it? 

Just for the record, the M4-P exterior coating is matte black-chromium electroplating, not "paint."

The good news is that it is much tougher that paint, and only starts to show wear after quite a few years (10-20 or more).

The bad news is that it is much tougher that paint, and fairly difficult to remove and restore, especially since the black-electroplating process is deprecated these days, as being nasty stuff both in the workplace, and the environment.