kenneth Posted November 10, 2008 Share #1 Posted November 10, 2008 Advertisement (gone after registration) I have noticed that the frame counter on on of my M6 Classics does not quite line up with the markers indicating the frame number. The reason I noticed this is because the frame counter on my other M6 is spot on. I spoke to a dealer this afternoon who said that the drive cog could have a broken tooth which would cause this but he reckoned that it was nothing to worry about as long as the frames on the negs are not overlapping. I checked the last two rolls of negs through the camera and the spacing is uniform throughout. But just thought I'd run it past the group for comment- Thank you Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted November 10, 2008 Posted November 10, 2008 Hi kenneth, Take a look here M6 Frame Counter/. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
earleygallery Posted November 10, 2008 Share #2 Posted November 10, 2008 My guess it that its been taken apart at some point, i.e. when serviced, and not put back on accurately. My M2 is similar, the lines aren't level with the pointer, but its not worth worrying about. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenneth Posted November 10, 2008 Author Share #3 Posted November 10, 2008 My guess it that its been taken apart at some point, i.e. when serviced, and not put back on accurately. My M2 is similar, the lines aren't level with the pointer, but its not worth worrying about. Thanks James. I don't know about you but something like this niggles until I sort it out, and you have done just that thank you Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenneth Posted November 11, 2008 Author Share #4 Posted November 11, 2008 One other interesting point that I would like to share. since the late 60's I have had a plethora of different cameras starting with a Pentax Spotmatic through various Nikons, Nikkormat, a F, an F2as, F3HP, and an FM2n, a Contax system, an Olympus OM2n a brief time with medium format. Since the 80's I have always purchased cameras second hand with no problems at all until, that is, recently when I bought a Leica R8 which had a minor fault and I decided not to keep it and my recently acquired M6's, one of which has a frame counter minor problem. All the other cameras never needed as much as a new battery. In fact I have never bought or installed a camera battery. Am I to assume Leica cameras are more temperamental?, I keep reading about Leica cameras needing service. What is that? I have never needed a camera serviced in my life Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted November 11, 2008 Share #5 Posted November 11, 2008 Kenneth, if you've never replaced a battery I doubt you've ever owned a camera long enough to judge how reliable they are! FWIW I have a lllf, owned for over 20yrs, not been serviced by me but still going strong. My M2, serviced when bought a couple of years ago, working fine (albeit with the ever so slightly off frame counter) and my R3 bought new and also still 100% perfect. That's a pretty good record of reliability I'd say. I've also owned or own some of the other cameras you mention. Spotmatic, non working flash hotshoe, Nikon F2a non working meter, Nikon FM broken rewind lever, Bronica broken shutter. Remember also that people will post threads here if they suffer problems with their cameras, but are unlikely to post something like "I used my M6 today and it worked perfectly well, no problems to report!" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJP Posted November 11, 2008 Share #6 Posted November 11, 2008 When I bought my M2 I had it CLA'd as the slow shutter timings (1/4, ½ & 1 s) were audibly off by a factor 2 or so. But it had been lying dormant for about 20 years so that was no major surprise. My FM2 needed the exposure meter to be serviced as it was all over the place. Probably just some crap in the contacts. In both cases I would count that as totally reliable in view of the age. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenneth Posted November 11, 2008 Author Share #7 Posted November 11, 2008 Advertisement (gone after registration) Fair point James regarding batteries. Interestingly, our daughter has my old OM2n which I bought in the late 80's and when I saw her recently we went out to take some pictures and the original battery was still fine. But, yes I did change cameras quite often and for no particular reason but now in my dotage and having acquired a Leica M camera I am not planning changing it, in this lifetime anyway, so I guess I wish to make sure everything is OK. I have always regarded Leica M lenses as the best, optically, in the world and I am so grateful to have been in a position to buy a couple of them and the M6 bodies seem so robust and well made and not battery reliant. I guess this explanation might go someway to indicate where I am coming from. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
phc Posted November 13, 2008 Share #8 Posted November 13, 2008 Leica rangefinders are extremely complex carefully set-up machines, having more in common with an automatic watch than most modern cameras. Any mechanism made to such fine tolerances will need periodic, but regular, servicing to remain on the top line. This doesn't mean, despite what some owners seem to believe, that you have to send it to Solms every year when it's only been sitting on your mantelpiece though! Cheers, P. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenneth Posted November 24, 2008 Author Share #9 Posted November 24, 2008 Leica rangefinders are extremely complex carefully set-up machines, having more in common with an automatic watch than most modern cameras. Any mechanism made to such fine tolerances will need periodic, but regular, servicing to remain on the top line. This doesn't mean, despite what some owners seem to believe, that you have to send it to Solms every year when it's only been sitting on your mantelpiece though! Cheers, P. Interesting you should say that. I spoke to Leica service today, in fact Mr Herriot, to be precise, about the frame counter mis alinement which I am experiencing with my newly acquired M6. He said that it was nothing to worry about and would only take half an hour to fix if it really concerned me. I suggested that I might wait until the camera needs a to be serviced and he said, well you could wait 20 years for that to happen. This seems in contradiction to the comments you make but I guess I will trust what a Leica mechanic says if you will forgive me. And, yes I do agree with you that many posters on this forum do overstate the amount of service a mechanical camera needs. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted November 24, 2008 Share #10 Posted November 24, 2008 "Regular" can mean once every 20 years... My M2 was serviced by Leica a couple of years ago. I expect to have it done again when I retire in 2026. My M7 will need looking at during the same year, so that's something to plan for. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenneth Posted November 25, 2008 Author Share #11 Posted November 25, 2008 "Regular" can mean once every 20 years... My M2 was serviced by Leica a couple of years ago. I expect to have it done again when I retire in 2026. My M7 will need looking at during the same year, so that's something to plan for. Yes, quite so. In fact 20 years was Mr Herriot's time scale when I spoke to him today. It was also good to hear that the problem could be sorted very easily, 30 minutes, if it worsens but he thought that unlikely. he was very helpful and reassuring by the way. it is good to know that this sort of professional backup is available here in the UK Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
phc Posted November 25, 2008 Share #12 Posted November 25, 2008 I don't see a contradiction - the period between maintenance depends entirely on how much the camera is used and how roughly it is used. Cheers, P. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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