ken_nyus Posted March 2, 2009 Share #1 Posted March 2, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) I would like to understand all the inner workings of my mechanical marvel, is there any documentation out there? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted March 2, 2009 Posted March 2, 2009 Hi ken_nyus, Take a look here Anatomy of an MP?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
NB23 Posted March 2, 2009 Share #2 Posted March 2, 2009 Open up a M6 and voila. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken_nyus Posted March 2, 2009 Author Share #3 Posted March 2, 2009 I wish I had a spare to play with Ned! Any service manuals, exploded views, patent applications out there? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenneth Posted March 2, 2009 Share #4 Posted March 2, 2009 Do not attempt to open it up. Putting it back together could be extremely costly. Just enjoy using it in the knowledge that you own one of the finest mechanical miniature cameras available anywhere with some of the finest optics in it,s format 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! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/78309-anatomy-of-an-mp/?do=findComment&comment=826273'>More sharing options...
ken_nyus Posted March 2, 2009 Author Share #5 Posted March 2, 2009 Thanks Kenneth, that's the image that got me thinking about similar information for the MP. I think I have two areas of interest. One is from a practical point of view, the parts and how they fit together to function. This would include what can be repaired or adjusted by someone without special equipment. For cameras with a lifespan of 50 years or so I would think there would be a good body of practical knowledge, documentation, and advice for people who want to do it themselves. The other area of interest is just in "how it works". For instance the shutter. At slow speeds you can hear the clockwork-like mechanism spinning, but at high speeds you don't hear this. Are there two mechanisms, or just one operating at vastly different speeds? What is really selected when you turn the shutter speed dial? What really happens when you press the shutter? I've been designing software for a living for the last 20+ years, and sometimes I view this as designing imaginary machines, "thought" machines that come to life when they execute, but I very much enjoy understanding how real mechanical systems work. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
marke Posted March 2, 2009 Share #6 Posted March 2, 2009 Open up a M6 and voila. Ned, that's mean. That's just plain mean! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finnkare Posted March 2, 2009 Share #7 Posted March 2, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) The other area of interest is just in "how it works". For instance the shutter. At slow speeds you can hear the clockwork-like mechanism spinning, but at high speeds you don't hear this. Are there two mechanisms, or just one operating at vastly different speeds? What is really selected when you turn the shutter speed dial? What really happens when you press the shutter? I really am no repairman, but if I have got the right impression, the 1/15th and 1 second are the most interesting ones. The former uses audibly "two different" mechanisms and the latter makes this exciting "post exposure" whirr... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBA Posted March 3, 2009 Share #8 Posted March 3, 2009 If you want to hear a fascinating clockwork mechanism, get a Leicaflex, advance the shutter, and turn the shutter speed dial through several full rotations. Just turning the dial from about 1/30 down, never mind firing the shutter, hints at a very elaborate clockwork mechanism. I would love for someone to explain to me what's happening in there. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest maddoc2003jp Posted March 3, 2009 Share #9 Posted March 3, 2009 The other area of interest is just in "how it works". For instance the shutter. At slow speeds you can hear the clockwork-like mechanism spinning, but at high speeds you don't hear this. Are there two mechanisms, or just one operating at vastly different speeds? What is really selected when you turn the shutter speed dial? What really happens when you press the shutter? That is pretty well documented (explained and illustrated) in some repair manual of the M2 (onto which the MP's construction is based), which could be found on-line as I remember ... So it might not be necessary to open your own camera ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
giordano Posted March 3, 2009 Share #10 Posted March 3, 2009 Are there two mechanisms, or just one operating at vastly different speeds? What is really selected when you turn the shutter speed dial? A web search should find detailed information on the M2, maybe under a US military designation. PM me if you can't find it. Meanwhile, there are two mechanisms controlled by the one dial. From 1/1000 to 1/30, things are set up so that when the first shutter blind has moved a certain distance, the second shutter blind is released. The extremely precise construction and adjustment of the shutter means that the acceleration of the two blinds is sufficiently consistent for distance of travel (to be precise, angle of rotation of the spools on which the tapes of the first shutter blind) to be a good proxy for the time. From 1/15 onwards, the second mechanism - a little geared escapement - is brought into play in such a way that it has to be moved a certain distance - proportional to time - before the second shutter blind can be released. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
treeplanter Posted March 3, 2009 Share #11 Posted March 3, 2009 I would like to understand all the inner workings of my mechanical marvel, is there any documentation out there? Erwin Puts discusses some of the inner workings of the MP in this review: MP Jim B. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken_nyus Posted March 3, 2009 Author Share #12 Posted March 3, 2009 A web search should find detailed information on the M2, maybe under a US military designation. PM me if you can't find it... Thanks for the M2 idea, searching today I found this interesting page: Leica M2 / M3 / M4 CLA Overhaul Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenneth Posted March 3, 2009 Share #13 Posted March 3, 2009 Thanks Kenneth, that's the image that got me thinking about similar information for the MP. I think I have two areas of interest. One is from a practical point of view, the parts and how they fit together to function. This would include what can be repaired or adjusted by someone without special equipment. For cameras with a lifespan of 50 years or so I would think there would be a good body of practical knowledge, documentation, and advice for people who want to do it themselves. The other area of interest is just in "how it works". For instance the shutter. At slow speeds you can hear the clockwork-like mechanism spinning, but at high speeds you don't hear this. Are there two mechanisms, or just one operating at vastly different speeds? What is really selected when you turn the shutter speed dial? What really happens when you press the shutter? I've been designing software for a living for the last 20+ years, and sometimes I view this as designing imaginary machines, "thought" machines that come to life when they execute, but I very much enjoy understanding how real mechanical systems work. That is all way above my head- it just takes pictures. But I will tell you a little story if you have a minute Many years ago when I drank far more than was good for me we had been on a driven game shoot and I noticed inside my Leitz Trinovid Binoculars a speck of black which must have been some of the coating which had come away. Anyway after copious amounts of scotch I reasoned the I could take my binoculars apart and remove the offending black speck. I duly proceeded to use a small jewelers when suddenly there were springs, cogs and washers everywhere. The upshot, they had to be sent back to Leica UK to be fixed, £175.00 1984 prices. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest joewehry Posted March 3, 2009 Share #14 Posted March 3, 2009 If you want to learn a more detailed history on the inner workings, Günter Osterloh's "50 Jahre Leica M" / "50 Years Leica M" is not to be missed. Additionally, his "Leica M Advanced Photo School" book will not only help you appreciate the mechanical, but show a way to translate it into better photography. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NZDavid Posted March 4, 2009 Share #15 Posted March 4, 2009 Inside the M6 and M3 here: Leica M6 Cutaway Visual Library on a few Leica M6 Cutaway Display Units - Index Page Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken_nyus Posted March 4, 2009 Author Share #16 Posted March 4, 2009 Thanks very interesting! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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