kenneth Posted May 25, 2009 Author Share #41 Posted May 25, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) Kenneth Leica M cameras are notoriously poorly weather sealed. I never let mine get wet, even in a light shower. Thanks for that Andy, it was something I was wondering and thought I would get the answer here Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted May 25, 2009 Posted May 25, 2009 Hi kenneth, Take a look here The Achilles heel of camera and watches?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
marknorton Posted May 25, 2009 Share #42 Posted May 25, 2009 Unless that comment is tongue in cheek, I think you are bring over-protective... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NZDavid Posted May 25, 2009 Share #43 Posted May 25, 2009 Leica M cameras are notoriously poorly weather sealed. I never let mine get wet, even in a light shower. I never take my Leica M cameras into the shower in the first place. As for batteries in watches and cameras, they harm the environment. Long live mechanical cameras and watches! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenneth Posted May 25, 2009 Author Share #44 Posted May 25, 2009 Unless that comment is tongue in cheek, I think you are bring over-protective... I don't even begin to know what you mean and anyway I am sure Andy is quite capable of looking after himself Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnastovall Posted May 25, 2009 Share #45 Posted May 25, 2009 Kenneth Leica M cameras are notoriously poorly weather sealed. I never let mine get wet, even in a light shower. And that's why nobody used them in Vietnam. Unless Horst Faas, Tim Page, Larry Burrows, David Douglas Duncan and many others knew something we don't. Page and Leica. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenneth Posted May 25, 2009 Author Share #46 Posted May 25, 2009 And that's why nobody used them in Vietnam. Unless Horst Faas, Tim Page, Larry Burrows, David Douglas Duncan and many others knew something we don't. Page and Leica. But I believe one can have them tropicalised which enables them to withstand extremes, certainly I've heard of the mountaineering community having this done before taking thier cameras into the Greater Ranges or the Poles Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnastovall Posted May 25, 2009 Share #47 Posted May 25, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) But I believe one can have them tropicalised which enables them to withstand extremes, certainly I've heard of the mountaineering community having this done before taking thier cameras into the Greater Ranges or the Poles Nope, DDD took his M3D directly from Saigon to cover the Democratic Convention in Chicago. You need to learn more about Leicas. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted May 25, 2009 Share #48 Posted May 25, 2009 I still wouldn't let mine get wet, and there have been several stories on this very forum with regards to M8s going TU due to water ingress. Last time I looked, my M2 and M7 were pretty short on o-rings. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnastovall Posted May 25, 2009 Share #49 Posted May 25, 2009 That's the nice thing about pre-M5's. Just dry it out and go on, electrics to get in the way. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenneth Posted May 25, 2009 Author Share #50 Posted May 25, 2009 Nope, DDD took his M3D directly from Saigon to cover the Democratic Convention in Chicago. You need to learn more about Leicas. I'm sorry but you can't honestly know that. The camera would have been tropicalised before he went to Saigon and I would also prefer to take the advise that Andy gave as his information can be quantified. But we have strayed away from the original point slightly and I would be very interested to explore the advantages that could be gained by Leica offering a re fit service using ceramic parts which might just mean service interval could be extended for those wishing to take advantage of it. It could be very beneficial indeed to your M5 and might save on the amount of service your camera needed Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted May 25, 2009 Share #51 Posted May 25, 2009 If John says that's what happened to that M3 then there's no reason on earth to disbelieve him. I trust him completely in this And as for Leica making ceramic replacement parts - forget it. Ms only need a CLA once every 10 years in normal circumstances anyway. Even if they had ceramic parts you would still need to have a clean and adjust every now and again anyway. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenneth Posted May 25, 2009 Author Share #52 Posted May 25, 2009 If John says that's what happened to that M3 then there's no reason on earth to disbelieve him. I trust him completely in this And as for Leica making ceramic replacement parts - forget it. Ms only need a CLA once every 10 years in normal circumstances anyway. Even if they had ceramic parts you would still need to have a clean and adjust every now and again anyway. Interesting Leica UK reckon more than that but I cannot remember exactly how long they said as I was asking them something else at the time Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnastovall Posted May 25, 2009 Share #53 Posted May 25, 2009 I'm sorry but you can't honestly know that. The camera would have been tropicalised before he went to Saigon and I would also prefer to take the advise that Andy gave as his information can be quantified. But we have strayed away from the original point slightly and I would be very interested to explore the advantages that could be gained by Leica offering a re fit service using ceramic parts which might just mean service interval could be extended for those wishing to take advantage of it. It could be very beneficial indeed to your M5 and might save on the amount of service your camera needed No, they were not "tropicalised". I suggest anyone interested in Leicas in Vietnam read: "War Without Heros" by David Douglas Duncan, the section on the equipment he used. "Page After Page" by Tim Page through out the book. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob_x2004 Posted May 26, 2009 Share #54 Posted May 26, 2009 Andy the MP,R6.2,R9 drip dry. I'd suggest M2,3,6 same. The R9 surprised me. About the only thing that will ruin a good mechanical Leica is letting Solms at it for a repair or CLA. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
doubice Posted May 26, 2009 Share #55 Posted May 26, 2009 Term 'tropicalised' never existed in the Leitz service dictionary...... Cameras used to be 'winterized', which involved removing the regular lubricant and replacing it with one of thinner viscosity - for obvious reasons.... I have never heard of 'tropicalisation' and neither has any Leica technician. As to making Leicas last forever without needing CLA using ceramic parts - that is pure fantasy. Finders need cleaning, rangefinders need adjustment, shutter curtains need tension adjustment etc. etc. - I could go on and on about items that cannot use 'ceramic parts'. Having said that, my 1986 Wetzlar M6 (bought new in 1986) has never been opened and performs flawlessly after many thousands of actuations and after having travelled the world. All that without any 'ceramic parts'...... Best, Jan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
waileong Posted May 26, 2009 Share #56 Posted May 26, 2009 My Nokia phone keeps perfect time, I have it with me all times and I don't see the point in wearing an expensive piece of jewellery. If you buy a Leica because you want to use Leica lenses, because you feel they are technically the best at what they do, why would you bother with a troublesome unreliable inefficient piece of jewellery to wear on your wrist which will give you an approximate time at best? 1. Why would anyone think that the purpose of wearing a piece of jewellery is to tell accurate time? 2. Indeed, why is accurate time so important? If a mechanical Swiss watch is off 10s compared to a cheap Timex, what's the big deal? We're not talking about life and death here. Milisecond-level accuracy is not the most important factor in choosing a watch. 3. Same for cameras, same for Leica's-- the best camera is not the one with the most features or the most accurate exposure. Everyone has his own needs which determines what's "technically best" for him, and "best" can be measured along a lot of dimensions, of which technological features and specifications are but one dimension. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJP Posted May 26, 2009 Share #57 Posted May 26, 2009 With an M8 as jewellery you do not need a watch. Just take a picture of your feet and press info in picture review. You get the time and date (not very accurately admittedly - at least with my M8). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomasis7 Posted May 26, 2009 Share #58 Posted May 26, 2009 About the only thing that will ruin a good mechanical Leica is letting Solms at it for a repair or CLA. how do you mean? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChadHahn Posted May 27, 2009 Share #59 Posted May 27, 2009 DDD might have gone straight from 'Nam to Chicago with his non-weatherized Leicas, but he also had at least three cameras with him in that picture. Plus if one of the cameras quit working I'm sure he could have gotten a new one in Saigon and charged it to his agency. Most of us don't have that luxury. I read somewhere that Rolex (and probably other companies) used whale oil in their watches. It was able to get down to very low temperatures before it got too viscous. Chad Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finnkare Posted May 27, 2009 Share #60 Posted May 27, 2009 I read somewhere that Rolex (and probably other companies) used whale oil in their watches. It was able to get down to very low temperatures before it got too viscous. I don't know about the specific type of Rolex oils, but I heard that our country's Leica repairer uses the oil used for Rolex's. He said it's very expensive and better than the Leica's, at least the old bottles he has. He said they lose their qualities during time and Leica is not the most happy in delivering new. The same goes for spare parts etc. He's going to visit the factory, though, and hopes to get to know the new bosses better. I also don't know if it would be better to use the Leica's 13 different oils or whatever. Maybe it would. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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