Re: [Leica] problem

["Dan Post" <dpost@triad.rr.com>]

Kip-
Just an aside, as someone who has had a couple of IIIc bodies... still have
one, but I think it was 'fixed'!
The IIIc bodies after the war were prone to a few problems- one, the chrome-
as we all know, was thin as it was apparently a 'strategic' material and
hard to get so a lot of IIIc cameras show considerable pitting of the
chroime, Two- the RF beamsplitter tended to become dim as all I have ever
seen tend to lose the silvering on the beamsplitter. Three, most IIIc bodies
I have seen, even the first one I bought- had shutter curtains that looked
like they were made of old oilcloth tablecloths! They had a myriad- actually
, of cracks, and leaked like light an old cracked window shade!
The upside is that the IIIc, being very common and not all that collectible
is fairly cheap, and I had DAG put in new curtains, CLA the thing, and for
an extra $25 a new beamsplitter (Do they really still make them, or are
these re-silvered ones salvaged?)
Once done, it was light tight, bright, and smooth as butter. IF you don't
have a particular fetish about a flash synch, the IIIc is one of the best
deals in Leica LTM going.
As fae as changing lenses.... I just turn my considerable bulk, backside to
the light, and change away- never had a problem!
Dan ( I'll be good, now....) Post
- ----- Original Message -----
From: Kip Babington <cbabing3@swbell.net>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Thursday, June 15, 2000 1:45 PM
Subject: Re: [Leica] problem


> I had occasion to check the light tightness of my M6 shutter recently,
because I
> was checking an obviously leaky IIIc and decided just to see how the M6
fared
> under the same circumstances.  I used a bright spotlight in my darkroom,
with a
> rest that put the camera body with the lens mount facing the light.  My
meter said
> it was about 4 stops down from sunny 16.  The film (Delta 400, which I
normally
> rate @ 250 and develop in PMK pyro) showed fogging at both 20 and 40
seconds on
> the first curtain (i.e., with the shutter cocked) just barely perceptible
fogging
> at 20 seconds on the second curtain and slight fogging at 40 seconds on
the second
> curtain (but not as bad as at 20 seconds on the first curtain.)  The
fogging
> begins about a millimeter or two from what would be the top of the image
(bottom
> of the camera) and does not have an absolutely crisp top edge, so I'd
guess that
> it's not coming through the curtain material itself but around the edge
and being
> reflected from the channel in which the shutter moves.  The fogging fades
away
> toward the center of the frame, and at its widest the band is about 3mm
wide.
> There is a narrower and less dense band that appeared at the bottom of the
frame
> on the first curtain (very slight at 20 seconds, somewhat worse at 40),
but not on
> the second curtain.
>
> I was surprised to see any fogging at all (although this was much better
than the
> IIIc I was checking out) and even more surprised to see a difference
between the
> first and second shutter curtains.  I don't know if my camera is typical,
but this
> is an easy test to perform with the last few frames on a roll if anyone is
curious
> about their own body.  I'm certainly more careful about changing lenses
now, and
> if I know I'm going to change after a shot I try to remember not to wind
the film
> first.
>
> I'd be interested to know if any of the rest of you have had similar (or
> different) experiences?
>
> Cheers,
> Kip
>
> John Collier wrote:
>
> > In the M manuals it warns against changing lenses in direct sunlight. It
> > recommends, and I have always successfully followed, that you shade the
> > camera with your body. The light trap where the shutter curtains meet is
not
> > absolutely light tight and under direct sunlight with no lens it will
leak.
> >
> > John Collier
> >
> > > From: "Tofu" <topher@netvigator.com>
> > >
> > > Anyway, whenever i change the lenses on my m6, i've always had to be
careful
> > > not to do it in direct sunlight, or i get some 'additional exposure'
on the
> > > frame currently underneath the lens.....i kinda thought this was just
a
> > > hazard that came with cloth shutters, but after ruining some nice
shots, i'm
> > > really starting to get annoyed (at myself!). Is this actually just
from
> > > cloth shutters, or is my shutter coming apart? The marks are quite
large,
> > > though not very severe, so i don't think it's just little
pinholes....and it
> > > definately occurs only when i change a lens...
> > > any advice? TIA...........
> > > tofu!
> > > anyone ever used the nocti for infrared?
> > >
>