Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/02/28

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: M6 Vertical ALignment
From: Walter S Delesandri <walt@jove.acs.unt.edu>
Date: Sun, 28 Feb 1999 20:01:19 -0600 (CST)

Hi, Sandy....no, the vertical displacement probably won't affect 
the focus...no, you can't adjust it with a screwdriver....yes, it's 
very common...that's what I've bitched about for years, and 
yes, once you notice it it'll bother the shit out of you.....I used 
my M4-P for a couple YEARS before I adjusted it, and no, contrary 
to the list, I don't suggest trying to do it through the 'hole'...
with or without Leica's bullshit tool....it ain't the same 
adjustment as Leicas of old.....I'm convinced that the 'tool' was 
a sad apology for a shitty design flaw, and the tool came AFTER the 
design.....but what the hell do I know?  Certainly, after building 
half their cameras out of adjustment, Leica wouldn't *LIE* to 
me, now would they...but I digress.....

If you can, do what I did....use the hell out of it until you 
have a little dust/haze/sticky slow speeds/whatever, then when 
it needs it, do the RFDR, too....I love mine now.....but they still 
glued the FU**ING second shutter curtain a tiny bit crooked on the 
GODDAMN SHUTTER DRUM.....no, it doesn't bother a thing....it's only 
a tiny fraction of a mm.....but these are the most expensive F******
bodies in the world, can't they do any F****** thing right?  Oh 
well, I guess I'll just have to burn a hole in the damn curtain 
to have a reason to replace the crooked son-of-a-bitch....

Yeah, I know, everybody has X-number of Mx bodies that they've 
used since all the inhabitants of the earth walked on all fours, 
or swam in the ooze, and they've never needed adjustment, etc....
bullshit....WELCOME TO LEICA M....why do we do it?

Walt

On
Mon, 1
Mar 1999 sandyquandt@centuryinter.net wrote:

>   Hello everyone!
>   
>   First, many thanks to Eric, Ted, and others who have offered film loading 
> technique advice. I promise that I shall continue to practice until this 
> process becomes second nature. Also, thank you to everyone who offered advice 
> regarding a second M6 body; I'm eagerly awaiting its arrival!
>   
>   While focusing my M6, I noticed that the vertical alignment is very 
> *slightly* out of sync. The horizontal alignment is perfect, and, from 
> searching the archives, it seems as if most agree that a slight vertical 
> misalignment is somewhat common and does not affect focus. Since I'm getting a 
> second M6, should I send my M6 in for adjustment, or is it ok to simply wait 
> until the vertical misalignment becomes so pronounced as to become distracting? 
> I read a few posts in the archive about removing the red dot and doing the 
> adjustment with a jeweler's screwdriver; has anyone tried this? (I tend to be 
> somewhat mechanically inclined...) I try to not obsess about gear, and the 
> misalignment is not particularly bothersome at this point; however, I don't 
> want to procrastinate about having the M6 adjusted if this will cause problems 
> in the future.
>   
>   Thanks for your patience with my Leica-neophyte questions!
>   
>   Sandy 
>