[Leica] Looks stupid but it works (rangefinder repair)

[Daniel Ridings <daniel.ridings@muspro.uio.no>]

My daughter has her birthday. Yesterday evening I was taking pictures of
her and BAM ... that M6 rangefinder that was put into my M3 did its thing.
It flares in ALL available light situations. Never horizontal and vertical
shots at the same time ... but I don't like compositions to be steered by
such stupid circumstances as if the rangefinder flares or not.

So I took the corner of some white copying paper. I cut off a piece the
width of the middle window on the viewfinder and of a length that was
enough to cover the window from top to bottom and extend up over on the
top plate. I put a good crease in it and fastened it to the top plate with
some tape and let the rest cover the middle window.

I went back to the same position as before ... no flare. I lifted up the
paper, and the flare came back. It was really working. The viewfinder
lines are still there, it's easy to focus in dim light. It looks stupid
but it works like a charm.

Now I'll probably carefully cut out a piece to fit exactly over the glass
of the middle window and hold it in place with some Scotch magic tape. (To
try and make it look less stupid).

Anyone with similar problems ... give it a shot. From now on I'll always
have some paper and a roll of tape in my camera back (it's not a very
robust repair and will have to be re-worked now and then).

Makes one wonder if the whole problem couldn't be fixed with thick frosted
glass on the middle window.

Be nice,
Daniel


- --
To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html