M5 Trivia Question: Preview Lever Variations

[JNewell]

I noticed recently that there seem to be three different styles of preview levers on M5 bodies. The first two styles are the early style in black and silver chrome with the retaining screw with two holes for a spanner, and then there seems to be a later style that is only black but is used on both silver and black chrome bodies, and has no holes for a spanner. Retrieving archived pictures, it looks like the later style changed, at least on chrome bodies, somewhere in the 1,354,xxx range, but I've seen pictures of silver bodies both ways in that range (not surprising, I guess, for a part of that type -- reach into the bin, take out whatever comes out and install it).

Is there any kind of back story on the change? How do the ones with no holes for the spanner come off? Thanks for any leads on an admittedly trivial point.

John Newell

 

[aizan]

i've noticed the same thing. i can only guess it was hard financial times.

you use a friction screwdriver (a rubber tipped dowel) to twist them off.

 

[HuubL]

Reviving an oldie...🙂
Looking through images of M5s I came to the conclusion that:
1. Black bodies have black levers with the white inlay
2. Chrome 2-lug bodies have chrome M4 style levers with holding screws with spanner holes
3. Chrome 3-lug bodies have the black levers with chrome holding screws without spanner holes
Originally, the three lugs were later M5s, so they got the later levers. However, you could upgrade a 2-lug body to 3-lug and possibly the older chrome 2-lugs got the updated levers as a service replacement. My new-to-arrive chrome M5 is an early (129xxxx) model, which apparently was updated to 3-lug and thus obtained the later black levers.

To be honest, I like the look of the chrome M4 type levers better.

 

[venchka]

Shakes his head...

Shakes his head...

Y'all have too much time on your hands. You should never see the lever because you're taking pictures! 😀😱😎

But seriously, I'll try to remember to look at Bigfoot & Bubba tonight. Bigfoot is an early 2 lug body with a 3rd lug from Sherry K. Bubba is a 3 lugs from the factory model. Both black so that won't answer many questions.

Be careful! The black plastic with white stripe filler piece fell out of Bigfoot's lever. The good news is that it happend in the bag & still have the piece. I put it in a safe place and didn't bother sticking it back in. I wonder what kind of glue would work?

 

[HuubL]

Y'all have too much time on your hands. You should never see the lever because you're taking pictures! 😀😱😎

Unfortunately, my M5 is still in the mail. If it was here I wouldn't fret about these trivia, but all this time waiting I spend window shopping for M5s on the web 🙂

 

[JNewell]

2. Chrome 2-lug bodies have chrome M4 style levers with holding screws with spanner holes
3. Chrome 3-lug bodies have the black levers with chrome holding screws without spanner holes

May be true as a generalization but I've seen both with both styles. At some point in time someone dumped some of the blind-faced screws into the parts bins, and at another point there were no more chrome levers in Frau X's or Herr Y's parts bin, and the next camera up got what it got.

 

[rxmd]

In fact I've never bothered about this, but I apparently have a version with spanner slots, but without inlay.

 

[Nokton48]

Mine is a 3-lug 136XXXX chrome with white stripe insert and no spanner holes. Here's something new, to finish off M5:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=180261646145:

 

[venchka]

Perhaps we have stumbled upon proof of another M5 advantage: It was the last M body built the old way by the Leitz Gnomes in Wetzler. Assembled, fit and adjusted by hand with the parts available.

 

[Nokton48]

To me, the M5 advantages (so far) are: the viewfinder, the meter, and the early build quality. Just like my M2, it has a user-friendly 35mm FOV viewfinder with killer-accurate spot- metering system, easy to see with my eyeglasses, and so far, no annoying rangefinder blackouts, etc. And, the hand-made Wetzlar build quality is equal to the earlier cameras, IMO.

 

[venchka]

Correction: Bubba lost the black & white plastic thingie in the self-timer lever.

OK, both in hand. One factory 2 lug & one factory 3 lug. They both have black no hole levers.

 

[JNewell]

The chrome 2-lug #1354-something I had also had blind screws and all-black lever inserts.

 

[HuubL]

The chrome 2-lug #1354-something I had also had blind screws and all-black lever inserts.

There goes my theory 😉 So apparently late M5s could also be 2-lugs...?

 

[JNewell]

Not sure where you're drawing the early/late line? If 1354xxx is late, yes, I'm afraid that would blow your theory that M5 was definitely a two lug and definitely had the original levers and retaining screws. I have to tell you that I replaced them with traditional chrome levers with black inserts and screws with spanner holes. I hated the way it looked when it came out of the box.