menos
Veteran
I have worked myself and my first Leica M6 through the excellent buyers guide from the cameraquest site.
From what I understand, everything with my M6 sample looks and feels ok.
I have 2 points though, I can not judge, as I do not have experiences with other Leica M cameras:
1.) the shutter curtain seems fine after the check list for shutter speeds (after feel) and holes. There is a point, to check for the curtains closing seam on the left, to be not seen, if the shutter is ok.
On my sample, it can be seen a 2mm wide rest of, what appears to be a seal, sewed to the shutter curtain. Is that ok?
2.) The Leica M sounds and feels incredibly smooth and refined in operation in comparison to my Nikon bodies. One sound though, I do not understand - especially with the slower speeds, I can hear distinctively the low clicking, which sounds like a very light spring, which bounces back without load after the shutter sound. What is this? Is this normal?
I am still waiting for the first rolls development and will check the scans this afternoon.
As I have been tricked with the lens, I bought with the body (badly damaged rear element on 35/2 ASPH) I have a sour feeling about the deal.
From what I understand, everything with my M6 sample looks and feels ok.
I have 2 points though, I can not judge, as I do not have experiences with other Leica M cameras:
1.) the shutter curtain seems fine after the check list for shutter speeds (after feel) and holes. There is a point, to check for the curtains closing seam on the left, to be not seen, if the shutter is ok.
On my sample, it can be seen a 2mm wide rest of, what appears to be a seal, sewed to the shutter curtain. Is that ok?
2.) The Leica M sounds and feels incredibly smooth and refined in operation in comparison to my Nikon bodies. One sound though, I do not understand - especially with the slower speeds, I can hear distinctively the low clicking, which sounds like a very light spring, which bounces back without load after the shutter sound. What is this? Is this normal?
I am still waiting for the first rolls development and will check the scans this afternoon.
As I have been tricked with the lens, I bought with the body (badly damaged rear element on 35/2 ASPH) I have a sour feeling about the deal.
coelacanth
Ride, dive, shoot.
Congrats on the M6 purchase!
I am no expert, but I thought I could be a little help.
There is a recent thread talking about your question #1. Does your "seal" look like the metal bar in the pictures? If so, that should be fine. My M6 classic showed that too (probably not as much as in the picture)
Thread:
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=79496
Your question #2, you hear this "very light spring" like sound following the actual click at 1/15, don't you? That should be normal and that's kind of a characteristic of Leica M. Since M6 is fully mechanical shutter camera, slower speed shutters makes following "timer" sound after the actual click. But the sound should be consistent within same shutter speed every time.
Stephen's buyer checklist tells about shutter speed checking.
http://cameraquest.com/leicamchecklist.htm
Again, I am not an expert of Leica or mechanical cameras so you might want to wait a bit longer for some one more knowledgeable to chime in, but I don't think your M6 is not far off of anything.
I am no expert, but I thought I could be a little help.
There is a recent thread talking about your question #1. Does your "seal" look like the metal bar in the pictures? If so, that should be fine. My M6 classic showed that too (probably not as much as in the picture)
Thread:
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=79496
Your question #2, you hear this "very light spring" like sound following the actual click at 1/15, don't you? That should be normal and that's kind of a characteristic of Leica M. Since M6 is fully mechanical shutter camera, slower speed shutters makes following "timer" sound after the actual click. But the sound should be consistent within same shutter speed every time.
Stephen's buyer checklist tells about shutter speed checking.
http://cameraquest.com/leicamchecklist.htm
Again, I am not an expert of Leica or mechanical cameras so you might want to wait a bit longer for some one more knowledgeable to chime in, but I don't think your M6 is not far off of anything.
Chris101
summicronia
The pictures should tell if there is anything broken in the camera. And I know that you upgraded your lens!
menos
Veteran
Hey Chris - you here too ;-)
Thanks for the advised @ all.
I went now every evening for a roll and will have a few developed for the weekend.
I hope on the weekend, I find some time during the day for some better light.
The M3 shutter thread shows images of the left frame edge of the shutter, which looks very similar, to what my M6 looks like.
I guess, everything should be all ok.
It is still a bit uncomfortable and slow, shooting the M - pressing a button and spinning a few wheels on the Nikons is sooo easy compared to this, but I truly enjoy all the missing distractions.
Today, I found out about the RF patch glaring resulting in not being able, to focus with strong light in the frame.
The interesting thing was, rotating the camera back into horizontal and focussing first cured the RF patch glare.
This is really such a different operation than working the Nikon DSLRs (in a good way).
Thanks for the advised @ all.
I went now every evening for a roll and will have a few developed for the weekend.
I hope on the weekend, I find some time during the day for some better light.
The M3 shutter thread shows images of the left frame edge of the shutter, which looks very similar, to what my M6 looks like.
I guess, everything should be all ok.
It is still a bit uncomfortable and slow, shooting the M - pressing a button and spinning a few wheels on the Nikons is sooo easy compared to this, but I truly enjoy all the missing distractions.
Today, I found out about the RF patch glaring resulting in not being able, to focus with strong light in the frame.
The interesting thing was, rotating the camera back into horizontal and focussing first cured the RF patch glare.
This is really such a different operation than working the Nikon DSLRs (in a good way).
coelacanth
Ride, dive, shoot.
You might want to make sure your finder is not covering the small RF window when you aim in vertical position. Probably that's not the case, but I did this when I first got a M6 and still do time to time.
menos
Veteran
You might want to make sure your finder is not covering the small RF window when you aim in vertical position. Probably that's not the case, but I did this when I first got a M6 and still do time to time.
I am not sure - the RF patch was all white, when I tried to focus vertically (as I composed).
Going to horizontal, the RF patch was nice and contrasty again.
The strong light source (street light at night) was just outside the frame @ 10:00. The light level was ISO 3200 f2 1/15.
I find it strangely much easier anyway, to focus horizontally and compose vertically after focussing - I guess it's a brain thing for now {must improve RF focussing, must improve RF focussing, must improve RF focussing, …}.