advance lever on M9

[moreammo]

The more i shoot the M9 the more i like it. the only thing i would change is i would prefer an advance lever to recock the shutter instead of a motor. it would be quiter and would have a better feel. Obviously the RD-1 has this, but i want one on my M9. I wonder what it would take to customize this... maybe canobolize the inner workings of a film M to make it happen. i'm not sure about the differences, i know the M9 has a metal shutter and my M6 had a cloth one. does anyone know if these are interchangeable or if any film M's had a similar metal shutter? i would assume the metal shutter is used to save space inside the camera body and that there are electronics in the way that might cause some issues for this but sure would be nice to swap the motor for a lever... of course i'm not sure i would want to tear apart a working film M so i would need to find busted one with a usable shutter... i guess i can dream.

 

[sepiareverb]

Very unlikely. The innards of the M9 are likely quite densely packed compared to an M6.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Very unlikely. The innards of the M9 are likely quite densely packed compared to an M6.

Exactly. There just isn't room. Hard to believe, and in fact downright counter-intuitive, but true. Apparently they considered one at the design stage, but decided it was too difficult (and probably unnecessary as well).

Cheers,

R.

 

[moreammo]

i feel better knowing they considered it 🙂

inside i know that a tiny motor takes up much less space than a simple gear and ratchet mechanism but still i long for one 🙂

 

[moreammo]

are there any images of a disassembled M9? i have searched and the best i can find is when Kai painted one pink... and the leica factory assembly video. can't see much in either of those. my problem is i am a tinkerer and i am afraid i may do the unthinkable and take apart my M9 just to see what it would take...

 

[dogberryjr]

I'd settle for a motor that didn't sound like a Polaroid belching.

 

[moreammo]

I'd settle for a motor that didn't sound like a Polaroid belching.

yeah me too, if it was a silent task then i would likely not care. i imagine the majority of the noise comes from the shutter blades themselves... the the high pitch wine of the motor... not sure. it could definitely be a less obtrusive sound. discrete mode is fine but when i remove my finger i still have to hear it. i do miss the sound of the M6 and feel of the lever though.

 

[jaapv]

The M6 on a winder is noisier than the M9...🙄

Mark Norton's "Anatomy of the M8" thread on LUF shows a complete disassembly of the M8, which is quite similar to the M9.
Not only is the shutter completely unsuitable for manual recock, there is not even the smallest space left for that kind of thing.

 

[Keith]

I'll just sit here smugly playing with the re-cocking lever of my RD-1 while you guys discuss what Leica should have done! 😀

 

[kbg32]

Don't play too much Keith or you'll break it!

 

[kuzano]

A magazine of memory cards....

A magazine of memory cards....

It might be more appropriate and justifiable if the engineers designed a ten count memory card magazine, and the cocking lever not only cock the shutter, but at the appropriate interval (a sensor reading the memory card full is what I imagine) the cocking lever would eject the currently in use memory card back into the "clip" as it would called in my imagination. Then a fresh memory card would be loaded into the memory card slot.

In my fantasy, I see the capability to use different capacities and write speeds of memory cards, and the camera properly sensing each variation.

It may be too late for inclusion of this wondrous feature into the M10, but would be a justification for immediately beginning on work for the feature set to rationalize yet another digital M, now that monochrome and the M10 are almost on the table.

If Leica Marketing hears of my idea for a clip fed, lever cocking, monochrome or color, FF, Digital M, they will immediately begin pounding and drooling on the R&D team to get to work on this new feature/idea/$$$$maker.

I like to think of it as the "Glock of M's", or instead of M11... how about MGlock???

 

[Vickko]

Here's the guts of an M8. No room for a mechanical advance.

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-m8-forum/21331-anatomy-leica-m8.html

Vick

 

[Vickko]

And that RF mechanism takes up a LOT of volume.

 

[SilverPix]

Take it one step further back... Get rid of the LCD and let the wind lever provide all the electrical power the camera ever needs.

 

[Joe AC]

What would be great is a "mock" advance lever for better handling in lieu of a thumbs up. Perhaps on the M10.

Joe

 

[Keith]

What would be great is a "mock" advance lever for better handling in lieu of a thumbs up. Perhaps on the M10.

Joe

Why not ... after all Fuji have given us a 'mock' rangefinder! 😀

 

[V-12]

What would be great is a "mock" advance lever for better handling in lieu of a thumbs up. Perhaps on the M10.

Joe

There is something already available for the M9, M8, MM, or even M6 etc. where a motor is used. It is called the 'Thumbie', it leaves your hot shoe free unlike a Thumbs Up. Available on Ebay.

 

[rxmd]

Take it one step further back... Get rid of the LCD and let the wind lever provide all the electrical power the camera ever needs.

Good luck with that.

 

[Lss]

discrete mode is fine but when i remove my finger i still have to hear it.

I use the discrete mode (M8), and when one frame is sufficient I lower the camera before releasing the shutter. Silent operation or manual mechanism would be nicer of course. As long as we are dreaming of new solutions that will likely never happen, I would like to have manual lever for single shot and automatic for continuous. 🙂

 

[moreammo]

Here's the guts of an M8. No room for a mechanical advance.

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-m8-forum/21331-anatomy-leica-m8.html

Vick

Wow that is detailed!!! i couldn't help but notice the shutter lever is at the bottom of the chassis... maybe some kind of licavit 🙂