dd786
Established
Hey guys. Sent my iiif to a camera repair/CLA PERSON IN KENT, England who is well known for his work on professionals’ gear and TV and news channels. I told him that the shutter was sticky and didn’t fire at all speeds and the film wonder didn’t always catch and wind. He said he could do the work, he’s been recommended on some forums for Leica work.
Anyway I get the camera back and the VF and RF are clean and the wind works and catches every time and is real smooth. Go to take a shot and KLAK!! That is a super loud shutter! Like really loud. Louder than my iiig and my ricoh SLR. I do some research and also remember a conversation with Mr CRR from Luton where he mentioned that some repairsmen simply over tension the shutter springs to get the shutter working well again but that this can relatively quickly damage the springs and breaking mechanism. This would also explain the much louder shutter...
Anyway I was quite unhappy with this but being a weekend I decided not to call the repairman, I’ll do that on Monday.
I decided to clean the winding knob so took that off. It was particularly difficult to unscrew even after loosening the tiny retaining screw. Anyway, did it and cleaned the winding knob but when trying to put it back on it seems that one of the threads either on the inside of the knob (there is a small removable brass insert that has a thread) or the thread on the black part In this picture (http://s4.photobucket.com/user/mstott/media/2009-04-30/IMG_0733.jpg.html) , has been damaged and I can’t screw them together enough to “close everything up”.
Very angry at the moment but don’t want to send it back to the repairman. I want to know if I can buy a replacement for both of these parts?
Anyway I get the camera back and the VF and RF are clean and the wind works and catches every time and is real smooth. Go to take a shot and KLAK!! That is a super loud shutter! Like really loud. Louder than my iiig and my ricoh SLR. I do some research and also remember a conversation with Mr CRR from Luton where he mentioned that some repairsmen simply over tension the shutter springs to get the shutter working well again but that this can relatively quickly damage the springs and breaking mechanism. This would also explain the much louder shutter...
Anyway I was quite unhappy with this but being a weekend I decided not to call the repairman, I’ll do that on Monday.
I decided to clean the winding knob so took that off. It was particularly difficult to unscrew even after loosening the tiny retaining screw. Anyway, did it and cleaned the winding knob but when trying to put it back on it seems that one of the threads either on the inside of the knob (there is a small removable brass insert that has a thread) or the thread on the black part In this picture (http://s4.photobucket.com/user/mstott/media/2009-04-30/IMG_0733.jpg.html) , has been damaged and I can’t screw them together enough to “close everything up”.
Very angry at the moment but don’t want to send it back to the repairman. I want to know if I can buy a replacement for both of these parts?
bluesun267
Well-known
Oh brother. I've been where you are, when I was young and foolish. Whenever a repair is not to your satisfaction, you just gotta be patient and not fuss with anything. Lecture over.
As for replacement parts, you might contact Don Goldberg at DAG Camera (in Wisconsin, USA). I recommend him highly. www.dagcamera.com
He may even list your part on his website.
As for replacement parts, you might contact Don Goldberg at DAG Camera (in Wisconsin, USA). I recommend him highly. www.dagcamera.com
He may even list your part on his website.
Chuffed Cheese
Established
If you're looking for someone in the UK, I'll recommend contacting Aperture camera shop in London. They should be able to at least let you know if they have the part.
dd786
Established
Such a bummer because I was so excited to get it back and take some shots of the snow with it. Man...
dd786
Established
Thanks bluesun, I’ll check his page out.
Steve M.
Veteran
I had a similar problem on a camera that had been CLA'd by Youxin Yee. I know, lots of people swear by him, and he's cheap, but he isn't factory trained on Leicas. I had to send the camera out to be fixed after his work, and it wasn't inexpensive. The repair person said he had adjusted the shutter tension way too tight in an effort to get the speeds up, rather than taking it all apart and cleaning things. Now everyone makes mistakes, I understand that, but this wasn't that sort of mistake. From then on I have bought only cameras that I could fix myself, or cameras that could be easily replaced if they broke. That was over ten years ago, and this has worked out perfectly.
Chuffed Cheese
Established
that's hella funny
p.giannakis
Pan Giannakis
I am NOT a repair person but I remember reading somewhere that it is the first curtain brake, the one that controls the shutter noise as it cushions the curtain at the end of its travel. I am not sure if it is necessary an overtensioned curtain the source of loud noise (although it could be).
shawn
Veteran
Just as the flip side of that a couple of months ago I had Youxin Ye CLA a Tower 45 for me. When I got it back the shutter was *much* quieter than when I dropped it off to him and winding the film took considerably less effort. It was smooth as butter after the service. He said the shutter tension was way to high and he dialed it back to get everything running at the proper speed.
Shawn
jn053
Member
When removing the wind knob, do you remember backing the set screw out more than 1 1/2 turns ? If you did that's likely the problem. The set screw on Leica IIIfs is used not only to secure the winding knob but is also used to align the knob's internal components. If you back it out much more than 1 1/2 turns, you're asking for it. It's not easy to get it reassembled your first time but it can be done. When you get it back together with the set screw screwed back in, back it out just 1 -1/4 turns and reinstall the knob assembly, after, of course , you've reinstalled the take-up shaft through the bottom right side, making sure the short vertical spring segment near the top of the shaft is properly engaged in the narrow slot cut in the small rotating hook you'll also see. Hold all that in position with your thumb while installing the wind knob.
dd786
Established
All i know is that when i played around with the camera and took some shots it didn't sound like that... Sounded much more like my iiig. Now its a whole other thing.
dd786
Established
Yeah the frost time i did
and it took a good 10 minutes under a very bright light to find the internal hole (that is actually part of the brass liner that is one of the parts that has got the damaged thread...
I got everything back together as well as the little notch and hook thing that attach to the spring bit that you mention (seems to be to stop the winder rotating the wrong way).
Its when you screw the winding know back on it doesn't screw all the way down any more and there is a gap of 1 sometimes 2 mm between the bottom of the knob and the body where it joins the frame counter. Obviously this doesn't hold the winding spindle up any more and it slips when rotating. Rubbish...
dd786
Established
Also, if over tensioning isn't the right way to fix the shutter speeds and apparently is a quick fix/shortcut that can damage things in the longer run, what is the correct way to fix the shutter issue/times? I would like to mention this to the engineer when i call him.
johannielscom
Snorting silver salts
Just stating the obvious here: by tampering with a just-serviced camera you obviously have voided any warranty you had...
dd786
Established
I don't care about the warranty Johan
particularly if the work done in the first place is sub par...I just want to get my camera fixed.
jn053
Member
I don't care about the warranty Johan
I just want to get my camera fixed.
It's tough to know exactly what the problem is but the first thing to do is check the wind knob. Screw it back on the take-up shaft, run the set screw in. If you can pull up on the knob, turn it, and see ASA settings change, you've probably got that right. Then remove the knob, reset the take-up shaft with spring properly engaged in the hook and twist the bottom of the shaft with your fingers. You should see the hook react. If the take-up shaft isn't installed correctly, it can jam the hook.
Per your shutter issue, there's no mystery there. He either overtensioned the shutter, misadjusted the shutter brake, or both.
dd786
Established
Thanks Jn053.
The knob works as normal when its screwed onto the shaft and the shaft interacts with the little hook correctly . All that is fine. I just need to replace the inside brass sleeve and the shaft because the thread is damaged on one/both of them causing the knob not to screw as far down the shaft as it should.
Yes, pretty sure based on reading/research that the shutter was over tensioned. On the plus side... at least the FV and RF were cleaned... LOL
David Hughes
David Hughes
Hi,
I've not seen it (the damaged thread) but a competent technician ought to be able to clean the threads with a simple hand tool.
The tools needed are screw gauges to measure the thread and the right taps and dies to clean the thread.
Regards, David
I've not seen it (the damaged thread) but a competent technician ought to be able to clean the threads with a simple hand tool.
The tools needed are screw gauges to measure the thread and the right taps and dies to clean the thread.
Regards, David
Dralowid
Michael
Much sympathy for the original poster. Camera sent to repair person, poor result, then voided any warranty (if any) by doing some work on it himself. Been there...
Personally I'd swallow hard, forget pride and any sense of fair play and send it to someone who will do the work properly and sort your problem at the same time.
There are plenty in the UK, others will advise who is the current favourite.
Personally I'd swallow hard, forget pride and any sense of fair play and send it to someone who will do the work properly and sort your problem at the same time.
There are plenty in the UK, others will advise who is the current favourite.