III f heartstopper

[zauhar]

I don't recall all of the details, especially the sequence, but I had a very similar issue with my IIIc/f years ago.

I think I may have bumped the R lever late in a roll and it seemed to lose tension and caused an offset in the speed dial just like yours.

IIRC, I shot the rest of the roll and it cleared itself upon releasing of the spool.

Jeff, that is the kind of answer I was hoping for. ;-)

Thanks!!

Randy

 

[batterytypehah!]

The screws are not recessed on my IIIf RDST (S/N 773xxx); they are approximately even with the knurling.

The OP has a IIIf black dial.

@ zauhar: You need a flat screwdriver (no such abomination as a Phillips head to be found on a Barnack 😉). Nominal 1.4mm and fairly sharp. Your electronics kit likely won't do unless ground thinner. I have a Craftsman set (no. 4107) which works out of the box.

 

[Spavinaw]

I never have normal problems. Several months ago I bought a IIIf RD ST from Youxin. Right off the bat it seemed the shutter speed dial would get an infinitesimal bit out of line every time I released the shutter. Soon it was seriously misaligned. Simple fix. Loosen set screws. Align dial. Tighten set screws. Job done! But noooo. The problem remained. So I removed the dial and found there there is an intermediate ring between the dial and the shaft. It also has set screws. These were loose letting the intermediate ring turn on the shaft. Once these were tightened on the shaft and the dial replaced, the problem was solved.
Useful bit of trivia: The screws from some reading glasses that you get at the Dollar Store will work as set screws for the shutter speed dial. Obviously they have to be the proper size thread but also the heads have to be thin enough to rotate past the shoe atop the camera. I would think any shop dealing in eyeglasses might have some of these screws.

 

[zauhar]

I never have normal problems. Several months ago I bought a IIIf RD ST from Youxin. Right off the bat it seemed the shutter speed dial would get an infinitesimal bit out of line every time I released the shutter. Soon it was seriously misaligned. Simple fix. Loosen set screws. Align dial. Tighten set screws. Job done! But noooo. The problem remained. So I removed the dial and found there there is an intermediate ring between the dial and the shaft. It also has set screws. These were loose letting the intermediate ring turn on the shaft. Once these were tightened on the shaft and the dial replaced, the problem was solved.
Useful bit of trivia: The screws from some reading glasses that you get at the Dollar Store will work as set screws for the shutter speed dial. Obviously they have to be the proper size thread but also the heads have to be thin enough to rotate past the shoe atop the camera. I would think any shop dealing in eyeglasses might have some of these screws.

Uh oh - I hope this is not my issue. I like Jeff's answer better. ;-(

Seriously, I am pretty certain that I accidentally caught the rewind lever with my finger. I am still finishing the current roll, I will see if the problem "clears" once I load fresh film.

Randy

 

[anjoca76]

Though I can certainly understand your wanting to figure out what's going on, and possibly try to fix it yourself--I'm the same way--knowing Youxin, he would definitely want to take care of whatever is wrong with a camera he sold you. I'm sure he'd prioritize it and get it back to you asap.

 

[brachal]

If the problem hasn't sorted itself out, I would definitely recommend contacting Youxin. I would much rather be without the camera for a week or two than turn a minor problem into a major one with an amateur DIY repair attempt.

 

[burancap]

Uh oh - I hope this is not my issue. I like Jeff's answer better.

Well, my fingers are crossed for you!

I wish I could have been more definitive, but it was a long time ago. So, last night, I pulled out my IIIc/f and a test roll and I could NOT repeat the "slip."

I ask the following because I do not know: Is the speed shaft not splined, D'd, etc... to prevent this sort of thing? It seems strange that it would not be -and one would think you would hear of this scenario much more often if it weren't...

I guess the issue now is (if it has indeed slipped on the shaft) which direction did it slip and by how much?

 

[zauhar]

Jeff, it definitely felt like I did something wrong - my thumb collided with something. However, when I looked at it I don't remember the rewind lever having been disturbed, and I certainly would have noticed. Maybe I caught the speed dial itself?

In any event, I needed to turn the advance quite a few times before it grabbed again.

I am almost done with the roll - not sure exactly where I am, as the counter got messed up with all the extra advances.

Bill, I will not try a DIY repair. My last attempt (on a light meter) did not have a positive outcome. ;-(

Thanks!

Randy

 

[dave lackey]

Keep us updated Randy...hope all goes well.🙂 Nothing like a good mystery.

 

[hteasley]

My film advance on my IIIf lost traction similarly. Youxin fixed it up for me, when he installed the SCNOO. There was some loosening that caused the take-up spool gear to disengage... he did much more to the camera at the time, so I don't know what was done to specifically address this.

 

[goamules]

I sent a new to me IIIc to Youxin for a CLA, where he discovered a bad shutter. When I loaded my first roll, the same winding problem the OP describes happened. When near the end of the roll of film, the wind would suddenly "break free" causing double exposure problems and such. I sent it back, where he fixed something in the wind mechanism and returned it to me. I put the second roll in it, and when I got it back discovered multiple light leaks from missing/bad seals. I sent is to another repairman, who has Leica factory training. He said there were still several things wrong, dirt inside, etc. Just relating what he told me. But from the above comments, it does seem the winding brake/clutch problem is common.