Leica III Flash Sync query.

[-Nash-]

I just received my repaired Leica III back from YYE cameras and he told me that he was not familiar with the type of flash socket installed on the camera.

Its not uncommon to see flash modded I\II\III units but I would like to know what the norm would have been when it comes down to sync speeds and equipment.

 

[colyn]

Did he not disassemble the camera?

This is a somewhat common aftermarket mod.. Most seldom sync properly though.

Usually some sort of cam/contact mechanism is concocted and added to the rotating shaft of the shutter drum and sync is calibrated by either bending the contact or moving it one way or the other.

I've even seen one where the lobe is brazed onto the speed disk.

 

[Luddite Frank]

I have a black III with the PC socket flush with the top of the RF housing, somewhere between the shoe and the rewind knob, and another one with the PC socket placed like the one in Nash's photo, except the co-ax center is flush with the outer bezel.

The "worst" ones ( IMHO ) are the one mounted on the front of the camera, with the PC stub sticking-out from the face of the vulcanite. Actually, the one through the top of the RF housing of my black III is pretty bad too... I think it's right through the Ernst Leitz Wetzlar logo... 🙁

As for the sync accuracy, I haven't checked mine for accuracy as far as electronic flash goes, but I did use one with flash-bulbs (M-3 B) at a Christmas party a few years ago, with the shutter set at 1/30, and things seemed to work okay, except for my forgetting how guide numbers work, so many of my shots were over-exposed.... none mis-fired, which is more than I could say for my III-f...


Luddite Frank

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

What you have written " he told me that he was not familiar with the type of flash socket installed on the camera" suggests to me that the socket is not the normal 3mm co-axial one.

And it can't be the weird M series socket as it would be recognised when being repaired etc and so that leaves what?

As for sync speeds, usually 1/30th or, sometimes, an odd one in between 20 and 30. But your one seems to have the run-of-the-mill shutter speed knob.

Have you tried it with a flash yet?

Regards, David

 

[-Nash-]

The oldest flash unit I have is an Olympus Pen flash (I don't have a bulb though - d'oh! It would certainly help if I had one!). I thought the plug on the Leica would accept it at first but the flash plug barely fits into the socket. Its just won't go in fully and it pops out easily.

 

[charjohncarter]

Mine is in a different place (IIIf). And has a locking feature that was Leica.