Leica LTM Leica IIIF shutter release probleml

Leica M39 screw mount bodies/lenses
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AnthonyM

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I just got a IIIF on Ebay. Seller said it was fine and in working order. I guess it works, but when I press the shutter release button, it takes about 4 pounds of pressure to do so. It makes a click sound and then the shutter goes off. There is something resisiting in the shutter release button. Again, to explain it better, it does not go down gently. It feels like it is glued in place until you push hard downward on it. Then you hear the click, and immediatley another click which is the shutter going off. The speeds seem fine. Everything seems to work, except the hard resistance of the shutter release button. Any ideas as to why this happens? I had a IIIC 45 years ago. I used mainly 4x5 over the years. Now I want to relive the good old days, so I got a Leica again with a 50 Summitar. I hope this one is not a lemon.
 
welcome to the forum.
if you remove the thin metal cover where the loading diagram is via the two screws, you can see if the pawl is clearing the cam with the notch in it.
 
I have a IIIa and a IIIf, and have never encountered the problem. My IIIf is full of film, so I can't examine it, but I opened the bottom of the IIIa to refresh my memory of how the release works. The shutter release button presses down on a lever spring that, in turn, releases the shutter. There should be no resistance. Take the bottom plate off and play with the release. There could be something jammed below the lever spring.

Jim N.
 
if the flat release spring is not set right, it will not move the pawl enough to clear the cut away in the 1st curtain release cam.
check Kim's Pentax manual for the Leica Screwmount pdf file., page L3
this was on the the J9 thread of yesterday.
the release setup on the IIIa is different than on the IIIf
 
Last edited:
Thank you gentlemen for your response. I think the problem began when I tried to unload the camera. I moved the rewind arrow to R and rewound the film. I later read on a thread that on a IIIF, you have to first push down the shutter release before moving the little arrow to R. I did not do that. Do you think that had something to do with it? When I opened the bottow and took off the bottom plate, I noted that the parts rub against each other near the end of the spool when I push down on the shutter. Looks like a tiny piece of thin metal is protruding against the piece that moves up and down causing it to rub. I will take it to the repair shop today.

I am buying another Leica body, this time a IIIc, so I can have two. Also, my bright line 50mm Leica finder arrived yesterday and it is fantastic. It really is much better than the viewfinder on my IIIF. I can keep both eyes open when I view the image after using the rangefinder focus. It makes this camera a real joy to view with.

Once again, thank you for your response.
 
AnthonyM said:
Thank you gentlemen for your response. I think the problem began when I tried to unload the camera. I moved the rewind arrow to R and rewound the film. I later read on a thread that on a IIIF, you have to first push down the shutter release before moving the little arrow to R. I did not do that. Do you think that had something to do with it? When I opened the bottow and took off the bottom plate, I noted that the parts rub against each other near the end of the spool when I push down on the shutter. Looks like a tiny piece of thin metal is protruding against the piece that moves up and down causing it to rub. I will take it to the repair shop today.

I am buying another Leica body, this time a IIIc, so I can have two. Also, my bright line 50mm Leica finder arrived yesterday and it is fantastic. It really is much better than the viewfinder on my IIIF. I can keep both eyes open when I view the image

after using the rangefinder focus. It makes this camera a real joy to view with.

Once again, thank you for your response.
Click to expand...
Welcome to the forum and back to the world of LTM's.

I don't see anything in the original IIIf manual about pushing the shutter release before setting to "r"ewind. I don't do this with my IIIc or IIIf and they are OK after rewinding the film.

You can find a PDF copy of the manual here:
http://www.butkus.org/chinon/leica/leica_if_iif_iiif/leica_if_iif_iiif.htm
 
With thread-mount Leicae, as well as early Nikon, moving the the "A - R" lever to "R" usually depresses the shutter release automatically...

Neither "The Leica Handbook" nor the factory instruction manual for my III-f mention anything about depressing the shutter release before swinging the lever to "R"...
 
AnthonyM said:
Well, here it is gentlemen, right out of the Leica IIIF manual. It says you must push down the shutter release prior to moving the arrow to A.

http://yandr.50megs.com/leica/3f/page18.htm
Click to expand...


That's most interesting! That quote looks to be from the green cover IIIf black dial booklet, but the blue cover booklet changes Step 1 (on page 34) to:

"Set the reversing lever 16 from A to R in order to disengage the automatic coupling of the film advance and shutter mechanism."

And the later white cover booklet, covering the red dial, (including the self timer version, and on page 35 now), has this for Step 1:

"To unload the camera set the reversing lever (16) to R (Reverse). This disengages the automatic coupling of the film transport and the shutter mechaniam.

I don't ever remember having problems with my IIIa, or with my IIIf RD, after rewinding the film without pressing down the shutter release first.

Hmm...

- Steve Busch
Duncan, SC
 
Early this morning , I took my Leica with the sticking shutter to my repair guy whom I,ve used for 10 years. He told me to come back this evening after 6 pm and he would have it done for me. He was going to Europe in the morning and knew I wanted it asap.
When I came back this evening, I paid $100. He told me all it needed was a cleaning, but admitted the shutter still stuck but was about 50 % better. I thought he had cleaned the windows inside so the view in the rangefinder would be brighter. I can hardly see through the viewfinder. It is cloudy and I have to focus on the light in my room to see a faint double image. He said there was nothing he could do because of the age of the camera and that the view not as good as the view on an M Leica.

I went home. I noticed my eyeglasses were scratched on the right side where I look into the viewfinder. I guess the IIIF eyepiece was the culprit.

Anyway, I was happy to have my camera and decide to have a look at it. I cocked and clicked the shutter, and did so at all speeds including the slow ones on the little dial. The sound was short and fast. Every speed, including B and T made this fast sound. At no time did the shutter open and close. I saw that the curtain made one very fast pass without opening.

My repair man was on his was to Europe now and I have to wait two weeks for my IIIF. I am wonder ing if I should just bring it to someone else to fix.
 
Steve B. said:
That's most interesting! That quote looks to be from the green cover IIIf black dial booklet, but the blue cover booklet changes Step 1 (on page 34) to:

"Set the reversing lever 16 from A to R in order to disengage the automatic coupling of the film advance and shutter mechanism."

And the later white cover booklet, covering the red dial, (including the self timer version, and on page 35 now), has this for Step 1:

"To unload the camera set the reversing lever (16) to R (Reverse). This disengages the automatic coupling of the film transport and the shutter mechaniam.

I don't ever remember having problems with my IIIa, or with my IIIf RD, after rewinding the film without pressing down the shutter release first.

Hmm...
Click to expand...

Steve, I really appreciate your clarifications. I have a IIIf online manual bookmarked, can't say which version, and it includes the statement about pressing the release before moving the R/A lever. I have used a IIIa since 1952, and a IIIf for several years, and I have NEVER pressed the release before rewinding, and have never had a problem. I think someone was just blowing smoke!

Jim N.
 
pressing the shutter release before moving the rewind lever to R just presses on the flat release spring, something the the rewind lever mechanisim is going to do anyways when it is moved to the R position.
the only advantage I see is that the spring is pre- pressed down by the shutter release so there is less work, wear and resistance on the rewind lever clutch mechanism.
but it all seems like a moot point.
the rewind will work with either method.
 
you got ripped off

you got ripped off

Sorry anthony but in my opinion you have spent too much money on this already.
You should have returned it to seller immediately.
Camera west monterey is a reputable seller and you should be able to get a great IIIf for about $200 from them, and they know what they are selling.
I got a great one from them for that and then found a nice 3.5 elmar that is the sharpest thing on the planet.
I also got ripped by a guy who sold me a non working IIIf and some lenses and accesories.
You have to be careful.
I think that in the long run you will enjoy the results from these cameras,
they are amazing, but please slow down and be careful
 
Anthony,

This sounds like the flat spring at the bottom of the shutter release rod is either well out of adjustment, or damaged in some way. It is an easy fix if you have done a few, but not easy for someone who only sees a IIIf once in a couple of years. I'm sure it is repairable (even if it requires new parts), but the $100 you paid already is too high for a "clean" - if the spring is out of whack, no amount of cleaning will fix it. Depending on where you are and how much you want to spend, I would send it to DAG Camera.

The RF issue is probably due to deterioration of the front-silvered mirror in the RF assy. This can be changed by a competent repairman. The cost of the part is only around $20, but it is a complete strip-down, so you will be paying somewhat more than that. Again, DAG could give you an estimate.

If it were me, I would fix the spring and only bother with the RF if it was impossible to use the camera otherwise (you could always use the scale-focus system).
 
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Thank you MGCustom and John Neal for your input. I will take your advise.

I love the look and feel of my IIIF. Brings back memories of the good old days in 1966 when I had my pet IIIC with a 50 Summarit and later, a Summitar.

I still have the shots of Washington DC I took back then. The Leica Summitar is so poetic and forgiving. I hate sharp lenses for people pictures. So does my wife.
 
mgcustom said:
Sorry anthony but in my opinion you have spent too much money on this already.
You should have returned it to seller immediately.
Camera west monterey is a reputable seller and you should be able to get a great IIIf for about $200 from them, and they know what they are selling.
I got a great one from them for that and then found a nice 3.5 elmar that is the sharpest thing on the planet.
I also got ripped by a guy who sold me a non working IIIf and some lenses and accesories.
You have to be careful.
I think that in the long run you will enjoy the results from these cameras,
they are amazing, but please slow down and be careful
Click to expand...
Is this the Camera West that you were referring to?
http://camerawest.com/usedeq.shtml
The IIIf prices there seem quite a bit higher than $200 (by factor of 2-3X)
 
I never dealt with Camera West. I got my IIIf on Ebay. I have seen the name DAG on the forum, but I am not familiar with this person . Who is DAG? Thanks.
 
Don has the most extensive stock of Leica parts and is a very good technician.

I have bought from him, and the service is top notch.
 
AnthonyM

You mentioned the the VF was dim and you repairman said he could not fix it. I have to tell you that I had two LTM cmaeras that had the same problem and sent both to DAG for a complete CLA and beam splitter replacement as to do the beam splitter replacement meant almost a complete take down of the camera anyway. It was more economical to do both at once. The end result was two perfectly working cameras. It was not cheap but well worth it to get two 50+ year old cameras going again.

Bob
 
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