Leica M2 shutter issue

[redux]

Greetings everyone,
I have an M2 that has accurate times and exposes frames correctly, but I noticed that the shutter curtain does not return to the same position after firing at various speeds. As shutter speed gets slower, more and more of the edge of the curtain is visible on the left side. I’ve added a couple of photos to indicate. Is this a problem? If so, how would it be fixed?
Thanks in advance for any advice,
Cheers, Alex

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

Welcome aboard.

I won't explain how to repair it yourself but I will offer a little advice. The M2 dates from the 50's and is an excellent piece of equipment but - despite the rumours - it will suffer slowly from wear and tear. Being well made etc it will happen so slowly that neither you nor any of the previous owners will notice it until something becomes obvious.

Then you ought to take it to the experts and ask them to sort it out. Mostly at this point people get a shock at the list of things that need tweaking to get back to the original standard. Experience tells me it is worth doing and you'll get back a camera completely changed that is good for another few decades with the occasional visit to the workshop.

Anyway, that's just my 2d worth; others may disagree but this is RFF and we won't fall out about it.

Regards, David

 

[redux]

Thank you David, for the encouragement. I will certainly have the camera generally serviced when I get the chance.

In this particular case, my question is whether or not the detail I noticed represents a problem with the shutter or not? Judging by the images the camera produces, nothing is wrong.

In my last message I forgot to add the photos of the shutter curtain, I've added them now.

Thanks for any advice, cheers.

 

[giganova]

Welcome to RFF!

Good advice from David. Nothing to really worry about, just send it off to a good tech and get it serviced. But be prepared that it might cost you anywhere between $200-$500, depending what other issues the tech will find.

 

[kaffefant]

Hi,

My M2 does the exact same thing. The change in shutter position is not a problem in it self, but it may indicate that the shutter brake needs cleaning and adjusting. I would put the camera in the fridge (without film) and see if it works when the temperature is 5°C/40 F. When the camera is cold any faults will show up earlier.

After I cleaned and adjusted the shutter brake in my M2, I could not completely remove the change in shutter position. However as the shutter closes completely on all shutter speeds and in the cold, I decided it wasn't a problem.

 

[Fjäll]

If I remember correctly it's a worn spring mechanism that causes this. You could tension this mechanism under metal plate inside the camera (The metal plate with the film roll loading guide printed on it).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I8CoweWMzY

 

[Steve M.]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. As you mentioned, the shutter is otherwise behaving as it should and exposing correctly. I would definitely leave it be unless down the road you saw some odd exposures. These old cameras don't like to sit up for long periods, so if you aren't using it regularly, run it through all the speeds a few times to keep it happy.

 

[mooge]

It has to do with the shutter brake - at high speeds, both "curtains" (curtains + pulleys and that stuff) are hitting the brake sort of at the same time, while at the low speeds, the shutter brake has time to come to a full stop between curtains. Or something like that.

It's not a problem (if your exposures are alright) and I certainly wouldn't advise mucking with the shutter spring tension as someone advised above.

I've got a quick video which sort of shows the shutter brake in action here if you're curious.