Leica M5 makes Squeaking sounds!?

[Landberg]

Hi!

My Leica M5 just started to make squeaking sound when focusing. I was out for a while when it was very cold, could that be the reason? i Located the squeaking sound from the little focusing arm that adjust the focus in the viewfinder.

What can i do? Please help me, my stealthy ninja has turned in to a loud canary bird!

 

[Platinum RF]

Use very little touch of watch oil to lubricate the joints.

 

[Landberg]

Sounds scary!😉

 

[DNG]

It sounds like the lube couldn't handle that cold a Temp...
If you do use cameras/lenses in the Extreme Cold.. a re-lube with a lube that can handle those temps are in order...BUT, it may be a compromise for warmer temps.
Just a thought...

 

[f16sunshine]

I would consider this a symptom for an overall need to clean out old lube, tidy up minor adjustments, and re-lube. In other words… CLA the entire camera.
It's well worth it to send it in to a competent tech. Have them adjust the meter for 1.55v battery usage as well so you can use modern silver batteries.

Cheers!

 

[Landberg]

Thank you! The camera had a CLA 7 months ago so that's not the problem I think. Maybe it's the cold thing. Hmm I will have to think about this!😉

 

[nikonosguy]

think that used to be my m5

 

[Landberg]

think that used to be my m5

Do you? I bought it in sweden.

 

[Vickko]

The arm has a number of lubrication points, including sliding points that move the rangefinder frame for parallax. The tricky part is to get access to all the points, especially an M5 because the meter is above the rangefinder.

The M5 is one of the more difficult cameras to work on, because of all the meter parts.

 

[nikonosguy]

Do you? I bought it in sweden.

nope not mine- --

 

[Landberg]

It is this screw

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Did you just walk in from the cold and started squeaking? Just leave it in a nice, naturally warm place in the house and don't touch it for a good two hours. BTW, by "naturally warm" I mean an area that's not under direct effect or influence of your heating system (near radiators, vents or any other spot that blows warm air into the room).

If the squeaks don't stop after, say, some 2 hours, I might consider sending it back to the technician who did the CLA.

 

[Landberg]

Did you just walk in from the cold and started squeaking?

Yepp! But it has not stopped.

 

[Landberg]

Is it bad for the camera to be used while it's squeaking?

 

[kbg32]

Sounds like its the lens. Is it a Zeiss/ZM? My ZM 25/2.8 developed a squeak after a few months. It got so bad I could hardly turn the focusing ring. I had the lens re-lubed and two years later, no problems. ZM lenses do not use the best lube.

 

[Landberg]

Sounds like its the lens. Is it a Zeiss/ZM? My ZM 25/2.8 developed a squeak after a few months. It got so bad I could hardly turn the focusing ring. I had the lens re-lubed and two years later, no problems. ZM lenses do not use the best lube.

No its the camera, it makes the sound when i push the arm with my finger without a lens.

 

[Landberg]

Is it bad for the camera to be used while it's squeaking?

 

[Dez]

Thank you! The camera had a CLA 7 months ago so that's not the problem I think. Maybe it's the cold thing. Hmm I will have to think about this!😉

I suspect the CLA was not as thorough as it might have been.

The squeaking is not really a problem, unless your camera is infested by extremely small mice.

You indicated in your picture the one lubrication point that is accessible without taking the camera apart. A small drop of very light oil under the moving arm at that point may be helpful. There are more moving parts connected to the arm, but you need to take the top off the camera to get at them, and as mentioned above, access is slightly more difficult in the M5 because of the meter components.

I do worry a little bit about the fact that the noise is still there after the camera is warmed up. It may be that some part of the rangefinder mechanism has been bent due to excess force on it while focusing with frozen lubricant. Check carefully that your rangefinder is working properly. If there is any problem, you will need to get the bent part fixed rather than just readjusting the RF. If all is well, maybe you can live with the squeak, as it is not likely that more problems will happen, but the lubrication problem needs to be sorted out before you go out in the winter again.

Cheers,
Dez

 

[Landberg]

I suspect the CLA was not as thorough as it might have been.

The squeaking is not really a problem, unless your camera is infested by extremely small mice.

You indicated in your picture the one lubrication point that is accessible without taking the camera apart. A small drop of very light oil under the moving arm at that point may be helpful. There are more moving parts connected to the arm, but you need to take the top off the camera to get at them, and as mentioned above, access is slightly more difficult in the M5 because of the meter components.

I do worry a little bit about the fact that the noise is still there after the camera is warmed up. It may be that some part of the rangefinder mechanism has been bent due to excess force on it while focusing with frozen lubricant. Check carefully that your rangefinder is working properly. If there is any problem, you will need to get the bent part fixed rather than just readjusting the RF. If all is well, maybe you can live with the squeak, as it is not likely that more problems will happen, but the lubrication problem needs to be sorted out before you go out in the winter again.

Cheers,
Dez

Thank you! It seems to be working ok, the arm goes back and is not sticky. The sound is more like a creaking sound, it sounds like an old door.

 

[Dez]

Can you feel the vibration of the sound in the arm as you move it? If so, something is binding, and it really should be fixed. It is actually quite easy to take the top off an M5. You must be very careful what you touch once it is off, however.

Cheers,
Dez