Leicaflex insanity

Posted this elsewhere, but I thought the thread that inspired my acquisition should see it ... This is the kit I've acquired.

leicaflex_sl_kit.jpg

Left to Right:
Leicaflex SL black chrome fitted with Elmarit-R 180mm f/2.8
Elmarit-R 135mm f/2.8
Summilux-R 50mm f/1.4
Summicron-R 90mm f/2
Leicaflex SL chrome fitted with Summicron-R 50mm f/2
​

I have all the original Leica caps, hoods, and series filter holders for the lenses. Both bodies are in perfect working order, with working meters, etc. Shutter speeds seem on the money. The Summicron 50 lens is a bit stiff on the focusing, the rest are silky smooth. All the optics are perfect.

The lenses an investment for future use on a new M or other bodies. And the SLs are just wonderful bodies for film ... 🙂

G
 
How many Leicas do you sacrifice to learn how to fix one?

I may have fatally wounded a Leica SL. I bought a good one and one that was jammed. Well, the jammed one fixed up fine, but the good one jammed up as I was checking it over. An internal bearing came loose from the casting, and seized up the takeup sprocket.

So, I got what I paid for, but, not quite the units that I was intending.

I knew a tech that said "No Leica should die" and restored any that came his way.

I still think I can restore my jammed SL, but, it sure looks like many more hours will be needed.
 
Yeah, I think I am slowly understanding that.

Easy to get the top and bottom off, and seems like the self timer needs to come off to do any work.

Highly non-modular, tricky to get at some basic mechanism that may need attention, especially if it is jammed.

Must have been a very difficult assembly line.

Blanc said:
Leicaflexes aren't difficult to work on, they are not designed to be repaired. I gave up working on them when I realised that I always do a full disassembly and factory reassembly on every of those I ever touched including complete replacement of the electronics (and wires that are so thin that they can be broken just by breathing on them). Clients don't want to pay a 1200€ bill for this kind of camera (that can be such a wonderful thing when working)
Click to expand...
 
Vickko said:
... Must have been a very difficult assembly line.
Click to expand...

There is a reason why they were so ferociously expensive back in the day. I seem to recall that a Leicaflex SL body was two or more times the cost of a Nikon F Photomic FTn, itself not by any means an inexpensive camera.

The Nikon F is very easy to work on according to my repair technician friend. Simple, mostly modular construction. What I've read from several sources is that despite the high price, Leica lost money on the Leicaflex bodies. The Leicaflex was old-school Leica thinking at its height, and the movement to the later Leica R body series in 1976 was a sensible move even if considered just from a profitability perspective.

I'm delighted to have two of these SLs in excellent working order to enjoy now. But my real goal in acquiring this kit looks beyond the SL bodies themselves to the R lenses, which will work famously on the M(240) when that day comes, or on other cameras that I adapt them to. They are the true gems of this acquisition. 🙂

G
 
Good job, Vickko!

From the sound of it, these cameras are a "buy it in top shape and keep it that way" proposition. Or pay a bunch to a specialist who will take them on. 🙂

I'm so glad that the ones I've acquired seem to be in very good condition...! I didn't pay much for the bodies at all, it was the lenses I was really after.

BTW, one of the lenses I got is a single cam Summicron-R 50mm from 1965 ... owner must have had an original Leicaflex and traded up to the SL, keeping the earlier lens. I called New Jersey and they'll still do the two-cam upgrade along with a cleaning, etc. It would cost more than the lens is worth to sell, but of the lenses I bought it's the smallest and lightest, and it's also the only one that actually needs a cleaning (stiff focusing helicoid, probably just the grease gone old and stiff).

Maybe when I feel a little wealthy...

G
 
Wow, I just checked the shutter speeds.

Key secrets:
1. Tomosy's book "Repair and Restoration of Leica's is remarkably close to correct, for disassembly and re-assembly of the film advance cluster, shutter escapement and the assembly plate. These are the parts to examine for jams, timing the shutter and issues with the film sprocket, which is what I had.

2. There were four parts which were a pain in the neck because they were tiny and tended to bounce away, consuming much time on hands and knees searching. Two were E-clips and one washer, nominally 2 mm OD, so, tiny, and one coil spring that because of its assembly, was very prone to slipping and thus, jumping away.

3. Tomosy's book states five alignments that are required to assemble the film advance cluster. That advice was accurate and essential. Once those alignments were followed, things went reasonably smoothly. Well, smooth enough, considering the complexity of the camera..

4. Assemble the top film advance cluster first, then the bottom assembly plate. This is absolutely essential. And cock the camera before attempting the assembly. The "home position" is the cocked position.

5. the camera can be pre-tested for proper gear alignment after assembling the top film advance cluster and the bottom assembly plate. The high speeds will fire, with the mirror, but not time properly. Once it works, then assemble the slow speed escapement, then all shutter speeds should work but then be ready for fine tuning.

6. make sure the master shaft is tensioned, as it also plays a major role in proper speed function of the shutter and mirror activation. If it isn't tensioned correctly, the mechanisms should still fire, but somewhat in "slow motion". The 1 sec will run slow.

7. threading the securing the string for the shutter speed display in the viewfinder may seem daunting, but, with tweezers and slender dental pick, was reasonably do-able. That was a pleasant surprise.

8. the prism is easy to remove and clean, but the focusing screens look to be a bigger challenged. I didn't want to take the screens out.

Many thanks to Tomosy (was he a Leica tech once?) and DAG for his encouragement.

Here is my raw shutter data:

================
Setting Test
1 sec 1-ish
1/2 1/2
1/4 1/3.5
1/8 1/8
1/15 1/15
1/30 1/30
1/60 1/65
1/80 1/80 (sync)
1/125 1/126
1/250 1/250
1/500 1/500
1/1000 1/1000
1/2000 1/1200
 
They are extremely robust on the inside. I'd almost say they are sturdier than M's.

I'm very curious as to how SL's end up jammed. Maybe because I was looking for jammed cheap ones, I have a distorted view of the population of jammed SL bodies.

I haven't come across jammed SL2 bodies, nor cheap SL2's (e.g. less than $100 for SL's, but still $400 and up for SL2 bodies).

Lenses are another beast in themselves. Slightly different and trickier tooling to get them apart, often having to deal with thin lock rings with fragile tooling slots, and age sometimes binds them together.

But no tricky spring-loaded clockwork mechanisms (okay, auto-return apertures, but once you do one, you've done them all).


Godfrey said:
Good job, Vickko!

From the sound of it, these cameras are a "buy it in top shape and keep it that way" proposition. Or pay a bunch to a specialist who will take them on. 🙂

...

G
Click to expand...
 
Anyone managed to service or repair a Leicamotor? ie the motor for SL or SL2 MOT? Any info around?

Mind you, who'd be using a motordrive in this day an age unless it is to help balance a heavy lens...!?!
 
I never liked the camera. Too bulky for my grubby little hands. An M2R and a Nikon F will do the job nicely instead.
 
My SL kit. Camera fine, motor who knows, 560 Telyt appropriated by my son who has Nikonified it (reversibly).

Pleased I didn't sell this when I was in the mood. SL MOT is a very low production version and great to use.

The Macro Elmarit is quite exceptional.


SL MOT by dralowid, on Flickr
 
Thank you. Certainly different than the Alpa 10d, Nikon F and Olympus OM4, which are the other SLR's that I've opened up. Maybe the Contarex SLR's are similar. Apparently that "master shaft" design was common for the era; maybe common for European cameras.

I didn't get into the shutter drum mechanism or mirror box, so I don't know how complex they are. But the film wind, shutter speed control and winding interlock system don't seem so intimidating now.

And this morning, the camera still works. This is perhaps another "secret". When repairing cameras, you always have to check for a couple days, because the lubricants and stresses "settle".

A camera that is freshly assembled and works, may not work the next day.




KoNickon said:
Vickko -- bravo to you! Sounds like the Leicaflex has a very different design from most SLRs.
Click to expand...
 
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