shawn
Veteran
The MR-9 battery adapter fits the Leicaflex SL2 but doesn't really fit my Leicaflex SL. Decided to just open it up and install a BAT83 schotty diode to drop the meter voltage down to compensate for not using a mercury battery in it. Very easy to do and plenty of room to work around the battery holder.
Need a Robertson #3 square drive bit and a small flat edge screwdriver along with a soldering iron, needle nose pliers and the diode.
The base of the SL comes off with the two visible screws and another nut that is accessed through the tripod mount. The two screws are inserts with flat edge screws inside of them.
The nut inside of the tripod mount is the robertson square drive. It is normal threaded but since you are working it from the opposite side (it loosens into the body) you loosen it by turning CLOCKWISE. After those three the bottom plate is free.
The blue wire leads to the negative terminal on the bottom of the battery holder. You desolder this wire and solder the diode between the tab and the wire with the band toward the tab.
Make sure the diode isn't shorting out against anything and then put the bottom plate back on and it is done. 15 minute job or less. The diode was $0.39.
SL2 looks like it would be just as easy to do too.
Shawn
Need a Robertson #3 square drive bit and a small flat edge screwdriver along with a soldering iron, needle nose pliers and the diode.
The base of the SL comes off with the two visible screws and another nut that is accessed through the tripod mount. The two screws are inserts with flat edge screws inside of them.
The nut inside of the tripod mount is the robertson square drive. It is normal threaded but since you are working it from the opposite side (it loosens into the body) you loosen it by turning CLOCKWISE. After those three the bottom plate is free.
The blue wire leads to the negative terminal on the bottom of the battery holder. You desolder this wire and solder the diode between the tab and the wire with the band toward the tab.
Make sure the diode isn't shorting out against anything and then put the bottom plate back on and it is done. 15 minute job or less. The diode was $0.39.
SL2 looks like it would be just as easy to do too.
Shawn
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Shawn,
I had Sherry MOD my SL2 which included the diode to use a modern battery.
Basically she built me one SL2 from two: One SL2 was a shelf-Queen with a dead meter and a bad prism, and the donor SL2 had a perfect prism, and a working meter. The donor camera BTW appeared to have been heavily used and perhaps was involved with many street fights. Heavy wear, dented, and the lens mount was so worn that it needed replacement. I would call that camera a die hard.
Thanks for the post.
Cal
I had Sherry MOD my SL2 which included the diode to use a modern battery.
Basically she built me one SL2 from two: One SL2 was a shelf-Queen with a dead meter and a bad prism, and the donor SL2 had a perfect prism, and a working meter. The donor camera BTW appeared to have been heavily used and perhaps was involved with many street fights. Heavy wear, dented, and the lens mount was so worn that it needed replacement. I would call that camera a die hard.
Thanks for the post.
Cal
shawn
Veteran
Cal,
I am really enjoying the SL2. I actually have two myself. One the viewfinder is kind of a mess on (hazy/oily looking) with more wear and the other was sold as having a dead meter. The dead meter was just the battery contact needing to be cleaned and it is working fine now. The diode is basically the same in the SL2. Probably will send that second SL2 to Sherry or Don as the 1/1000 and 1/2000 speeds aren't right. 500 and below is fine though so I've been using it at those speeds for now.
Shawn
I am really enjoying the SL2. I actually have two myself. One the viewfinder is kind of a mess on (hazy/oily looking) with more wear and the other was sold as having a dead meter. The dead meter was just the battery contact needing to be cleaned and it is working fine now. The diode is basically the same in the SL2. Probably will send that second SL2 to Sherry or Don as the 1/1000 and 1/2000 speeds aren't right. 500 and below is fine though so I've been using it at those speeds for now.
Shawn
KoNickon
Nick Merritt
The 1/2000 is a known problem with the SL2 (not the SL though). Don Goldberg fixed mine for me probably 20 years ago -- replaced the desilvering prism as well (another SL2 issue). It's been perfect ever since. I didn't get the meter adjusted though -- I still have some mercury 625s.
shawn
Veteran
My SLs shutter runs a little slow at 1/1000 it is closer to 1/800. 1/2000 is about 1/1100. The SL2 is very fast.
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
I figure the Shelf Queen SL2 had a dead CDS cell early on in its life. Then again I figure the Street Fighter SL2 was battle tested and likely is never going to ever experience failure. My SL-2 is a MOT BTW.
Also know that I have a 50 Lux “E60” which is a really remarkable lens.
I think I want to get a “Never Ready” case for the camera because it is that clean. Also the SL2 keeps me from buying a Nikon F2 with a DE-2 Prism finder.
Cal
Also know that I have a 50 Lux “E60” which is a really remarkable lens.
I think I want to get a “Never Ready” case for the camera because it is that clean. Also the SL2 keeps me from buying a Nikon F2 with a DE-2 Prism finder.
Cal
shawn
Veteran
Nice lens! I have 50mm Summicron-R V2 and an Elmarit-R 35mm v2 and a Elmarit 28mm that DAG is working on. I just picked up a never ready case, the top half is removable so it makes a decent half case too but the strap has to be on the case, not the camera.
I wanted a F2 with the DE-1 for awhile but compared to my F2AS I am really preferring the SL/SL2 at this point. Higher viewfinder magnification (more than the M3) so two eyed shooting works well. The match needle metering is just faster to me compared to the display in the F2AS as I can tell when I am getting close easier. The shutter speed is faster to adjust on the SL2 due to its placement and I like the more selective metering of the SL/SL2. My F2 has degraded foam on the mirror return spring , it tings when it fires so the SL/SL2 just sound quieter and more refined too.
Shawn
bluesun267
Well-known
In my Leica R journey, which just started last year, I've managed to get my hands on an R4, R3, R8, SL, and Leicaflex Standard. The R8 and the SL are the two that get the most use. The R3 and R4 seemed to be working but quickly got unreliable once I started putting film through them.
I wanted to say, of all the many old mechanical-shutter rangefinders and SLRs (hundreds at this point) that I've had and worked on over the years, the SL and Leicaflex Standard are the only cameras that have come to me with all the shutter speeds in basically perfect spec. Having no prior maintenance that I could discern, and possibly having sat unused for years or even decades. That is some very, very good engineering.
I wanted to say, of all the many old mechanical-shutter rangefinders and SLRs (hundreds at this point) that I've had and worked on over the years, the SL and Leicaflex Standard are the only cameras that have come to me with all the shutter speeds in basically perfect spec. Having no prior maintenance that I could discern, and possibly having sat unused for years or even decades. That is some very, very good engineering.
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Sherry says that the Leicaflex and the SL are way overbuilt, but on the SL2 Leica went kinda crazy with the overbuilding.
I too had an R8. I was fond of the knickname “The Hunchback of Solms.” LOL.
Know that Leica no longer upgrades old lenses from one-cam, two-cam, to three-cam, but because I’m mucho clever I bought a Leica “R” Macro-Adapter from B&H to get spare cams that I could file down, decreasing the straight ramp to retrofit my 50 Lux “E60” ROM to a 3-cam so it could be used on my SL2.
The cams are made of brass that are chrome plated, and basically the ramp is a straight line, and in my case I had to thin down the ramp to make it work at F1.4 to retrofit my ROM lens to a 3-cam.
Don’t tell anyone, but old two-cam and one cam lenses can be bought mucho cheap, and retrofitted by camera nerds like us. What’s not to love about Leica glass, especially for no money. I think I bought the Leica Macro Adapter for $35.00-$40.00.
One “R” lens I still want to get is the 100/2.8 Macro, often cited as the sharpest lens Leica ever built. I already have the ELPRO for this lens that I secured at B&H at a discounted price boxed.
The 50 Lux “E60” and the 100/2.8 Macro are old “R” glass that performs superbly on modern digital cameras. The 50 Lux “E60” renders like a F1.4 Noctilux in its smooth transition of OOF to in focus, but without the darkened corners.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
For Nikon I have a F3P that was a real Press camera once owned by the newspaper “Newsday” out on Long Island. The camera was sent out for rebuild/service, after having involved with Operation Desert Storm, then sold to me. Know that I own a Noct-Nikkor 58/1.2.
While a Noctilux has sharper corners, the Noct-Nikkor does not have the light fall off in the corners like the Noctilux.
When I lived in NYC, I was in Long Island City, and my F3P rigged with a motor drive and hand strap was mistaken by a local as a hand gun. Pretty much this guy ran for cover. I was in a poor area very near a huge Housing Project by the Queensboro Bridge.
Another time not far away I was mistaken for an undercover cop because I had a Gossen Luna Pro around my neck. Some truck driver had called 911 and was waiting for the cops to show up. Anyways I lived not so far away…
Cal
bluesun267
Well-known
Hey Cal,
Do you have a chart or can point me to a link to show how the 3rd cam works? I think if I sat down and examined them enough I'd understand it, but it would be nice if there was a drawing somewhere.
I so far have the Elmarit 28mm v1, Summicron 50 v2, Summicron 90 v1, and Elmar 180mm. All phenomenal lenses. Using that word is not hyperbole: I mean they're just so far beyond any others in terms of number of keepers, it's actually life-changing. The R8 with it's incredible metering and viewing screen is the icing on an already very good cake. It's funny but I've never had this problem with any other SLR system lenses, in that all the lenses are so damn good it makes it very hard to decide which to choose. Come to think of it, I've never had that problem with any rangefinder system lenses either, including Leica. -Tim
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Tim,
Will do. A bit of a Brain Fart at the moment, but this high-end lens-mount company has mucho photo’s that show how to convert “R” glass to Nikon F-Mount Pretty much you get to see how to remove the lens mount and enough detail to figure things out on your own.
This thread is a great reminder to perhaps stockpile Macro-Adapters to have a supply of donor cams. Old Leica one-cam and two-cam glass is mighty inexpensive, and it is mucho worth while to find clean samples and upgrade them to highly desirable 3-cams.
This is still one area where true bargains for legacy glass can be found.
I’ll post a link to the adapter site, and pretty much you can dig in.
Cal
shawn
Veteran
Nice tip on the 3cam mod. Some of the R glass even covers MF digital well. Check out: https://www.cyberphoto.se/captains-log/leica-summicron-r-50-2 for example.
Meanwhile a 3cam 21mm Super Angulon I’ve been watching just had it’s price reduced….
Shawn
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Shawn,
I just bought a “R” 21 Super Angulon. Came boxed with hood and caps. Pretty much the same optical formula of the legendary M-21 SA 3.4, but for a lot less money.
My (SL2 Film) has no mirror lockup, but I have a Canadian black MD-2. I have it rigged with a black TA Rapidgrip, and black TA Rapidwinder, and a Zeus’s 21mm VF’er. The R-M adapter from my SL-SL2 digital kit allows me to use the “R” glass on my “M” body.
With the hood I have some VF’er blockage, but the camera looks and is pure evil. Mighty savage and kinda weaponized; Part black-jack, part dagger, part brass knuckles, so it is like carrying a deadly weapon in plain sight.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Tim,
WWW.Leitax.com. Mucho photos and disassembly. Pick your Leica lens.
Pretty much all you need to figure out how all the cams work and look like.
In my case I think a ROM only uses one cam, and then I added a cam for the aperture. The one cam that was OEM I believe was to I.D. The lens when mounted on my R8 or a R9.
Cal
WWW.Leitax.com. Mucho photos and disassembly. Pick your Leica lens.
Pretty much all you need to figure out how all the cams work and look like.
In my case I think a ROM only uses one cam, and then I added a cam for the aperture. The one cam that was OEM I believe was to I.D. The lens when mounted on my R8 or a R9.
Cal
hap
Well-known
Different setup with the diode and wiring as the first one.
shawn
Veteran
Same setup as far as the wiring for the diode goes. You can't really see it but there are actually two blue wires on the SL2, the one going to the battery terminal is basically under the diode and over top of that other blue wire. The two blues are not electrically connected. I think that read and blue wire that are together are from the second battery compartment that powers the viewfinder light.
Shawn
Shawn
hap
Well-known
At some point I'll have topen my SL2 and see what the current configuration is. The two cameras in this post are different. Also, I did not know that Leitax was able to supply adapters of all kinds to make R lenses compatible with my Nikon 750.