keytarjunkie
no longer addicted
I picked up my M2 this morning and the viewfinder is completely black! the rangefinder and framelines are still there, but everything else...gone. When I shine a light through the finder it doesn't come out the other side. It was working fine yesterday and I know I didn't drop it or anything. Is there anything I can do?
Dominum
Member
wow.. some pictures will help?
keytarjunkie
no longer addicted
Pictures of what? The camera looks the exact same, the finder is just black when you look through it. I can try to take some pics of the front of the finder I guess? I don't see how it would help.
antiquark
Derek Ross
Shine a flashlight and take pics from the same side you're shining the flashlight into. Then any sort of blockage might be visible.
drewbarb
picnic like it's 1999
Sounds like you've just been hit by the dreaded prism separation. The old Canadian balsam glue which held the pieces of the main viewfinder prism together has likely given up the ghost. Unfortunately, this is a difficult and expensive repair. If you search, there are a few folks who will tackle this now. It involves taking the rangefinder apart, cleaning the old glue off with a solvent, and re-gluing it with modern optical adhesives. The good news is that once done it shouldn't ever happen again. Another option is to replace the RF altogether, either with a modern one or an old finder from a donor camera.
Whatever you do, good luck. When you find out exactly, let us know, and what you decide to do about it. Sorry I don't have better news for you. Cheers.
Whatever you do, good luck. When you find out exactly, let us know, and what you decide to do about it. Sorry I don't have better news for you. Cheers.
Krzys
Well-known
This might help. Try asking this fellow's opinion,
From this site, http://nemeng.com/leica/002be.shtml
From this site, http://nemeng.com/leica/002be.shtml
Dominum
Member
Got this from photoentnography.com
Perhaps this is what happened?
M3 Problems
The main problem that the fifty-year old M3 is having these days is balsam separation in the rangefinder. Unlike the minor shutter lubrication issues that are to be expected and can be easily fixed, the rangefinder balsam separation is a major problem.
The M3 rangefinder is a very intricate design using multiple prisms glued together using Canadian balsam glue, made from the resin of pine trees. Unfortunately, as an organic glue it has a finite life span and will degrade. This may show up in the finder either as minor "crazing" or cracking along the edges where two surfaces are glued together. It may look iridiscent or opaque. Basically crazing is the first step towards finder separation. Hold your camera up to the light and look at it from the front (lens side) and make sure all of the edges of the finder frame are complete.
Total prism separation is also possible. In this case, the entire viewfinder will black out, or the rangefinder patch will become invisible or black out. This can happen gradually as the result of crazing, or suddenly due to a strong force (dropping or knocking the camera).
Previously, it was thought that this was the end of the finder and that the only option would be to put in the (much inferior) Leica M6 finder as a replacement. However, several repair places are now offering to repair your M3 finder by regluing and/or resilvering them:
Perhaps this is what happened?
M3 Problems
The main problem that the fifty-year old M3 is having these days is balsam separation in the rangefinder. Unlike the minor shutter lubrication issues that are to be expected and can be easily fixed, the rangefinder balsam separation is a major problem.
The M3 rangefinder is a very intricate design using multiple prisms glued together using Canadian balsam glue, made from the resin of pine trees. Unfortunately, as an organic glue it has a finite life span and will degrade. This may show up in the finder either as minor "crazing" or cracking along the edges where two surfaces are glued together. It may look iridiscent or opaque. Basically crazing is the first step towards finder separation. Hold your camera up to the light and look at it from the front (lens side) and make sure all of the edges of the finder frame are complete.
Total prism separation is also possible. In this case, the entire viewfinder will black out, or the rangefinder patch will become invisible or black out. This can happen gradually as the result of crazing, or suddenly due to a strong force (dropping or knocking the camera).
Previously, it was thought that this was the end of the finder and that the only option would be to put in the (much inferior) Leica M6 finder as a replacement. However, several repair places are now offering to repair your M3 finder by regluing and/or resilvering them:
antiquark
Derek Ross
Prism separation thread in flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/leica_m_users/discuss/72157613373588566/
http://www.flickr.com/groups/leica_m_users/discuss/72157613373588566/
keytarjunkie
no longer addicted
Well this is just great. Thanks for the help guys...I don't have that kind of money to spend but we'll see what happens 
ferider
Veteran
Check with Youxin Ye, I believe he does re-glue separated prisms and might be more affordable than others.
Dominum
Member
payasam
a.k.a. Mukul Dube
Drew gave you the bad news correctly.
keytarjunkie
no longer addicted
Well I contacted Youxin Ye, and he has already replied: It will most likely be $140 for the finder repair, and another $100 if I want a CLA. That's not as bad as I thought!
Phil_F_NM
Camera hacker
Youxin does great work. He replaced the beamsplitter in my IIIf early this year and brought the very dead camera back to life.
He stands behind his work and is a great guy. You'll get it back within a very quick, almost alarmingly short time.
Get the CLA while you're at it and take care of the whole camera. Make it all shiny & new (or at least working like new).
Good luck!
Phil Forrest
He stands behind his work and is a great guy. You'll get it back within a very quick, almost alarmingly short time.
Get the CLA while you're at it and take care of the whole camera. Make it all shiny & new (or at least working like new).
Good luck!
Phil Forrest
JohnTF
Veteran
+1 on Youxin, have had good results from him, new shutters, LTM & M CLA's, lens cleaning.
Regards, John
Regards, John
tjtc
Newbie
I had my black-viewfindered M2 sent to Youxin last month, and it's alive again
michaelshane
Well-known
Youxin rebuilt the finder in my M3.He's the man.....
MichaelHarris
Well-known
I've fixed a few large format lenses with separation and it was pretty easy. I know you get one mis-aligned but the ones I did were sharp as a tack.
All I did was heat the lens elements slowly in an oven to separate the elements, they just fell apart, and then cool down slowly. Clean the lens, and glue them together with UV curing lens glue from Edmonds Scientific. The glue doesn't cure until you apply UV light so you can position the elements.
All I did was heat the lens elements slowly in an oven to separate the elements, they just fell apart, and then cool down slowly. Clean the lens, and glue them together with UV curing lens glue from Edmonds Scientific. The glue doesn't cure until you apply UV light so you can position the elements.
drewbarb
picnic like it's 1999
When I last looked into this issue (several years ago) all I remember was that it was hard to find anyone who could or would tackle this repair, and it was probably cost prohibitive. So thanks to the folks who posted some links and actual info about those who do.
It's great news to me that Youxin Ye can repair blacked-out finders. He has done great work for me in the past, and as a regular M3 user it's nice to know he could fix this too, if need be.
It's great news to me that Youxin Ye can repair blacked-out finders. He has done great work for me in the past, and as a regular M3 user it's nice to know he could fix this too, if need be.
nickthetasmaniac
Veteran
Apologies for reviving an old thread, but I've just had exactly the same issue show up with my M2 viewfinder following a knock.
I was wondering what the latest is regarding technicians doing this repair in 2017?
I was wondering what the latest is regarding technicians doing this repair in 2017?