M3 - droplets on RF patch?

[andersju]

I recently bought a beater Leica M3 SS 1.1mil+. The seller claimed it had been serviced, and it certainly works fine. However, on the rangefinder patch there is a multitude of what looks like droplets of varying sizes, ranging from small to very very small. I've read about "golden droplets" and viewfinder decementing, but I believe (or hope) that this is something else? They appear only on the RF patch; if I block the RF window the finder is perfectly clear.

Any ideas? I'm wondering what they are, what caused them and how I can make them go away. The camera is still perfectly useable, but it's a bit annoying in some situations.

 

[Gary Sandhu]

Viewfinder decementing refers to the viewfinder, not the rangefinder; decementing would be visible as a peripheral, opaque defect when viewing the viewfinder from the front of the camera.
Are the droplets opaque or translucent? Are they visible from looking at the front of the rangefinder window? Are there any fern-like patterns?

 

[waileong]

I have a few droplets too. Never worried about it.

 

[Never Satisfied]

Hi, i have them also in my VF, I was told that it is most likely vaporised lubricant from the RF mechanism and that the body was probaly left in the sun at some point, anyway I was told not to worry. cheers Andrew.

 

[payasam]

My M3 had what sounds the same. Didn't trouble me for the 17 years I had it.

 

[andersju]

Thanks for your answers! They are translucent. I can't see them through the rangefinder window. I wouldn't mind a few of them, but there are more than a few; I managed to take a picture of the rangefinder patch with a macro lens (see attachment).

 

[andersju]

I received a reply from the seller:

"The distance honour measurers has gilded surfaces like a mirror is silvered.
These surfaces lose some golden particles with the time. Thus the small points develop. They look out like dust. That is however no dust. Such points develop simply with the time. There are Leica M3 or M2 or even M6 cameras, whatever have such points in the finder. That is simply purely physically conditioned and that can not be repaired."

I've read about resilvering the rangefinder; would that solve this issue, or is this unrelated? If it can't be fixed, no problem; the seller also mentioned that the camera has just had a complete CLA at a reputable shop, so I'm happy.

 

[Gary Sandhu]

I hope you're not rationalizing your decision to keep the M3. If you really think that "if it can't be fixed, no problem" then keep it, else return it; resilvering is expensive. http://www.angelfire.com/biz/Leica/page10.html

 

[ferider]

It could be separation or desilvering, but it could also be fungus. If you want to keep
it check with Youxin, I would probably send it back in your place. The M3 is all
about the viewfinder.

Sorry,

Roland.

 

[andersju]

Thank you for your comments. I have emailed CRR Luton and will see they have to say about it. The thing is that apart from the RF patch, it's exactly what I want - very late M3 SS, looks very beat-up (so I'm not afraid of more dents and scratches) but functions flawlessly, just received a €225 CLA by Foto Wiener in Munich according to seller, and the actual viewfinder is perfect. So as you can see, I'm very good at rationalizing! 😉

I've seen wildly different figures on the cost of resilvering, but it seems to be about £125 at CRR Luton, which is expensive for me (student) but not impossibly so.

 

[JNewell]

If they're not actually interfering with focusing, you may be able to simply leave them as is without paying for re-silvering.

 

[lns]

Hi. For what it's worth, I had a few of those on my M3 rangefinder patch too, though far fewer than you are showing. I thought it was dust or dirt, though it looked more like dried water droplets. It didn't affect anything, and I ignored it. However, the spots cleaned up completely when I finally got a CLA from DAG. Therefore, it seems a little strange that you have so many of these spots after a CLA. Sorry to have to say so.

 

[andersju]

In case anyone is interested, Youxin Ye thinks it's either fungus - which would require a new frame mask - or, more likely, just some residue that needs simple cleaning. I'll send the camera to him during the week and post the results here, for reference.

 

[shimo-kitasnap]

Hi, I bought a 1,xxx,xxx M3 back in june and it had exactly the same thing in the rf patch, the camera worked fine but it really bothered me so i sent it of for a full CLA at Sherry Krauters (golden touch). When she got it she told me that all the lubricants had pretty much evaporated. She did the cla and sent it back and the "droplets" went away. So i guess your seller was either lying about the cla or perhaps the cla was done 10 or more years before.

I highly recomend sherry, you can call her and ask for an estimate, i think she charged me $280 for the full cla and I sent her a lizard skin kit which she charged a bit to install, but all in all well worth the money.

 

[andersju]

Just for reference, the drops in the rangefander patch turned out to be the latter; contaminated framemask from a previous CLA. Youxin made it look like new, and also fixed a stiff aperture ring on Summicron 50/2. Very quick, and at a modest cost; highly recommended. Thanks again for your answers.

 

[Stu W]

You see. Now aren't you glad you kept it?🙂

 

[Gary Sandhu]

Good for you! Congrats.

 

[KM-25]

Hi. For what it's worth, I had a few of those on my M3 rangefinder patch too, though far fewer than you are showing. I thought it was dust or dirt, though it looked more like dried water droplets. It didn't affect anything, and I ignored it. However, the spots cleaned up completely when I finally got a CLA from DAG. Therefore, it seems a little strange that you have so many of these spots after a CLA. Sorry to have to say so.

Exactly the same thing I had, DAG made my view finder like new, I got it back today.

I have a brand new finder thanks to Don!!!