M4-P Vertical Adjustment Tool- anyone have a photo.
Here's a three-year-old post of a guy who says he's made the tool:
walt delesandri , of
www.photo.net, apr 08, 2003; 03:31 p.m.
I'm almost afraid to post this, as my views on the subject started a war several years ago on the LUG....but what the hell, here goes....with a disclaimer: I believe ALL of the following to be true, and I worked for a dealer/repair shop in Houston at the time we're talking about> I will NOT try to "prove" any of it...this is for YOUR help, only: The Leica Ms through the M4-2 ALL had the old style (slotted eccentric)screw for vertical adjustment. If you have a camera that doesn't, it's not original (quite possible, as the frame line masks can be changed among the (late)M2, M4, M4-2, etc... Starting with (all) the M4-P, the screw adjustment was removed. Here's the controversial part (REMEMBER, I worked as a repairman and had a US Leica rep as a friend/customer)---Leica obviously adjusted the RF at the factory, and intended it to "stay"..... of course it didn't!! The aforementioned Leica rep brought HIS SAMPLE M4-P to me to adjust, and I pulled the top and we looked at it....first time either of us had seen the "new" assembly..you know, the one with "flare"....hehehehe... This was an EARLY M4-P, of course....1980....It is MY ASSERTION that Leica devised the "tool" to adjust these units AFTER they had a problem with warranty....I >>KNOW<< there are Leica folks who disagree...as well as folks on the LUG... all I can say is that the CAMERA came first, then the tool... ALL M4-2 (original, unmodified) should have the screw, I don't know of ANY M4-Ps that have the screw..if your's does, PLEASE let me know...I'd be interested for history's sake! I'm NOT talking about the "cover" screw...I'm talking about the actual adjustment............ Now, the tool....Leica should GO OUT OF BUSINESS for asking $250 for the damn tool..........anyway,
Yes, it's possible to make one, YES, I have one I've made, and Yes, you can make your own... IF you're the kind of person who can comfortably work with small brass rod, and if you wouldn't shy away from rebuilding the fuel injection on a Jaguar,.... You either need to LOOK at a tool, in real life, or LOOK at the "hole" on the front of the RF assembly, with the top OFF the camera...if you CAN'T see what kind of TOOL you'd need, then you DO NOT have the mechanical aptitude to make OR use one...I'm sorry if this is harsh, I DO NOT want to encourage you to destroy your equipment. My tool was fashioned by taking a "cheap" jewelers screwdriver, slotting and "brazing" a small piece of brass rod to the tip, and finishing it with some jeweler's files, under magnification, with considerable patience!!...the tool must fit through the hole in the top cover to be of any use, of course. You really need to see the assembly IN the camera to understand how the tool works....otherwise, you're "twisting" in the dark. Find a repairman who has an M disassembled, and ask if you can see the RF >AND< the tool...it's use will then be self-explanatory. Again, use this information at your own risk!...and PLEASE, if you disagree, post your opinion...
WAlt
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
