Leica LTM Maybe you should run for cover this time - another newbie goes Barnacking

Leica M39 screw mount bodies/lenses
Matthew Allen said:
Hmmm, I wonder if there's any chance the problem is as simple as me having knocked the lever... I think I'm going to shoot another roll before I pass judgment on this one. The camera was suppose to have been recently serviced so I hope it doesn't need a CLA.

Thanks for all the kind words and suggestions. I've loaded a roll of Foma 200 so we'll see how that goes.

Cheers,
Matthew

Matthew,

If that is the one that your dad bought from me on the bay, and it does tun out to have a problem on shutter speeds, please feel free to send it back to me and I will have it checked over for you. It was serviced in March of '07 if memory serves correctly.
 
john neal said:
Matthew,

If that is the one that your dad bought from me on the bay, and it does tun out to have a problem on shutter speeds, please feel free to send it back to me and I will have it checked over for you. It was serviced in March of '07 if memory serves correctly.
John,

Yes, that's the one. I didn't realise you were a regular here - small RF world I guess. That's a very generous offer which I might take up though I certainly don't feel you owe it to me. The problem (if indeed there is one) is so specific that it would only have manifested itself under a certain set of circumstances.

For the time being I will use the camera some more to see if I can pin down what's going on. Hopefully it is just user error.

Cheers,
Matthew
 
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vdonovan said:
Sitemistic were you referring to my use of "Barnack" as an adjective, as in "lots of Barnack character"?

I guess I should have said "Barnackian" or "Barnackish".

I think he was referring to my thread title with its questionable use of the word "Barnacking".

Matthew
 
Matthew Allen said:
John,

Yes, that's the one. I didn't realise you were a regular here - small RF world I guess. That's a very generous offer which I might take up though I certainly don't feel you owe it to me. The problem (if indeed there is one) is so specific that it would only have manifested itself under a certain set of circumstances.

For the time being I will use the camera some more to see if I can pin down what's going on. Hopefully it is just user error.

Cheers,
Matthew
Matthew,

I did use the body extensively in the 2 months before I sold it, partly to make sure it was Ok, partly to compare it with a black III that I also wanted to sell. I just checked a couple of the neg strips and don't see any blank frames.

In my experience, it is possible to get the odd misfire on the slow speeds, which indicates that the slow speed spring at the bottom of the body needs adjusting. It can be very intermittent, and depend on temperature, how smartly you press the release button, whether the rewind lever is fully in the "A" position, and whether there is a "y" in the day. I don't think I would have gone any slower that 1/20 though.

Happy to have it looked at if you think it needs it.

Incidentally, meant to say before - I love the first shot!
 
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john neal said:
Matthew,

I did use the body extensively in the 2 months before I sold it, partly to make sure it was Ok, partly to compare it with a black III that I also wanted to sell. I just checked a couple of the neg strips and don't see any blank frames.

In my experience, it is possible to get the odd misfire on the slow speeds, which indicates that the slow speed spring at the bottom of the body needs adjusting. It can be very intermittent, and depend on temperature, how smartly you press the release button, whether the rewind lever is fully in the "A" position, and whether there is a "y" in the day. I don't think I would have gone any slower that 1/20 though.

Happy to have it looked at if you think it needs it.

Incidentally, meant to say before - I love the first shot!

Well, as I say, I'll see how things go. My Summitar arrived today so that gives me another incentive to experiment.

Thank you for the compliment, the first photo is of my sister. She likes the camera and evidently the camera likes her. I think the Summar is wonderful for portraits.

Cheers,
Matthew
 
Just FYI Matthew, Will van Manen does do a good job, I can recommend him. He's a nice and helpful fellow.
 
Woe is me

Woe is me

Yesterday I dropped off the second film from the IIIa. I'd used the first 20-25 frames at our gliding airfield including some of a lovely vintage glider, a T21 if you're interested. I used the last dozen or so shots to test the slow speeds on a static subject. All shots were with my newly acquired Summitar.

I went to collect the film today and was met by a rather sheepish looking assistant. He produced from the envelope that should have contained my negs, prints and CD a blank roll of developed film. It turned out he hadn't looked closely at the cassette and had assumed it was C-41 colour, with the inevitable result.:bang:

The film was Foma 200 which the guy had clearly never seen before. It had a colourful label on the cassette so I guess he didn't bother to read the fine print and just stuck it in the machine.

Back to square one with the testing...

Matthew
 
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Bummer. Well, doing the analog thing can let you in on some less than pleasant surprises some of the time. Just have another go - it'll work out fine this time. Or the next. Just don't give up. :)
 
Mmm..."Barnacking". That could be the new code word for the art of hitting the garage sales early and tring to find that elusive Leica kit for $25. Kind of like someone who goes "antiquing" in search of interesting anitiques at out of the way shops....
 
Matt,

Shame that, I suppose it just goes to prove that "you can't get the staff these days" ;)

As to the T21 (or Shed), I well remember those from my days in the ATC (as a boy and, later an officer). I think we used to get ito T31s more often, but a trip in a Shed was always better.

I recall one trip as a 14 year old at the RAF Cosford. Most flights were just circuits & bumps from a winch launch, but when my 2nd turn came, I had a different pilot - the station CO, who just fancied a "tool around for an hour" (!).

He managed to hook a thermal over the cookhouse and we went up to 4500feet. Now, this was june, and the air temp at ground level was a balmy 70+, but at 4500 feet, it was somewhat closer to 50, less the windchill, and I was in shirtsleeves order. There was no way i was going to admit i was cold. especially as the CO was teaching me aerobatics in the Shed. I have a feeling that he though he was scaring the bejabers out of me though, as I was shivering so much.

I managed to convince him that i was enjoying the experience, so he carried on grabbing thermals then wasting the height with loops & stall turns - absoluetly wonderful stuff! After about an hour, he decided he should get on with his day and announced we would land. His norm for this was to lose height rapidly over the base, beat up the playing fields at 6ft and, finally, stall hop over the railway embankment onto the end of the glider field.

Suffice to say that he got it wrong and did not have enough speed to hop the embankment. Consequently, we came to rest in the middle of a footie game. Both teams came smartly to attention and wheeled the Shed off the pitch to await collection. What a day!

Do let me know how the slow speeds are, when you work it out - I feel a level of responsibility for the condition of the body - especially as I had it serviced.
 
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