Need Help Understanding My Leica M2 - is it an R?

[gjlynx]

Many years ago I walked into a mom and pop camera shop in Buffalo, NY
and saw this M2 with 35mm Summaron sitting on the shelf. I listened to
the shutter and tried the range finder and then it was a quick impluse buy
at $300.00. What really attracted my attention was the rapid load feature -
similar to the M4. I had heard that there was an M2-R (with M4 style loading)
that was made toward the end of the M2 series. But this M2 is one of the
earlier ones. So is this camera an M2-R, or something else?

After many years of neglect, last month I decided to run a roll of film
through that old body and I'm thinking that the fast shutter speeds might
be off. See the pic of the UT Austin tower with the underexposed area on the
right side of the image.

Could something else be causing this? It does not seem to happen
with the slower speeds. I can only bring up the 35mm frame lines
in the view finder. Is this something that is expensive to fix?

 

[Pablito]

gorgeous camera but it looks like the lack of excersise may have taken it's toll. Other more technically savvy members may be able to give you more details but it seems to me a CLA is in order...

 

[colyn]

You have the plain jane M2 with Leicas quick load setup which can be used on the M2 or M3.

This is not the same as the M4's..

A CLA should fix the problems you mention..

 

[Vickko]

I'm not familiar with the "R" designation; I thought the M2-R's were engraved as such, but your's isn't engraved with the R.

As for the shutter, it is shading. It needs a CLA. The second shutter curtain is catching up to the first shutter as it runs. Same for the framelines not coming up. The spring-loaded mechanism is gummed up, likely from lack of use.

If you get the camera serviced, it will work like a dream.

Good luck
Vick

 

[peterm1]

Its not uncommon for earlier Leica kit to be retro fitted with enhancements from later series. I have a prewar 111a which has been upgraded by Leica, no doubt in the 1950s, with the 111f flash synchronisation set up including a larger shutter speed dial surrounded by another dial which times the flash going off. It came accompanied with a 50mm f3.5 Elmar with a prewar serial number which has been coated, I imagine at the same time as oating was not usual until after the war. I also own an M3 which has a finder from a later camera. The 50mm finder lines have a kind of notch at the top and bottom that can be used to assess if you picture is in focus. (I wont try to explain more here because its a bit comlicated without diagrams but I think these were used in M2s, certainly in later ones.) Not sure why it was done, but its obviously a factory refit.

 

[JNewell]

An M2-R has the spikey takeup spool of an M4 and is engraved M2-R on the top plate. It also has a serial # in a range of 2,000 numbers in the 1.2MM range (don't have the exact range in my head).

 

[rlouzan]

Time for a CLA, send it to Sherry Krauter (golden Touch) or Youxin.

M2, CLA, approximately: $250

Lens CLA: $75

 

[Roger Hicks]

Yes, it's a rapid load spool. Very desirable (I have them on both my M2s) but it doesn't turn it into an M2R.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Lance]

It's an R. Says so on the front... 😀😛🙄

Sorry. Could not help myself.

 

[Tom A]

It is an early M2 with the Rapidload gadget in it. Your camera is most likely suffering from lack of use. Cycle through the speeds, at least 10-20 times for each shutter speed and it will probably be fine. If not, just have a basic CLA done on it.
The frame selector preview is prone to "gumming" up, keep shifting it back and forth and again, it might magically restore itself.
Judging from the shot, the curtains seem fine and that is the expensive part of the CLA so just a clean/lube/adjust should be all you need for the next decade (provided you use it on a regular basis). M2's get cranky if not used and usually punish you by dragging curtains or make its own decisions about what speed you should be using!

 

[gjlynx]

Thanks for all of the replies!

It seems that the CLA from Sherry is $250 where as it's only
$80 from Youxin. Is this an apples:apples comp or is it a
mix of different skills, quality and items performed on the CLA?