New M2 - Do I have a shutter problem?

A

abenner

undecided
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Just bought an M2 from an online dealer. The camera is in good shape and seems to operate smoothly, but I'm wondering if it may have a potential shutter problem. The obvious solution is to film test it, but I don't have a lens to test it with yet.

The second curtain seam is visible by about 2 mm at the edge of the gate after firing the shutter. This is pretty consistent through all the speeds, though slightly less evident at the faster speeds. I've heard that you should NOT see the second curtain seam after firing the shutter, but I've also heard seeing a sliver of the seam is OK.

The speeds seem to be on by my rough estimation. The camera is otherwise nice with an excellent finder and a quick load kit installed and I'd like to keep it but of course I don't want to have to dump several hundred dollars into a shutter repair right away. I have 30 days to return it.
 
Congrats on the purchase of M2!!

Can you post a pic of the seam you see? The edge of the curtain (made of metal?) can be seen after a shot, but not the actual end of the curtain, the seam between the first and second curtains.
 
Curtain_1.jpg


this part can be seen.
 
My M2 did the same thing. It worked fine not to worry, shoot a roll when you get a lens it should be fine. Enjoy the camera.
 
It is quite common for this to happen. Part of it is that the camera has seen too few rolls through it and it needs exercise! It is an adjustment only - not a shutter replacement. Once you get a lens - just shoot a couple of rolls and check that the shutter moves at a consistent speed across the "gate" (look for uneven bands of exposure). Be sure to cycle though all the speeds and check that the "density" of the negative is consistent through the whole range of speeds.
I have a couple of walls around where I live that are shutter testers. I load a slower film (50 -100 asa) and as one wall has a convinient fence across the lane - I simply prop the camera on the fence - do a meter reading and shoot at all speeds - only adjusting the aperture to give "equal" illumination. This will tell you if your speeds are off. It is always better to find a wall or whatever that is in the shade as otherwise you might run out of speeds at 1/1000. Also you will probably find that the 1/1000 is not dead on - probably closer to 1/750-1/800. Mechanical shutters tend to be less precise at higher speeds.
If everything meets your standards - just keep shooting and the shutter will keep working. Nothing kills a Leica faster than sitting idle!
 
Tom A said:
It is quite common for this to happen. Part of it is that the camera has seen too few rolls through it and it needs exercise! It is an adjustment only - not a shutter replacement. Once you get a lens - just shoot a couple of rolls and check that the shutter moves at a consistent speed across the "gate" (look for uneven bands of exposure). Be sure to cycle though all the speeds and check that the "density" of the negative is consistent through the whole range of speeds.
I have a couple of walls around where I live that are shutter testers. I load a slower film (50 -100 asa) and as one wall has a convinient fence across the lane - I simply prop the camera on the fence - do a meter reading and shoot at all speeds - only adjusting the aperture to give "equal" illumination. This will tell you if your speeds are off. It is always better to find a wall or whatever that is in the shade as otherwise you might run out of speeds at 1/1000. Also you will probably find that the 1/1000 is not dead on - probably closer to 1/750-1/800. Mechanical shutters tend to be less precise at higher speeds.
If everything meets your standards - just keep shooting and the shutter will keep working. Nothing kills a Leica faster than sitting idle!
Click to expand...

The 2nd curtain on M2 is the same, too. And when closing 2nd curtain the noise is noticeably sharper against my M3. It becomes less so above 1/250s. To me it sounds like someting went loose inside, at 1/30s in particular.
Wonder if this needs any adjustment...

Jin
 
I believe there is a different escapement that governs speeds 1/30 and below on many cameras. That is why, for instance, you hear the ball-bearing clicking sound at 1/30 on a Pentax K1000.

Ben Marks
 
Benjamin Marks said:
I believe there is a different escapement that governs speeds 1/30 and below on many cameras. That is why, for instance, you hear the ball-bearing clicking sound at 1/30 on a Pentax K1000.

Ben Marks
Click to expand...

Both 1/30 and 1/15 sound different than other speeds. They have an aftersound like a ball bearing bouncing on a marble table top. At 1/8 and lower you hear a sort of bzzz sound. At 1/50 and higher there is no aftersound. All this is normal.
 
My M2 had this too, although it was a bit worse than on your camera. However, my shutter speeds were WAY off, it badly needed a CLA. After this it was fine.

Just shoot a roll (follow Tom's advice), preferably slide film. If the slides look good at all speeds I would stop worrying.

Although I have handled only a few M's of different vintages, and used only one for any length of time, they can feel and sound different, even if they are all working fine. I have the same with my FM(2)s and FEs.

Enjoy the M2, it is one of the finest cameras ever made.
 
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