Rangefinder glare/flare/white-out in my M5?

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PatrickCheung

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Hey!

I was the lucky recipient of a very generous donation a few days ago. Within the package was an early Leica M5 (2-lug). I've always thought the M5 was an ugly beast of a camera... but my opinion was completely changed when I held it in my hands... it's absolutely beautiful.

Everything works well, the meter is accurate enough, the crank is smooth, the rewind is nice, shutter is very responsive. Though, I find that the Rangefinder patch glares/flares/whites-out when my subject is backlit... to the point where I can't focus at all.

I've owned an M3DS and an M8 and neither have the issue that the M5 has. Is there something wrong with the rangefinder?
 
Is it clean in there?
Both of mine have been recently cleaned and I'm experiencing no flare issues and the brightest clearest VF's since owning a Zeiss Ikon.
Haze can build up inside the VF and tiny RF windows.
Enjoy your M5! It's the best of the film M's (for some of us ;) )
 
Humm, the finders are a little hazy, that might be the issue! I was thinking of sending it in for a CLA anyway. Maybe shutter upgrade if I have the money (the reason for the donation was because of my... tight financial situation).

Though, I just recently (like 5 minutes ago) came across this little thing from Leica Goodies... the "Shade". It's a grey filter that fits over the frameline illumination window and cuts out some excess light that may affect the RF patch. I tried focusing on my backlit girlfriend while covering up the frameline window and it seemed to do the trick :p Might try this solution out before sending it in for a CLA!

I absolutely love the M5... I'm wondering if I can get an M3 style lever on it though :p
 
Oh! Joe, yeah I was thinking of taking it to Gerry. I live 10 minutes away from him... and he's fixed up a whole bunch of my lenses before.

Thanks for the suggestions, guys :)
 
You might ask him to just do a quick clean if you are tight on funds. Popping the top on the M5 to clean the inside of the windows is a really quick and easy task.
If you are mechanically inclined at all you could do it yourself with a rubber block and a slot tip screwdriver.
The two flash syncs need to be screwed off. The retainer for the advance lever also removed and the strap lug. Check youtube for a video.
 
:p Yeah, I find that Gerry doesn't mind doing quick things for free. He's fixed all my lenses for free while I watched him (he's always joked with me, telling me to stop buying crap). I don't mind taking apart my own lenses... though cleaning the camera itself seems like a scary task :( I'll pay Gerry a quick visit next time I'm home! I'm heading back out to school tomorrow... :(

I'll also pick up that Leica Goodies Shade thing and see if it solves anything :).

While we're talking about M5s... Isn't there supposed to be a meter arm that swings out behind the lens when you advance the film? I keep cranking, but I don't see it. The meter definitely works though... and it's been cross checked for accuracy with my other cameras.
 
PatrickCheung said:
...

While we're talking about M5s... Isn't there supposed to be a meter arm that swings out behind the lens when you advance the film? I keep cranking, but I don't see it. The meter definitely works though... and it's been cross checked for accuracy with my other cameras.
Click to expand...

Hello,
When the lens is off the M5, the "meter arm" will stay "hidden".
A pin at the bottom would be pushed by the lens when mounted.
This pin will allow the arm to raise when the shutter is cocked.

You can see this by looking through the lens (mounted on your M5) from the front at full open.

Enjoy this beautifull and capable M5.

Arnaud
 
By the way any of you guys with M5 here consider to swap the film advance winder to a M3 style? Is that even possible? I was doing some google search for quite a while.. not sure if anyone here have done it ... what do you guys think?
 
3RiC said:
By the way any of you guys with M5 here consider to swap the film advance winder to a M3 style? Is that even possible? I was doing some google search for quite a while.. not sure if anyone here have done it ... what do you guys think?
Click to expand...

Since you are so enlightened as to realize that the M5 is indeed beautiful, don't ruin it with the wrong lever. It would look so wrong, like a ladies' watch on a wrestler.
 
:p I've seen an image of an M5 with an M3 lever on Google Images before. I've considered it myself, but realized that, as Richard said, the lever just wouldn't look right on the M5... it would look mighty fine on any other M, but not so on an M5. The brutalist design begs for an angular, modern lever.
 
0Leica%20M5-20.jpg


I'm considering it because mine is due for a CLA from Sherry .. bought the M5 for AUD 400 back in June... base on the image above indeed is pretty ugly for it...

*phew*
 
Just found/dug up this thread. My M5 - given a full CLA by Sherry about 2 months ago - flares badly in back lit situations. The VF is wonderfully clear and bright, the RF patch contrasty and no issues with other lighting angles.
My M3s and M-E do not do this. Ah well. Love the M5 anyway.
 
PatrickCheung said:
Thanks Arnaud! That's pretty cool :p I never noticed that. I kept thinking "oh cool, no meter arm. should be safe to collapse my Elmar!"
Click to expand...

You can put a ring of Dymo labeling tape around your Elmar, in the appropriate positions, and it should not collide with M5 meter. This was recommended by E. Leitz in the M5 instruction book.

Just be sure the tape is in the right spot.
 
Being an M5 owner I don't understand why it makes a difference. The meter arm only comes up with the camera is cocked. When it's not cocked the arm is down. You shouldn't store the camera cocked. Ive been told its bad for the meter/shutter and it will drain the meter's battery since it will always be on.

I don't see why collapsing when the camera isn't cocked isn't a faux pas.
 
Sometimes I'm so surprised to see that people want to use a collapsible lens on a big camera like the M5...like to install a 1.2 lens on a Leica III, so wrong!
 
If you want to see the meter arm, the best bet is to mount an LTM adapter ring on the camera to fool it.

I agree with f16 sunshine's post that removing the top of an M5 is quite easy, but you do need the right tools. These cameras are screwed together VERY tightly in the factory. The best way to unscrew the shutter button surround and the flash sync terminals is with the correct size Flexiclamp:

http://www.micro-tools.com/store/C-FLX/Flexi-Clamps.aspx

The rubber block trick will only work if the camera has been serviced and the parts reassembled looser than the original assembly. Remember there is a screw at the top of the lens mount flange and under the little leather patch on the upper strap lug at the rewind end. The top comes off easily, and you have good access to all the surfaces that tend to get crudded up, but be VERY CAREFUL not to disturb the meter components on top of the rangefinder. If you bend the reflecting strip, you will have a tough time getting the shutter speed and meter scale illuminator to work. There are reasons that most service people won't repair an M5, and the ones that will are quite expensive.

I would not add any part to shadow the frameline illuminator. You need all the light here you can get, and if this is causing flare, the remedy is to clean the finder.

I wouldn't change the levers. The original parts look a lot better on the squared-off M5 body. I did change the levers on my M4 and love the result, but it just would not look right with the M5.

Congratulations on getting (for free, even!) the best camera Leitz ever made.

Oh yes, one more thing. You cannot collapse an Elmar on an M5, but a Summicron will work.

Cheers,
Dez
 
Dez said:
I would not add any part to shadow the frameline illuminator. You need all the light here you can get, and if this is causing flare, the remedy is to clean the finder.
Click to expand...

My M5 was just serviced by Sherry, the finder is crystal clear and it flares badly in back lit situations.
Wonderful everywhere else and really easy to focus, even in very dim conditions.
 
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