replacing a wrinkled curtain

[rolleistef]

Hi,
I was wondering : would it be possible to replace and repair(DIY) a wrinkled curtain on a Leica IIIsomething, as some are sold for quite low price for that reason, or is it definitely too complicated for a normal human person?
Also, is putting a FSU curtain on a leica considered as a crime that may lead me against a penal court? And is it simply technically possible?

 

[John Shriver]

If you have good hand-eye coordination, like buying good tools, can make your own tools, and have good mechanical aptitude, you can replace a shutter curtain on a Leica III. You would want to replace both while you are in there (the material is cheap), and do a complete CLA. You would also want some books, I'd say the National Camera one on the IIIf, and Thomosy's Leica book.

On the other hand, if you don't have the right aptitude, you could well wind up with a pile of mangled parts. You have to take the camera 80% apart to change the shutter curtains.

Trick is, you have to position the curtains exactly the right place, especially in the early models that had no fine tuning points for the 1/500 and 1/1000 speeds. (They had a jig at the factory.) The IIIf is in some ways easier than say a IIIa. On the other hand, the earlier models are less complicated overall, like no shutter brakes.

If you're serious, buy a FSU clone first, and practice on that.

 

[Kim Coxon]

Why not send it to Oleg. He can do a first rate job for you at a very reasonable price.

Kim

 

[Xmas]

John

Excellent advice, but I'd have said buy two FSU clones one a parts body one a shooter. Repair the parts body then make the shooter perfect, then the Leicia.

Most people are going to end up with a pile of man... only people who are engineers at heart like Jay and Russ are going to repair Leitz shutters and have them work with chrome film, without leaks, capping, uneven exposure, some of the new cameras did not work with chrome film.

The other option is to have the Leicia repaired prof and buy two FSU clones, ... some people prefer the Fed 1 or Zorki 1, to the Leicia II, e.g. the viewfinder is different.

Noel

 

[Ronald M]

Material is cheap. Material that does not leak and leave streaks on the film at 1/500 and up is more difficult.

Mark Hama did two of mine both of which were botched several times each by other repair peopleof .

Unfortunately Mark is backed up right now with personel issues and he just might keep the camera a long time. The second took 6 months.

Google Mark Hamma camera repair and see what the current wait time is. I think he chrged $175 plus shipping.

 

[jmartin]

Why not send it to Oleg. He can do a first rate job for you at a very reasonable price.

Kim

Just curious, does this recommendation come from having disassembled
one of his repaired Leicas to actually see for yourself that a first-rate
job was done ?


Martin

 

[Kim Coxon]

If you search the threads here for Oleg's name, you will find a fair number of members who have had repairs done by Oleg and have had nothing but praise for the work he has done. If I have paid to have a camera repired, the last thing I am going to do is take it apart again to see what was done. 😉 Come to think of it, I haven't taken a new camera apart to see if it was put together correctly by the maker's either. 😀

Kim

Just curious, does this recommendation come from having disassembled
one of his repaired Leicas to actually see for yourself that a first-rate
job was done ?


Martin

 

[rolleistef]

OK I think I'll wait till I'm rich enough to buy a good-working shooter, and play with my FSUs during that time...

 

[jkelly]

Oleg's price for a full CLA on a Leica III is still $70. Add $6 for new curtains. Somewhat less in Euros, I would think, given the exchange rate. The most you need to worry about with Oleg is losing the package (or having it stolen) in transit, but I've never had a problem. As others have said, he does good work.

 

[rogue_designer]

OK I think I'll wait till I'm rich enough to buy a good-working shooter, and play with my FSUs during that time...

I think this is the best plan in general, unless it's really something special that pops up and is worth the cost of repair.

Always buy the best example of a given used camera that you can afford. If you can't afford one in good working order yet, don't buy it yet - you could spend a lifetime getting a non-functioning camera up to where it's a good user, where waiting a month or two would have you up and running out of the gate.

just my $.02

 

[rolleistef]

Thank you very much folks. Oleg is pretty cheap!
I'll wait till LTM Leica are affordable (in a year or so, they are in one of there expensive period) and play with the other cameras.
Now is the other How can you explain you want to buy a camera just because it's that model, even though you already have 10 bodies on the shelves? My parents would hardly understand I want to buy a IIIf, a M2, a F3, a Leicaflex, a Rolleiflex, a Yashica GSN and a Graflex as well... neither would my bank!
cheers
thanks for your money rogue_designer 😀