Shutter release lock on M2?

P

PhotoGog

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I've had my M2 for six months now, my first M body after having used a M4-P for a number of years back in art school 15 years ago. The M2's aesthetic and ergonomic design is perfect ... well, almost perfect. For me, the only thing missing is a shutter release lock. I've often wondered why that is, given Leica's designers were skilful enough to consider elegant solutions for everything else. Yes, yes, it's a minor concern, but it niggles at me.

Does anyone know why Leica never included a shutter release lock? Or how working photographers in the 1950s and 60s dealt with the issue of accidental exposures?

Personally, I've only set it off accidentally a few times, but it's always in the back of mind every time I go to handle its otherwise beautiful and efficient body. And when non-photographer friends inevitably remark on what a nice camera it is and go to handle it, the first thing one says is, by all means play with it but don't press the button!!!
 
I never advance the film until I am ready for the next shot. I have never fired off a frame accidentally. The only times I advance the film immediately is when I want the camera ready to go with little to no notice. It works for me. Give it a try and see how you like it.
 
I do advance the film after each shot, and I still don't have accidental releases. I have never found this to be a problem in actual practice with any of my Leicas.
 
A shutter release lock creates a problem instead of solving it. Imagine that you can take the shot of your life, your decisive moment ... you press the button, but holy sh*t, nothing happens: shutter release lock!

Erik.
 
The problem arises when you decide to add a soft release. The way I resolve this on my M2 is to attach one of those elastic hair ties to the strap loop on the right side, then just do a double loop around the softie with it when you want to lock it.
 
Hi,

Go back a long long time and the routine was to wind on at the last minute because pulling out the lens (bellows or tube) pulled the film out of true and winding it on before squeezing the shutter would flatten it again.

Regards, David

PS And shutter locks are a pita...
 
You need to buy an M7

You need to buy an M7

46 years after the M2 introduction, Leica finally saw the error of their ways. There is a shutter release lock on the M7.
I think you need to add an M7 to your system, as it is truly "you".

I personally never use the shutter release lock. I only wind the film when I anticipate that I'm going to fire the shutter in the next few minutes.

The shutter constant tension argument has been going around for a long time. Some repairers such as Gus Lazzari, and Nikon's F2 manual caution against leaving the shutter wound overnight, as it will affect the springs and the timing calibration.

Yet, other cameras such as the Hasselblads and the Fuji GS645 require the shutter to almost always be fully cocked at all times.
 
Robert Lai said:
The shutter constant tension argument has been going around for a long time. Some repairers such as Gus Lazzari, and Nikon's F2 manual caution against leaving the shutter wound overnight, as it will affect the springs and the timing calibration.
Click to expand...

I don't believe keeping the shutter wound can fatigue the spring. I think the fatigue occurs when the spring is being flexed, during winding and while the exposure is occurring. In any case, my understanding is that a Leica Shutter is 60% tensioned when wound, and 40% tensioned when not wound; not much difference.

I leave mine wound most of the time. My M2 is still OK 55 years after I bought it.

I don't know why Nikon says otherwise. Could there be something different about Nikons? BTW, My two Nikon FE2s are both fine 30 years after I bought them. I leave those cocked as well. They have both been sent in to Nikon for a checkup. Nikon returned them with a note that all shutter speeds were good and the light meter was accurate. All they did was replace the foam on the doors.
 
'The error of their ways'?....it's another unnecessary add
to a perfect camera
 
Deardorff38,
I was being sarcastic. I guess it didn't come through clearly enough.
It's there on the M7 if you want it. I just never use that "feature" / sarc.
 
Erik van Straten said:
A shutter release lock creates a problem instead of solving it. Imagine that you can take the shot of your life, your decisive moment ... you press the button, but holy sh*t, nothing happens: shutter release lock!

Erik.
Click to expand...

Perfect example Erik.
Only time I've ever had an accidental exposure with a Leica was using a soft release, which was quickly removed from the camera.
 
The M6TTl gives you an "off" setting on the shutter speed dial to turn the meter off. However, I think you can still fire the shutter if the camera is wound. Any M6TTL owners able to confirm this? I don't know what shutter speed you'd get though.

The M5 requires you to have a lens mounted, and the shutter wound before the meter turns on. On this model you don't want to touch the shutter partway accidentally, as the meter cell will be lowered, and you won't be able to meter any further for that frame.

All in all, I would say you're still better off just winding when you anticipate something is going to come up.
 
...thanks Robert,...."improvements" are the reason some of us avoided the M7. Fine in their own right, ....if you don't use an M2,M3,M4...
 
Thanks all, I wasn't aware that having the shutter cocked for prolonged periods could (or perhaps could not?!) cause tension fatigue. Never really thought about.

I'll spare you the obvious sexual analogy, but for me NOT winding the film advance lever immediately after a shot is like .... OK, I'll have to change my moves if I'm going to get this 2% shy of perfection worry out of my mind.

But for myself at least, I don't see a lock as risky in missing shots when a quick fire is required - never happened with my Canon F-1 and, besides, isn't winding back the lever to cock a resting shutter the same difference?

You have all been very kind humouring my inane concern 🙂
 
Erik van Straten said:
A shutter release lock creates a problem instead of solving it. Imagine that you can take the shot of your life, your decisive moment ... you press the button, but holy sh*t, nothing happens: shutter release lock!

Erik.
Click to expand...

^^ Yup. I've missed more frames from the shutter lock on my F2 than I ever took blank frames with M6 (or any camera for that matter)

Now... the brief period during which I had a soft-release on one of my F2s, I was unintentionally releasing the shutter in my camera bag all day long...
 
I have other cameras with some type of shutter lock:
Canon FX, FTb
Nikon F2, F3
Minolta Autocord
Rolleiflex 3.5F, 2.8F

A lot of them give you the benefit of using the shutter lock to hold the shutter down for you in the "Bulb" shutter speed.

Other than that, I immediately take off the shutter lock once I get the camera out of the bag. If I even set it in the first place. I'd only set it if I had wound the shutter, and then not taken a shot. Then, my version of your anxiety sets in. I start searching for something to shoot so that I can release the tension on the shutter spring ASAP.
 
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