Troubleshooting some pictures from M2

[Acliff]

I was considering Malcolm Taylor, he comes highly recommended.
I keep the lens cap on whwnever I store the camera, but not when I'm out shooting.

I am going to cover the edges in the back for now, if it happens to be back door, what should I do? Is that something I can fix myself or is that a repair job?

One blessing in disguise is that this problem has caused me to shoot a lot more to try and emulate the problem, more photos the better!

 

[RFluhver]

I am glad I found this thread for I also have a problem with my M2. To be clear, I've shot with my M2 successfully without any problems, so whatever wrong I did was only recent.

Here's a picture sample (see attachment).

As you can see, the left side is underexposed while the right side could either be correctly exposed or (in most cases of my current roll) overexposed. What the hec is going on? What causes this?

Tnx a lot for your advice.

 

[Tom A]

That looks like the curtain is stopping or slowing down significantly about 1/2 way across. Can be something as simple as a film chip stuck on the leading edge of the second curtain and providing brake action. Or the "fluffy" light trap felt trapping the curtain briefly.
The light trap felt is a very thin piece of cloth with a brush like surface. With age the strands of the brush gets compressed and can cause light leak or - if the compression is not even across the track, it simply "grabs" the metal bar on the curtain and slows it down.
I have had M2's and M3's do this. Worst case scenario is having the trap come loose and jam the curtain ( and in one case bend and dislodge the metal bar). Obviously original replacement felt is difficult to find and Leica now uses something else.

 

[RFluhver]

Hey Tom. Thanks for your reply! You made me so bloody nervous that I had to immediately remove the roll that was currently in my camera and take a look. And you're right! With the film now removed, I observed that the curtain would momentarily sit almost half-way across before closing.

But I've just fired the shutter again several times and the problem seems to have disappeared. I wonder if the issue returns once I reload a roll. Could you just describe in more detail what this 'film chip' you are referring to? I don't see the film being in physical contact with the curtain at all, so I am wondering.

Tnx a lot.

 

[Tom A]

These are small [pieces of film, usually from a slightly mangled sprocket edge that gets stuck in the track. Put the camera on B and look carefully at the bottom track (gravity tends to disperse with chips on the top) and see if there is anything obvious around the point where the stutter "stumbles". Particularly check that the felt-trap looks intact (just use a flash light and shine it down and along the track. Dont try to push the felt back if it appears loose as that will most likely make it worse. If you see a filmchip or something use a pair of tweezers to remove it.
There could be other reasons for shutters slowing down, but the felt trap and/or the small piece of film stuck are the most obvious. The curtain can be working itself loose from the leading edge bar, the shutter drum spring is faulty - and those problems mean a service (as does the felt trap).

 

[payasam]

Stewart: "light trap, felt thingie, in the bottom shutter gully...".

I've had it.

 

[RFluhver]

OK. I am back

After another roll, the problem persists! But it only seems to occur under specific circumstances. I've noticed that the curtain only slows down when:

- there is a roll of film loaded in the camera; and
- when the camera is at rest for some time (i.e. shutter is not fired for a period greater than 15 minutes or so); and
- when the film is advanced

What the hec is going on? As far as I can tell, I've loaded the film correctly and none of the conditions described by Tom, above, exist.

 

[RFluhver]

OK, I've performed a few more observations of my problem.

As a matter of fact, the only condition of the 3 mentioned above that seems to be the likely cause of this curtain issue is the third, "when the film is advanced". When I advance the film, but not shoot it for a while, the curtain clearly slows down and even pauses for a bit.

Basically, the camera is OK. I just can't advance the film until I'm very definitely ready to shoot!

 

[Acliff]

I've had 2 more films developed and they don't show any trace of a light leak. How very bizarre.

I think I will hold off on a CLA until its desperately required. That might come sooner or later though, I took my camera out of my bag the other day and found that big strips of the vulcanite had fallen off.

Griptac charcoal covering on its way now!

 

[nzeeman]

Acliff - that leak on photos 4-7 which is across whole photo is from changing lenses in open so light go around curtains.
on photos 1-3 i dont know what it is - it happen on my photos also sometimes (1-2 photos on roll) . i asked around net and many people say they had prob like that sent to service - they say it is some problem with light shield inside. but many services also struggle with this prob - they sometimes think they repaired and leak happen again few rolls later. it seems that it is some usual problem with leica cameras... but it is not so often so it doesnt make a big prob.

 

[Acliff]

I've been careful with lens changes and everything, and I have not seen any issues for the time being, which is great.

When I was taking off all the vulcanite for the new griptac (which is awesome) I noticed that the baseplate was not fitting seamlessly, almost as if the bottom of the body was pinched together slightly. It seems more pronounced on the spool side, so I am wondering whether this could have caused the issue?

Or is this a standard thing and I am worrying over nothing?

Now that the griptac is on, I think it's light tight, before there was a large chip in the vulcanite on the edge.