Hi All,

I am new to Leica, I just bought a M6TTL and 50mm Summicron.

I have a couple of queries that I hope you guys would be able to help me with.

1) I noticed that the shutter speed dial is easier to turn(smoother)when the shutter is cocked than when it is not. I sometimes find it hard to turn the dial especially around the speeds from 1/30s to 1/125s (it feels as if I am forcing it to turn). Occasionally, I also hear some metallic sound (like metal being strike by something) when I turn the dial. All these disappear when I cock the shutter.

2) Another thing I noticed is that the frame counter dial is flush with the arrow display when I first took a close look at it(start of roll), but the next time I took a close look again(around frame 28) there is a gap between them.

Are all this normal, or do I have a faulty set?

Will appreciate any advice you guys can give.

Thanks.

Jon Y

-- Jonathan Y (foto_2k@yahoo.com), March 04, 2001

Answers

Well I had to get mine out and check these observations out since they never caught my attention. Result is that 1) I could detect a faint difference in the ease with which the shutter dial moves. Very faint, but perhaps I am now looking for it. I think this will probably disappear in your camera as you exercise it more.

2) Yes there is a gap, not noticeable enough to bother me. I am unable to check it at the beginning of a roll yet ( I am in the middle of one).

The bottom line is: Does the camera function correctly? The reality is that nothing is perfect, not even a Leica, especially if they are hand-assembled. Go ahead and shoot a few rolls then decide for yourself whether the camera is keeper or not.

Enjoy it, I am enjoying mine.

-- Jean-David Borges (jdborges@home.com), March 04, 2001.

Jon: The shutter speed dial should never be hard to turn. There is a slight resistance at each click-stop, to hold the dial at the selected speed. Bewteen click-stops, the dial should be silky-smooth to turn. It should never feel like you have to force it. It needs professional attention. I wouldn't use it until having it looked at. I don't know about the counter. I've never noticed anything remarkable about mine. I hope this isn't a new Leica, with such problems!

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), March 04, 2001.

Jon:

After reading your post, I went to check my TTL's... Yes, there is a SLIGHT increase in the amount force required to turn the shutter speed knob from 1/60th to 1/30th when the camera is not cocked. However, I can still make the transition fairly easily with just my left index finger while the camera is at my eye. I don't think you should have to "force" anything on your Leica, so you might want to have it checked by a Leica technician.

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), March 04, 2001.

Sorry, I left off the answer to your second question: I have no problems with frame-counter mis-alignment from 0 through 38.

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), March 04, 2001.

The stiffness going from 1/50 to 1/30 is normal. You are going from the high speed shutter mechanism to the medium/slow speed mechanism. It was quite pronounced in my new M6TTL but I hardly notice it now. It is also very slightly noticeable in my M2 as well so give your TTL forty years and it should be fine :-).

Regarding the film counter, I have never looked that closely. I have never had any problem knowing which frame I am at. It does not precisely line up but......

Cheers,

-- John Collier (jbcollier@home.com), March 04, 2001.

I have owned a Leica M6 TTL camera for over a year. Recently I bought a new M6 TTL body and noticed that the shutter speed dial was stiff between 1/60 and 1/30 sec. I took it back to the Leica agent and complained. The agent's technician explained that the stiffness was absolutely normal when the shutter was not cocked. I did not believe him and asked to be shown a new one. The agent showed me two new ones, each of which was identical to mine.

The technician stated that the stiffness completely disappears when the shutter is cocked. He was quite correct for my camera and for both new ones. When I returned home, I checked my 1 year old camera - exactly the same.

Why did I not pick this up? Probably because I do not normally adjust things until I have wound on and have the meter on. I am confident that all is well although I felt a bit silly at the time.

-- Wayne Murphy (wayne.murphy@publicworks.qld.gov.au), March 05, 2001.

I have a 6 week old M6 TTL. I agree with all the other answers. Slightly stiffer to change shutter speed when not cocked. The 1/3 0 to 1/60 range is stiffest. I think it is recommended to always keep a Leica cocked, then you will always change shutter speed when cocked. No metallic noise, just the thud sound of the detent enngaging. My frame counter stays aligned from -2 to +38 frames (always alignned withhin the thickness of the frame counter marks). Although, I felt uneasy cocking and firing my M 40 times with no film in it! Shouldn't all wear and tear of the M mechanism be expended exposing film? ;-)

-- Dan Brown (brpatent@swbell.net), March 05, 2001.

It does not matter when you change shutter speeds or if you leave the camera cocked or uncocked.

Cheers,

-- John Collier (jbcollier@home.com), March 05, 2001.

Hi guys,

Thank you all for being so fore-coming in giving your advice and sharing of your experiences. It sure gives me peace of mind to know that everyting's normal. And Yes, I am enjoying the M6.

-- Jonathan Y (foto_2k@yahoo.com), March 06, 2001.

The Leica M shutter is massively overengineered and understressed. i.e. springs are bigger and thicker than they need to be, they are compressed or stretched less than they can be. In general, everything in the camera that is mechanical is supposed to be operating well within its limits, which is supposed to make it a durable camera.

So the wisdom is that it matters little if you leave the shutter cocked.

-- Mani Sitaraman (bindumani@pacific.net.sg), March 06, 2001.

I've also noticed a slight resistance with my M6TTL between the 1/30 and 1/60 shutter speeds - most noticable when approaching the slower speed and especially after the flash synchronisation mark - but, what the hell!! The camera works fine and if so many M6TTL users are experiencing the same thing can't we just assume that this is characteristic of this camera's design instead of having sleepless nights about nothing?

Regarding the frame counter: mine seems to be OK.

-- Chris Timotheou (nowayout@btinternet.com), March 11, 2001.