I'm not exactly thrilled with the pivoting film advance on the M6 as I get the feeling I may accidentaly break it off. Does anyone else feel the same way? What would you replace yours' with?

-- Brooks (Bvonarx@home.com), November 23, 2001

Answers

I have not seen anyone break a tip off unless the camera was smashed into something. I replaced my advance lever with one from a M3/2 camera. Leica still, as of early this year, sells the part . You will need a special tool to change it though. Check back in old threads for a complete description and links for tools.

-- John Collier (jbcollier@powersurfr.com), November 23, 2001.

I would try to ignore it, although your psyche may not allow. Worry if it breaks. For comfort, though, IMO that pivot is a blessing. I feel bad when people don't "get" the pivot.

I think that you can epoxy the pivot, but if I remember correctly, this turned out weird (feel-wise, aethetically it's unchanged)

-- Mike DeVoue (karma77@att.net), November 23, 2001.

I agree with Brooks. The pivot does nothing for me.

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), November 23, 2001.

For all the years I was thinking about Leicas without owning one, the "M4" style lever always made me itch, too. It seemed fragile hanging out there compared with the moulded-on plastic tips from Canon/Nikon.

After shooting with M4-2/Ps for 6 months, it no longer registers as a problem - and as I think back over those previous 25 years, I saw exactly one M4 with a broken-off plastic tip in that whole time.

As with baseplate loading (M4 style), and the original .72x finder, I've slowly learned that, at least in mechanics, the Leica engineers knew what they were doing and why, and I've quit wishing for something else.

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), November 24, 2001.

Sorry - that sounds a little like I was dismissing your concern. I know at least one person who had the Focal Point swap M3/M2 levers onto all his M6s and loved it - even when it was chrome on a black body. I believe chrome is all that's available as spare parts, since black chrome didn't come in until after the plastic tipped levers.

The only downside I know off is that the all-metal levers whack the shutter speed dial when they spring back, eventually causing some wear to the finish.

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), November 24, 2001.