Greetings all, Well it finally happened to me. Somehow I managed to burn a tiny whole into the lower left corner of an otherwise perfect shutter curtain on my M6 TTL. Where is the best place to send my injured child? I am in Connecticut. And how much is this going to hurt?.....Not that it really matters I guess. Maybe after all these years I will finally start using a lens cap. Regards, Fred

-- Fred Argilagos (trgmail@snet.net), February 16, 2002

Answers

If it's a fairly small hole (say 1-2mm or less) don't worry about it, just head to your friendly local shoe store and pick up some Shoe Goo (black of course - comes in black or clear), mix out a small spot of it on a napkin, then dab some on the hole using a toothpick. A small tube of Shoe Goo should be in every M photographer's first aid kit.

-- Anon Terry (anonht@yahoo.com), February 16, 2002.

I still recommend Golden Touch in Upper New York State.

-- Thomas Nutter (tmnphotos@erols.com), February 16, 2002.

BTW don't be squeamish about such a "low-tech" repair. The shutter on my M6 has had an 8 year old's finger poked into it, and two Shoe Goo repairs, since I bought it 4 years ago. No servicing, and works great to this day (and I still refuse to use lens caps). The secret to a successful Shoe Goo repair is to spread it thinly and evenly, using the flat end of the toothpick to gently smooth it into the shutter fabric surrounding the hole on the front and back, and leaving the camera with bottom plate off to dry overnight before firing the shutter again.

-- Anon Terry (anonht@yahoo.com), February 16, 2002.

Guess who *I* won't be buying a used Leica from :>)

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), February 17, 2002.

Before doing anything rash, like fricking up a $2k camera, why not e- mail Leica service and see if you can get an estimate. Try rolling it into a CLA (which you'll probably have to do anyway.)

-- Glenn Travis (leicaddict@hotmail.com), February 17, 2002.

Kodak Black Liquid Opaque and a #00000 spotting brush will fix it nicely.

-- p (ravenart@pacbell.net), February 17, 2002.

Alternatively try Liquid Electrical Tape - a liquid rubber compound which, when it sets, creates a flexible rubber patch which won't flake off. This stuff is used as insulation in electronics manufacture to coat electrodes more permanently (and professionally) than standard PVC electricians tape.

-- Andrew Nemeth (azn@nemeng.com), February 17, 2002.

Andrew - any source for the Liquid Electrical tape? And has anyone thought of/tried coating that on a pre-M6 eyepiece to reduce scratched spectacles?

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), February 17, 2002.

Before doing anything rash, like fricking up a $2k camera

It's just a simple camera with a simple problem and a simple solution, no need to pull your hair out over it. This "rash" fix has been done on the fly by M photographers for decades. And how do you know he needs a CLA? The oldest M6 TTL is only four years old, so unless he's been abusing it, it shouldn't need one so soon. Relax, it's just a camera.

-- Anon Terry (anonht@yahoo.com), February 18, 2002.

After considering all of my options I called Golden Touch. In my particular circumstance ( time, work, etc ) I felt is was best to send it out. FedEx delivered it this morning, I will keep you posted as to the progress and cost.

Regards, Fred

-- Fred (trgmail@snet.net), February 20, 2002.