What was it a week ago someone asked about how long it takes DAG to do a repair?

At the time my M4 had been with him for 5 weeks. I e-mailed him and he thought he could get to it this week. Well UPS just dropped it off and he billed me! Why am I surprised he billed me? He doesn't know me at all, never did any business with me at all and he sent a camera back unpaid for. I'm surprised and thrilled. Only days ago he hadn't touched it and now it is here.

After getting the new Motor-M for the .58 M6 and skimming the Rapidwinder site I asked Don about converting my M4 to accept a winder/motor. He said sure for @$180. He also adjusted the shutter speeds and brake no charge.

So here it is and the M4 is sweet with the motor. Less kick it seems back to the release too than the M6.

Also I can finally try the 1.25X mag on the .72 M4 body, it was away when the mag came in.

Before anyone groans about modifing an M4 this camera hasn't been "stock" since '85? when M4-P framelines went in and the M3 lens release collar went on. This is an OK clean user that has made my living for a long time. I like to make it a better tool.

Now it may get a motor of its own. Another vote for DAG, slow but worth it.

-- Neil Swanson (neilsphoto@yahoo.com), April 02, 2002

Answers

Just curious: did Don replace the winding gears with the M4-2 and later type or keep the stock M4 gears? Much has been written about the so-called rough feel of the M4-2 and beyond being due to steel winding gears necessary for a motor. Wondering if that's a bunch of poppycock or not.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), April 02, 2002.

Did DAG replace gears in my M4 when he did the winder conversion? Don't know. I didn't ask just what he did or replaced. I kinda think not.

The M4 has always had a very smooth advance. Still does after DAG. I've heard about the steel gear theory for motor use and it may be true. I used to own 2 M4-2s in the '80s and the M4 is smoother, only later did I hear it blamed on the gears. The '67 M4 is still smoother than a near new .58 M6TTL in that respect.

But then I wonder back in the '60s when New York Camera made those huge motors for M4s (M4 MOT) and M2s if they had problems from brass gears after use. Don't know. Did they make steel gears? Doubt it.

I'd like to guess that if Don thought I'd have trouble he'd have warned me about it. I had asked him about a Hot Shoe and he advised against it siting trouble fitting one to an M4 from a later M.

I think I will be fine. My gut says it would take many many more years of all motor use to maybe cause any wear problems. And if I use it on low speed I'd be surprised if there were any at all.

The best, well one of the best things about the motor is leaving the camera at your eye, great for verticals or a series of vertical portraits. It should be better than a Rapidwinder also because one hand is on the lense for focus changes and not on a lever under the camera. The other on the shutter release.

-- Neil (neilsphoto@yahoo.com), April 03, 2002.

All the M cameras that could be used with a motor had steel winding gears. That includes the MP cameras as well.

-- John Collier (jbcollier@shaw.ca), April 06, 2002.