Leicaflex Standard Mk 1

To take some winter pictures, I locked up the mirror on my Leicaflex Standard and fitted a 21 SA f3.4 with viewfinder. Outside was in the low '20s. When I finished and went back indoors, I noticed that I no longer have a working shutter speed indicator across the bottom of the viewfinder when I remounted a 50 Summicron R to the body. Does anyone have an idea what happened and is it "user" fixable? Also, is the 1/2000 shutter speed real? With bright sun on snow 1/2000 would really be useful if anywhere near accurate.

When I had a Leicaflex years ago, I wondered if the 1/2000 speed was for real. One of the premier repairers in the USA told me to not count on it...seems it was a but fluky at least thru the SL2 models.

1/2000 is not really that much faster than 1/1000 on the original and the SL in my experience. You can use it, but you might find it is only 1/1250 etc. There's probably moisture in the pentaprism under the fresnel lens which is gumming up the indicator. I'd let it dry out and it might start moving again.

Thanks, I'll give it a try as the humidity here is presently low.

wondered if the 1/2000 speed was for real. One of the premier repairers in the USA told me to not count on it..." Stephen L.

"not to count on it"? That's flat out wrong !

Especially on a super accurate Kyoritsu 3 sensor tester, I was always amazed how accurate and maintenance free those shutters were. In fact they rarely required ANY 2,000th re-calibration (It was consistently .5 to.6 milliseconds evenly across the full frame).

i.e. This shutter was so unique & special, when I showed other technicians that a file couldn't even scratch the shutter gearing, they were blown away...

Unlike the Leicaflex Standard Mk. II, the Mk.I light meter is always "on" as there is no on/off switch. Can the Mk.II on/off switch be retrofitted to the Mk.I body?

I've recently loaned the camera fittedwith the 21 f3.4 SA wide angle lens and the user remarked just how solid the camera felt and the smoothness of the shutter release. It is also very quiet with the mirror locked up. On the Mk.I you do have to get used to the ground glass focusing screen but it is very bright, even at F2.

how accurate and maintenance free

Interesting, I've had 3 Leicaflex SL and although I did shoot at 1/2000 occasionally, most of the time the results were underexposed at that speed, which is why I believed this statement that I've also read elsewhere. Otherwise great cameras.

I did shoot at 1/2000 occasionally, most of the time the results were underexposed at that speed" & "you might find it is only 1/1250" Robin S.

Sorry, but that's a bit of a contradiction.

Assuming proper movement of the aperture towards doubling of the light intensity (As when going to the 2,000th from the 1,000th setting), the speed move, which you claim if measured was actually firing off at an out-of-tolerance 1,250th, would result in a 2/3 stop overexposure.

Underexposing means that the shutter speed was actually faster than you thought...

Yes, I meant overexposed. Doh.

Although Leica camera bodies have sure changed in the last 54 years, the shutter release on my Leicaflex has yet to be matched. I'm hoping leaving the body out in our house's 28 % humidity will loosen up the viewfinder shutter speed display. It does need a cleaning as there is a lot of dust in the prism area.