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Leica M3 light leaks?


rahul_glad

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First guess it looks like pressure plate seals are shot. Suggest black electrician's tape on seams. Also, use case if you have one and try to keep camera out of sunshine if possible. There may also be a problem with the shutter.

 

Thank you! I carry this camera in Zhou half case if it matters.

 

R

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Contact Gus Lazzari - thegreatgus [at] gmail [dot] com or Don Goldberg - dagcam [at] chorus [dot] net

 

Either should be able to tell you what the problem is from looking at these pictures.

Yes, I contacted DAG and I'm sending him my camera.

 

Thank you

 

Rahul

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But they're mechanical, so if there's money funding it, new parts can probably be machined. I'm having my IIIf's rangefinder mirror replaced/refurbished right now. Don't know how well it will work out, but I suspect there isn't much about the Ms that can't be fixed by a few somebodies out there.

 

I asked that same question of Leica recently and they said they'd ask but they haven't replied. I'm sure you are right that Leica is limited in what they can do for M3s but then they are, what, 65 years old? I'm imagining you having a conversation with Nikon about servicing their Nikon SP or Canon about servicing their Canon 7. Hello Canon, you still have spare parts for this camera right? ... Canon? Are you there? :rolleyes: Course the punchline is that if Nikon still have parts for their 2000 retro production they just MIGHT have parts ... maybe.

 

If you have to have a 65 year old camera that you need serviced, you couldn't ask for a better one to have than an M3 though right?

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If they tore down the camera completely and rebuilt it piece by piece, checking every piece, along with testing it with film, the CLA would have to be pretty expensive. I'm guessing they have a fixed set of tasks in a CLA and add to that anything you actually mention to them. But the whole camera is old enough so that even as good and durable as it is, it can probably have a part fail at any time (even if that is hopefully rare).

 

In Aircraft maintenance, they often remove parts and subject them to detailed analysis looking for evidence of cracks and fatigue in the metal. Probably not the case with Leicas, though Leicas are maybe the only cameras this old which are actually still used regularly. ;)

 

Anyone know more about what Leica considers a CLA to include?

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What's considered a CLA? I'll ask this question directly to Tamarkin / Leica Chicago.

 

R

 

If they tore down the camera completely and rebuilt it piece by piece, checking every piece, along with testing it with film, the CLA would have to be pretty expensive. I'm guessing they have a fixed set of tasks in a CLA and add to that anything you actually mention to them. But the whole camera is old enough so that even as good and durable as it is, it can probably have a part fail at any time (even if that is hopefully rare).

 

In Aircraft maintenance, they often remove parts and subject them to detailed analysis looking for evidence of cracks and fatigue in the metal. Probably not the case with Leicas, though Leicas are maybe the only cameras this old which are actually still used regularly. ;)

 

Anyone know more about what Leica considers a CLA to include?

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