mike grossman Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 When I photograph in the rain, the camera quacks. No no no... just kidding. Not that sort of funny. I just purchased this used but very clean M6 classic from mega-bay auction site. At shutter speeds of 1/30 and slower, there is a little "springy" sound after the shutter closes. The length/intensity of the springy sound increases as the shutter speed slows, but it happens after the shutter closes. This doesn't occur at 1/60 or faster - the camera and shutter sound solid. I haven't noticed this on previous M6 bodies I've used. Is this something that sounds abnormal? Thanks for any info. - Mike in Chicago Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen_w. Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 Mike, It's normal. The sound is the timing mechanism. Have Fun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al_kaplan1 Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 It's posessed by demons. I'll give you $50 for it and take care of proper disposal! Email me for shipping address. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terry_rory Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 This happens on my new Rolleicord. When I was checking all the shutter speeds the other day I could hear the clockwork 'bizzing' away from about 1/30th downwards (more obvious on much slower speeds) I would never have realised that something as sophisticated as a Leica M6 used clockwork though! (But I am not an M user.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay_. Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 <<I would never have realised that something as sophisticated as a Leica M6 used clockwork though>> People define "sophisticated" differently. Some would guffaw at the notion the M6 is sophisticated. Others would consider a precision-engineered complex mechanical German clockwork from Leica to fit their definition of "sophisticated" better than a $0.99 mass-produced circuit board from some sweatshop in Taiwan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hugh_t Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 It just needs more caressing and love. Were your hands cold? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terry_rory Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 I am not guffawing at the notion of German precision engineered clockwork mechanisms for slow shutter speeds. (I just said my 40 year old Rolleicord has it!) However I sort of assumed that the M6 would have something really, really special, something no mortal could possibly understand. I should have known better. My very first hi-fi (when I was very young) had something called a Dual CS-505 turntable. I remember reading how Dual (Another German company) had manufactured the clockwork timer mechanisms for their V1 (Vengeance) flying bombs during WW2. I guess its just something the Germans have always done well. Old German clockwork tin toys sell for a fortune nowadays and still work after 100 years or more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al_kaplan1 Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 Odds are good that the clockwork mechanism in your "oldfashioned" mechanical Leica will be working just fine 50 years after the last electronic parts are available for the M7 and R series. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul hart Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 "I haven't noticed this on previous M6 bodies I've used." You are blessed indeed. Your hearing is improving with age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grant_. Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 the shutter sound seems to be a mystery to many leica users around here.... wonder why... :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lex_jenkins Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 Sounds like shutter bounce. Dunno 'bout the Leica arrangement but other focal plane shutters are known to develop a bit of a bounce that's audible at slower speeds, as you've described. Usually fixed with a CLA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay_. Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 Lex, read Grant's post above yours. It applies ;>) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_barnett2 Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 "Sounds like shutter bounce. Dunno 'bout the Leica arrangement but other focal plane shutters are known to develop a bit of a bounce that's audible at slower speeds, as you've described. Usually fixed with a CLA." What, yet another ridiculous Leica Myth in the offing? Lex, before you reply, use the camera, it helps in creating a knowledgable answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el_fang Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 <i>"You are blessed indeed. Your hearing is improving with age."</i> <p>ROTFLMAO!! Seriously, it's likely the normal clockwork. Shutter bounce would manifest as a light band on one side of your pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h._p. Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 It gives you pause the first time you notice it. I thought there was something wrong with my M3 as well, first time I used it 1/15. The interesting thing is, I never noticed it when I had a M2. Now I come to think of it, perhaps the M2 was faulty... :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lex_jenkins Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 What's so unusual about the proposition that an out-of-alignment shutter might be responsible for an out-of-the-ordinary sound? A focal plane shutter is a focal plane shutter. Being a Leica doesn't make the mechanism invulnerable to mechanical problems. And shutter bounce does not invariably lead to symptoms that would be visible on film. I had a Canon FTbn with pretty bad shutter bounce and tested it with the mirror locked up - no light leak. Bounce is usually audible long before it's severe enough to cause other problems. This was simply information given me by an experienced repair tech for evaluating used cameras I was considering. If he was wrong then so am I. Anyway, I think some of you fellows may have been breathing too much of the hallucinogenic vapors emitted by vulcanite. Get some air. Your cameras are just mechanical devices, not altars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sal dimarco Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 Gentlemen, There is NOTHING WRONG WITH THE MAN'S CAMERA... It is the escapement mechanism running down. We have all heard it. The collective "sense of humor" of people on this list is questionable....Happy Snap, Sal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hadji_singh Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 What? You guys actually trip the shutters on your Leicas? I keep mine in vault. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albert_smith Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 Shutter sounds explained...<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuck Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 <i>Your cameras are just mechanical devices, not altars.</I><P> My camera is a pixie-fairy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lex_jenkins Posted August 8, 2003 Share Posted August 8, 2003 Excellent info, Albert, thanks very much. I'll commit it to memory for my shopping trips. Speaking of committed, my OM-1 is making funny noises too. Sounds a lot like "Don't trade meeeee..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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