Service of M-6TTL, how often?

<p>I bought my M-6 TTL new in 2001, with 35-50-90 lenses. With so many other cameras and formats in the collection none of them see heavy use, the M-6 has had perhaps 25-30 rolls of film through it in that time. There are no known issues as yet, everything works perfectly as far as I can tell. I am very careful to keep it and the case as clean as possible, I don't see any dust at all, but am sure that some will unavoidably find it's way into places. Shutter speed at one second is dead on, camera has never been dropped, damaged or roughly used, looks the same as day one.</p>

<p>Over the years I've heard most of the maintenance philosophies spoken, (1. if it ain't broke, don't fix it, (2. have a thorough CLA every 3 to 5 years or so, (3. every time someone services it, that creates more opportunity to damage internals. Sooo, I'm quite uncertain which is the better option, this is my first Leica, and at my advanced age surely my last. I considerate it a truly well made machine and would like to give it the care it deserves, therefore I'm very much open to input and suggestions from you experienced Leica owners/users.</p>

<p>My Hasselblad is a 500CM, bought new about 30 years ago, with four lenses and three backs. Never saw any maintenance until 1994, two lenses had stubborn self timers, one developed slightly slow shutter at low speeds, had body, lenses and backs full serviced by H'blad then. Recently the 80mm self timer started to drag a bit, so had it full serviced last January, will do the rest soon. The point here is, Hasselblad said to wait until something needed to be serviced, not before. That seemed to work well, from new the camera and accessories all worked with no problems for 14 years, then following first service another 15 years passed before an issue surfaced.</p>

<p>Durability of the Hasselblad seems tank like, is the Leica in the same category? Expense is not at all the issue, I surely don't object to caring properly for these things as required.</p>

<p>Last question: If service is advised who will give it the best care, Leica, Sherry, DAG or ????? Thanks for any thoughts you have, much appreciated.</p>

<p>Patrick </p>

<p>Considering the light use your Leica equipment receives, my opinion is that you don't need to CLA your gear. However, I do think it is important to exercise your cameras and lenses occasionally in order to spread the lubricant around on the various internal moving parts. In the case of the camera, use all the functions, levers, rewinder knob/crank, self timer, etc. Go through each shutter speed at least twice. Exercise the lenses by turing the focus ring from stop to stop and the same with the aperture ring. Once a month would be a good schedule.</p>

<p>If you live in a particular hostile environment for camera gear like the very humid tropics or in a very dry desert atmosphere, a CLA would probably be in order now.</p>

<p>I've used Leica, DAG, and most recently Sherry Krauter. On one ocasion with both Leica and DAG I have noticed tool marks on the outside finish of my returned equipment. Leica left a clamping tool mark on the film advance lever of my wife's new M6 Titanium. The M6 was sent in just before the end of warranty to clean some slight haze in the viewfinder that was actually there from day one. My wife didn't notice the tool mark when the camera returned, and I only noticed it months later when I borrowed the M6 from her. Leica is also very expensive.</p>

<p>DAG made two scratches across the top of the rangefinder housing of my Leica III when I sent it in for a CLA. I didn't complain because they did an otherwise fantastic job and the camera was not perfect to begin with. </p>

<p>I haven't gotten my gear back from Sherry yet so I can't really comment on the work she does. She has an almost impeccable reputation, however. I sure like the idea of picking up the phone and personally talking to the person working on my equipment. Sherry's turn-around time at the moment is three weeks. I don't know about Leica, but DAG was backed up about a month ago.</p>

<p>I stopped in a few years ago at a camera shop where a Leica tech rep was doing free camera checks. After waiting about two hours in line I handed him my M4. Everything was fine, but his advice to most of us, which we heard often repeated was, as stated above, exercise the camera. He joked and said...while watching tv, grab the empty body each week and run it thru the various shutter cycles both going up and down the scale 10-20 times. He said it effectively keeps lubricants spread on moving parts, and the wear created is negligible in this exercise.</p>

<p>I pretty much agree with everything Robert Hooper said. My M6TTL sees moderate use, has never been in for CLA, and it works just fine. If I want anything done to my Leicas they would go to Sherry Krauter. I take the same approach with Hasselblads, which now would go to David Odess.</p>

No need to CLA them periodically. At least, not until they show signs that they need some fixing. Use them; that's a lot

better.

<blockquote>

<p>if it ain't broke, don't fix it</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Robert<br>

Stephen<br>

Rick<br>

Francisco<br>

Dieter</p>

<p>Thanks very much for the thoughtful responses and taking the time, very kind of you all. Years back I had been told that monthly exercise of the shutters and body controls worked well for all equipment, I've been doing that for a long time. Maybe that's why the gear has given me such reliable, long service. For some time I've been saving my outdated films, then once in a while I run a roll through the body, or in the case of the H'blad the backs, to keep the advance, counting and transport mechanisms exercised.</p>

<p>Your responses were most insightful and I learned something, I had never considered that the exercising would spread the lubricants. I can see how a constant position would lead to a stiffening of the lubricants, due to evaporation and age I would guess.</p>

<p>Good to know about Sherry and David, I've read several posts on their service. I completely agree about tool and clamp marks left on gear when in the technicians hands, that doesn't speak well for the care that was given to your equipment, or the professional standards of the person that left the bruises. If substandard care was given to the outside, how certain can we be that the internals were treated any better?</p>

<p>Thanks again, folks, and my best regards.</p>

<p>Patrick</p>

<p>Patrick, a quick hint about your Hassy backs - store them without the dark slides in place. The continuous compression of the foam light trap eventually produces a light leak in that same area.</p>

<p>This ultimately determines if a camera needs a CLA. Get the M6 TTL checked ! A good natured, well equipped tech, should be happy to show you the shutter curtain balance and meter accuracy. After all, do doctors just jump right in to the operating room and perform open heart surgery or do they conduct testing first to see if anything really is necessary?</p>

<p>FYI: I had DAG in the past year, RE-DO a Leicaflex SL2 for additional issues and it returned with another problem... (Off now for the third shipment)</p>

<p>If a tech goes slow, uses masking techniques for the occasional frozen up components, then these abrasions will never occur. They're just going too fast or being lazy...</p>

<p>Gus -</p>

<p>Thanks for the Hassy back/dark slide tip, I'd never thought of it. FYI a tech shop confirmed it, great idea. Good of you to pass it along.</p>

<p>Patrick</p>

<p>My M6 is 20 years old...I've shot thousands of rolls with it...its with me everyday, everywhere I go....i useit professionally (roughly 150 days a year) and for a certain percentage of my personal work ...It's never been in the shop. 10 years ago while on lunch break on a film I was working on, I fell asleep in the sun on my back with the camera and lens facing up on my chest...I guess the lens was fully stopped down and the lens cover wasn't on...in a period of about 15min the sun burned two tiny little holes in the shutter curtain...(i didnt notice until I got the contact sheets back a few days later)...When I called Leica in Germany they said I would have to replace the entire curtain assembly for about $800.00...I took the camera to a very clever repair guy here in Prague, and he simply glued two patches cut out from an old cloth shutter over the holes and I've been using without problems ever since. Thats just my story...and I'm not recommending not having your camera serviced...as I do regularly service and clean my medium format gear and certainly my DSLRs after every feature film I work on...Ive just never bothered with my Leica, and its taken some serious knocks.</p>

<p>that is good info re dark slide tip...didnt know that...out they go.</p>

<p>It took DAG 8 months to return my leica, he did a fabulous job, however, the turn around time is too long.</p>