Leica IIIg question

[michael_p2]

I have just acquired a beautiful Leica IIIg from 1956. It is in great cosmetic condition and everything seems to

be working correctly except for one niggling point: the film winding knob feels slighty loose, with about 1mm of

play. This is very different to my Leica IIIa on which the film winder is rock solid steady. Can

anyone suggest how I can fix this?<div></div>

[john_shriver]

It's probably a trivial project. Thomosy's book on Leica repair would definitely cover it, since this part is the same as a IIIc.

 

But, realize that the IIIg is a camera whose market price is set by collectors, not by users. They obsess about the condition of every screw-head, be it on a visible screw, or the set-screw that holds the wind knob on. Unless you have the skill and persistence to custom-grind a screwdriver tip for every different screw-head you have to loosen, and the experience to loosen a tight screw without any possibility of the screwdriver jumping or galling out of the screw-head, you should probably leave this to professionals. It's really easy to knock several hundred dollars of the value of a IIIg. Youxin could probably do this work for $50, and would not leave any damage.

 

If this was a IIIc, I'd encourage you to "go for it". But not on a really nice IIIg.

 

Also, once you take pictures at 1/1000 shutter speed, you may very well find the shutter is capping, and the camera thus needs a full CLA.

[michael_p2]

Thanks - it's a user rather than a collector's camera and I don't really care too much about the resale value dropping if there's an easy fix for the annoying loose knob. Having said that I'm not about to open it up and do major surgery, not after wrecking a $30 Kiev 4 when I tried to fix a similar problem last year.

I am pleasantly surprised by the overall quality of the IIIG - it really does feel like a different camera form the IIIa that I have used for years - perhaps not surprisingly given the 20-year time difference. The IIIg feels like a scaled-down M3 and is a bit heftier and bulkier than the IIIa. In operation it feels a lot sleeker and more assured than the IIIa, but the shutter is also noticeably louder.

[john_shriver]

Thomosy's book is affordable and interesting. You should also be able to get it by inter-library loan, but if you can afford a user IIIg, you can certainly afford a used copy of the book.

 

I suspect much of the difference in "feel" of the IIIg is the cast crate used in the IIIc and later, as opposed to the built-up from sheet brass construction of the IIIb and earlier. While my IIIa isn't as rigid as my Canon IIF or IV-SB2, it is also much lighter, and I appreciate it for that. If I want a "carry around" camera, the IIIa is preferred over most other cameras.

[john_shriver]

Looking at my books, the wind spindle is simply held on by the wind knob. Loosen the set-screw in the side of the knob (say two turns, don't remove it, you'll be sorry if you do), and then tighten the knob some and re-tighten the set-screw. But do use a quality screwdriver on the set-screw. Realize that there's always a risk of splitting the set-screw at the slot therein.

[steve_mareno]

Congratulations on your IIIg. Great camera. I like the IIIa/IIIf too. Your problem sounds like an easy fix, but you probably should send it to D.A.G. or Essex or any of the usual Leica repair suspects. Have them look at the shutter too. It sounds like it has too much tension. There is no reason it should be louder than your IIIa.

 

I second your idea of not doing it yourself. I had the not so bright idea of putting a little more tension on the shutter screws on my IIIa because it seemed to be running a little slow. Well, the darn little screw stop slipped out of my screwdriver's grip, the shutter tensioner screw spun around, and the shutter unwound. Couldn't for the life of me get it wound back w/o disassembling the camera. The camera is now for up sale for cheap. My attempt to save a few bucks cost me plenty. On the other hand, I can overhaul Argus C4 cameras and lenses, and a Leica Summar that I cleaned works great. Maybe I better limit my repairs to just those particular items.

[michael_p2]

I tried adjusting the screw and this did nothing. Then I took it to a local camera repair guy who gave me a very technical explanation of why it was not worth the risk of adjusting to get rid of the loose play on the wind knob. He basically said "it ain't broke, live with it", and I will for now - it feels not half as bad when a film is loaded and takes up the tension on the wind knob. In all other respects my IIIg is a star performer.

[christopher_a._junker1]

Mike, I have two IIIg's; the first is a rarely used semi-collector item, and the second is clearly a user with over a thousand rolls from the previous two owners and myself. The first has virtually no play in the film winder knob, the second is about as you have described your IIIg. The play makes absolutely no difference in how the film advances or rewinds. In any event, I rarely use the winder knob as I am a lefty and use the Leicavit baseplate winder. They aren't cheap, but I've never had a film advance problem using one. My recommendation is don't mess with your IIIg. If the loose wind knob really bugs you, send it to one of the pros. There is more involved than just a loose screw.