Sherry Krauter's advice on traveling with M6 and M7

[felix_erazo]

Hi Sandy, you might have a valid point about disturbing factor on the electronics. David, one of the Leica tech's. told me that one of the M's might need a new circuit board, but that he wouldn't be able to say untill he opens it.

 

The good thing is that the camera's failed upon my return from vacation and not the other way.

[sandy.]

Friends, the last sentence also meant that I was a skeptic myself. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me even today, but that's what the lady says, and she was (unfortunately for me) right! So I thought I'll pass it on to you. Am I using foam to wrap my M7 now? Heck no, but I do travel with an extra M3 body just in case. For those of you who knows her, she is just a phone call away, and she will tell you if this is fact or fiction. I couldn't have made this up myself if I wanted to, thus - believe it or not!

 

I should correct an error on the post, the M7 conked out on ITS sencond journey to Europe, not my second, so it was still a brand new camera.

[raymond_tai]

These five years I clocked over 300,000 miles on commercial airlines and at least one

Leica was with me always. No problems whatsoever.

[james_.1]

Where's Kinnear? I am curious as to his ponderings on this subject.

[ray .]

Perhaps he's attending to his own loose screws at the moment.

 

(Just kidding Douglas ;)

[gary_ferguson1]

In hundreds and hundreds of flights I've never had a Leica M problem, but the rangefinder on my Mamiya 7 only had to see an airline timetable to go out of alignment.

[ed_balko3]

If the problem is due to loosening of mechanical fasteners, why are only the M6 and M7 mentioned and not earlier members of the M series?

[Alex_Es]

I recall an article about vibrations on an jet in Modern Photography about 15 or 20 years ago. Because of this I've always made sure my cameras have minimal padding around them. That is they sit in my camera bag as snuggly as possible.

 

Mod Photo said that it is better to leave the cameras in the overhead bin rather than on the floor because the vibrations are worse there. I prefer the floor, however, because overhead bins have an occational nasty habbit of opening and spilling their contents on the floor.

 

I imagine that the intensity of the vibs depends on which part of the plane you sit. The tail end, I believe, is the worst.

 

Ever since I've started using RFs I've flown in jumbos and in a few dreadful propjets and have had no problems (knock on wood). But I do appriciate Sandy's remarks here.

[james_.1]

The worst qualitative vibrations I've noticed while flying was on a trip to and from one oilfield to another on the North Slope of Alaska in a Twin Otter.

[james_.1]

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<img src="http://www.photo.net/photodb/image-display?photo_id=1523485&size=md">

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Although my friend says this badboy is pretty gruff, but then again it does have some huff and puff.

[sandy.]

Hey Allen, that's one beautiful P-51 Mustang! I wouldn't mind letting that one shake any of my things loose! Cheers.

[james_.1]

Thanks, I have quite a few better photos of it too. It's the "Gunfighter", replete with plenty of German flag decals. It's main home is in Council Bluffs, Iowa, where a retired AF General takes her on tours. For 500 clams you can get a 30 or so min. ride, requesting anything you want. Would be fun to try, but Kinnear tells me this is inadvisable for my Noctilux, you know how he takes pains to follow along.

[sandy.]

James, forget about what Kinnear said. Don't let them bother you, we only have one life to live! Now back to the P-51, you mean it's a double seater and one can ride shotgun in it? Wow ! When are you going? I want to tack along with you...

[james_.1]

http://members.cox.net/p51gunfighter/

 

This site shows all the events it will be at. I'm not sure when it will be available for taking passengers for rides, but perhaps emailing them with the address provided at the bottom of the screen would be the best way to find out. I plan to be in the area again starting next Thursday (to drop off some prints for my friends and family, including some of my spanking new nephew) and will be there approximately 1 week. If you'd like to drop by that area, from approx. June 4-12 (and the P-51 may be around in Iowa then, email them to find out), then it would be cool to meet and check this out. Of course, I know a few good restaurants in the Omaha area as well. Anyway, email me offline if you want, and also email the webmaster of the Gunfighter site.

[dave_cheney]

What a load off guff!

 

My Nikon's, Fuji's, RB's and Yashica's have all made as many trips in airplanes as I have. Probably more as all of them are 2nd hand.

 

I think the problem would either be a serious case of thumb fingerednes from Felix or more related to the condition to which they are stored.

 

If M's can't take a trip in a plane what about the continued thumping up and down in your camera bag when you are trudging around with them on your back?

 

To get back on track. Felix? What is the history of these cameras? How old are they? Can you may friends cameras jam when using them? Are you sure you are not winding while holding the shutter release?

 

Dave

[carl2]

Look, you mugs, if Sherry says it's so, it's so. Whatever the reason, it happens. Don't doubt the lady. She sees enough busted cameras to know. If it hasn't happened to you, rejoice.

[kelly_flanigan1]

After 9/11; the load of guff is more real.....I have had twice suitcases opened after luggage check in......The rifle thru ones stuff; to see what the hell the blob is on the xray; then shovel it all in; and relock the suitcase......Your secure lens centered in the middle or foam/socks/bubble wrap/towels may now be metal to metal with the suitcases frame.......Thus the isolation is all gone; and orders of magnitude of shock get to the camera body.....At least they didnt nick the lenses and body....<BR><BR>If one really wants alot of vibration; use a helicopter; a two person job....<BR><BR>The most stringent shock and vibe specs are military for missle launch....The optics in a missle nose are usually super well designed ffor shock and vibe too......Santa Barbara Research had some cool shakers to test their missle head IR sensors; Their tests would shake most model cameras to pieces real quickly....<BR><BR>I tend to place my lenses in vib lock bags during travel. On one domestic turbo prop flight; several screws came off a Nikkor; and were contained in the bag.....Also on one trip to ASIA; a screw vibrated out and was kept in the bag......<BR><BR>In testing/ qualifying of optical assemblies; many times we shipped them to another factory; then back again to check the robustness of the optical mounts during shipping. The boxes and crates are rigged with shock watch tell tail devices; and sometimes a spring wound shock stripchart recorder; that records the entire shipping shock history.......These devices help locate rough shippers to avoid; and also help develop better packaging materials.....