| Author |
Message |
    
Nickm758
Tinkerer
Username: Nickm758
Post Number: 27
Registered: 02-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 11, 2011 - 08:45 pm: | 
|
I have a Leica IIIf RD ST that has started acting up. Near the beginning or end of the film, the advance will suddenly "slip" and skip over a frame, leaving blanks on the negatives. I can't seem to repeat the problem purposely, but it does happen with every roll now.
I had this camera CLAed in late 2008. I'm wondering if anyone can hazard a guess as to the problem? |
Old_school
Tinkerer
Username: Old_school
Post Number: 80
Registered: 04-2011
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 11, 2011 - 09:20 pm: |
|
N:
When you advance the film watch the little dot on the shutter release button, as I recall that should rotate with the film advancing & reverse when rewinding the film. It is posible the advance / rewind lever clutch, is hanging up after the rewinding of your last roll of film. See if that lever is snug & has not losend from use. Next roll of film, before putting in another roll, try applying some pressure to the bottom of the take up spool & give it a few cycles. Maybe you can diagnose it this way.
Also check to see that the shutter is firing with the lens off & light shining in there you should be able to see the pressure plate. Unfortunately, the only way to really know what is going on inside is to pull the shell off to check things for wear etc.
That is the only thing I can suggest at this time. I hope it helps.
Maybe some one else has had this problem & will post.
The Best mike |
Old_school
Tinkerer
Username: Old_school
Post Number: 81
Registered: 04-2011
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 11, 2011 - 09:33 pm: |
|
Oh! BTW 8 sprockets per frame is about right count. If you have an old roll of film kicking around, put it in the camera & set it to B, with the lens off trip the shutter & hold it open. Now the fun part, trace a frame line, repeat this to check the film advances correct.
The other part of this is to not rewind the film back completely into the can & leave the leader out so you can inspect the frames. Also mark the test roll so you don't send it in for processing, did that once & thought the lab messed up, I had to apologize. Haven't done it since, & hope I never do.
Mike.... |
Nickm758
Tinkerer
Username: Nickm758
Post Number: 28
Registered: 02-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 11, 2011 - 11:19 pm: |
|
Thank you for the reply.
The camera is otherwise working fine; I have gotten some good photos from it, and frames are properly spaced. It just skips around frame #5 for some reason, and yesterday around frame #20. The problem comes and goes, which is very annoying.
Could it be a gear issue? |
Connealy
Tinkerer
Username: Connealy
Post Number: 45
Registered: 02-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 12, 2011 - 08:03 am: |
|
I wouldn't rule out dirt or a tiny bit of film stuck in the wrong place. Might be worthwhile to blow some air in there. |
T6nn
Tinkerer
Username: T6nn
Post Number: 17
Registered: 06-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 12, 2011 - 11:21 am: |
|
There are two interlocking studs below the sprocket wheel that clutch the shutter and the sprocket wheel together while you wind on the camera. They also stop the sprocket wheel when the shutter is fully wound. While the shutter button is pressed, the studs get disconnected, allowing, among other things, you to continue winding on. In short, I believe you problem lies either in dried lubricants/tired shutter button return spring, or in the worn studs. Likely the first. |
Nickm758
Tinkerer
Username: Nickm758
Post Number: 29
Registered: 02-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, June 13, 2011 - 06:10 am: |
|
Dried lubricants ... I thought of that, too. I had it CLAed in late 2008, but have run over 100 rolls of film through it since then. I've noticed the shutter is louder than it used to be, and the advance wheel has lots of play to it.
Rather than take it apart myself (and completely ruin it) I suppose I'll need to send it in for service again.
Thank you everyone!  |
Nickm758
Tinkerer
Username: Nickm758
Post Number: 30
Registered: 02-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, July 08, 2011 - 05:45 pm: |
|
T6nn - You were correct! Perhaps you've seen this problem before?
This photo indicates the problem area: http://homepage.mac.com/time_pilot/images/IIIf.jpg mostly at 1/200 (but also at 1/1000, 1/500 and 1/100) the studs don't match up every time: the top one stops on top of the bottom one, resulting in frame-skipping. I will definitely have to send it off for repair now : (
My question is: why does it only happen at fast speeds? The slow speeds do not exhibit this problem what so ever. |
T6nn
Tinkerer
Username: T6nn
Post Number: 19
Registered: 06-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, July 10, 2011 - 07:59 pm: |
|
Nick, yes, I've had a similar problem with a Zorki-6. But it was also different: after releasing the shutter the lower stud didn't end up directly below the upper one, but sometimes still refused to rise up enough to be reliably catched by the upper one. A simple CLA solved that.
Your problem seems to be that the shutter (and the lower stud) travels too far at the short speeds? I can only speculate that maybe the difference between the long and short speeds comes from the fact that the starting position for the second curtain is closer to the film gate when slow speed escapement is engaged, thus it has less speed when it hits the first curtain and brake at the end of the travel and both will stop early enough to prevent the studs from overlapping? Sounds like maybe a brake adjustment problem but I'm not sure - I've seen a leica III only at the pictures. Let's better wait what your repairman says. |
