Leica Help!!!!

hi all. i'm so frustrated right now because I recently got a leica IIIa for a grad present. its a family thing. so it is important. I put a roll in. (which took me forever because I didnt know you have to modify the film. anyways once I did that i loaded one roll and it wasnt on the gears but I figured since things were still going smoothly it was alright. BIG mistake and now the shutter doesnt move. I think it has something to do with the windingings inside. something needs to be wound up? I can continue the reel but it only goes in half turns then the button pops up. I push it and it does the same thing. I hear a click but no shutter moves at all ANY help would be greatly appreciated.:mad2:

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Originally Posted by picturetaker1239

hi all. i'm so frustrated right now because I recently got a leica IIIa for a grad present. its a family thing. so it is important. I put a roll in. (which took me forever because I didnt know you have to modify the film. anyways once I did that i loaded one roll and it wasnt on the gears but I figured since things were still going smoothly it was alright. BIG mistake and now the shutter doesnt move. I think it has something to do with the windingings inside. something needs to be wound up? I can continue the reel but it only goes in half turns then the button pops up. I push it and it does the same thing. I hear a click but no shutter moves at all ANY help would be greatly appreciated.:mad2:

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When the film is advanced is resets the shutter. The film winding knob is on the right side. You can recock the shutter to take double exposures. The film rewinding knob is on the left. You have to operate the shutter to advance the film. You will have to operate the shutter about two or three times before you have wound up the exposed leader of the film.

I have an japanese copy of the Leica IIIa and it still takes great photos.

I hope this helps.

Did that last reply help? If not, you can take the camera in a dark room - I use a bathroom with the lights off and a towel under the door - open the camera, pull out the film and start over. Just pull out the cassette side of the film and wind the excess back in by hand. Then fix the leader side so that it isn't slipping anymore.

This isn't really a big deal and will happen ocassionally with pretty much all film cameras.

Congratualtions on the very cool gift :)

well I forgot to mention that I already miffed one roll. but thats ok it was from the dollar store. it was a practice one for loading after I messed things. I also have like 4 shots on a roll of fuji reala 100. I have another roll so I aint worried. the film is OUT of the camera and it still doesnt move. I took off the lens and watched the fabric shutter and it moves like a bit. but not enough to let even any light through. it moves maybe 1/8 of an inch.then seems to get stuck. I'm going to take a look at that first response more in depth with the camera in front of me. i hope it fixes it. right now it seems I'll have to drive about 3 hours to a shop north of toronto that will fix the problem for me.

I dont think that anyone is going to belive what just happened. I was sitting here reading that post and trying to visualize what he was saying. I loaded my tester film and began to advance... then I hear the annoying click click that its not working then I hear another nooise... its.... the shutter! I couldnt believe my ears! then I take off the lens to be sure I'm not sleep deprived... and I see the shutter move and some pieces of messed up film fall out of the camera. I just about screamed! I got it all fixed. I loaded the reala 100 and I'm ready to go shooting tomorrow. I think I might take some of my truck then go take some artsy ones of the stratford festival. thanks soo much for all who posted especially freygr. your inspiration to make me try to pick up my leica once more really helped alot. thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:thumbsup: :)

I'm glad you feel confident that your problem may be solved - I hope this is so. Remember to take a hand-held meter with you (unless you are really good at guessing exposures). Here is a link that might be helpful in loading your camera next time.

There is a chance that an old camera like yours may need a CLA (CleanLubeAdjust) for the shutters/rangefinder/etc. to be accurate. If you feel this is so, the same site that the link is from may provide some answers as to who and how much for a decent CLA in your area for an old Leica.

Happy shooting.

Tuna

tuna. I dont think the camera needs a lube and adjust. it wasnt used very much apperantly. I know this since its been with the family all its life. however I got my first roll back from the shop and it seems I have a light leak on the left side or the frame. just a little one. just overexposes the edge of the picture a bit. maybe a lube would help for that? I was told not to by the actor colm feord. the rangefinder works like magic. its wierd getting used to but I love the idea. its fun. I didnt have a light meter with me when I did this roll I just set up the shot on my DSLR then took it after with the settings set for the leica. the results were mostly a bit underexposed shots. I also have alot of fogging. if that the leica look? or because the lens isnt coated? its not really that anoying tho. it definitly gives a creative flair to all the shots. I could live with it. what do you think?

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Originally Posted by picturetaker1239

tuna. I dont think the camera needs a lube and adjust. it wasnt used very much apperantly. I know this since its been with the family all its life. however I got my first roll back from the shop and it seems I have a light leak on the left side or the frame. just a little one. just overexposes the edge of the picture a bit. maybe a lube would help for that? I was told not to by the actor colm feord. the rangefinder works like magic. its wierd getting used to but I love the idea. its fun. I didnt have a light meter with me when I did this roll I just set up the shot on my DSLR then took it after with the settings set for the leica. the results were mostly a bit underexposed shots. I also have alot of fogging. if that the leica look? or because the lens isnt coated? its not really that anoying tho. it definitly gives a creative flair to all the shots. I could live with it. what do you think?

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Very nice shot. The appearance could be due to an uncoated lens - I have a 1946 uncoated Elmar that I use frequently that I like for the low contrast feel it gives to images. However, flare is also a problem and a lens hood may help - check on ebay for what is available week to week - be prepared to spend $30-50 for one.

A lube won't help with a light leak. Chances are the seal needs replacing - I have a IIIc that leaks light - I had the original full case for it, cut the top off and always keep it in the now half-case when shooting and I've eliminated the problem. Using tape to seal the bottom plate edges after each loading may also help but the tape could also peel off your camera skin so I wouldn't recommend it if you think this could be a problem...

The best way to take a reading for your camera is to take an incident reading with a hand-held camera. That will give you a better reading than a spot or center-weighed system reading from an automated through-the-lens for comparison. Again, ebay is the place to find cheap but reliable meters - I would recommend you get one with an incident cover. Once you are getting more balanced exposures, then you will learn to adjust your exposure to fit the scene (shadows, textures, reflectivity of surfaces, etc.). Also, you won't be lugging around that huge DSLR - your street shot sneakiness will greatly suffer that way.

I'm glad you are enjoying the rangefinder and the general feel of your camera. I can't imagine being without a rangefinder since I started using one many years ago. I currently use rangefinders exclusively for my personal work.

Tuna

Quote:

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Originally Posted by picturetaker1239

tuna. I dont think the camera needs a lube and adjust. it wasnt used very much apperantly. I know this since its been with the family all its life. however I got my first roll back from the shop and it seems I have a light leak on the left side or the frame. just a little one. just overexposes the edge of the picture a bit. maybe a lube would help for that? I was told not to by the actor colm feord. the rangefinder works like magic. its wierd getting used to but I love the idea. its fun. I didnt have a light meter with me when I did this roll I just set up the shot on my DSLR then took it after with the settings set for the leica. the results were mostly a bit underexposed shots. I also have alot of fogging. if that the leica look? or because the lens isnt coated? its not really that anoying tho. it definitly gives a creative flair to all the shots. I could live with it. what do you think?

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That doesn't look like a light leak. It also looks that the shutter on the Leica is on the fast side, so you will have to adjust the exposure, you need to purchase a light meter to go along with the Leica.

I dont get this fast side thing. that shot was taken aat...1/40 and I cant remember the aperture. pretty wide I must say I think it was maybe f4.2. So are you saying that if I shoot with an even slower shutter speed the problem might dissapear? I can see where you are coming from tho. like all the pictures have the over exposure on the side but some are more prominenet than others. it seems now too that the faster the shutter speed I use the more of the overexposure there is? I duno maybe I'm trippin.

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Originally Posted by picturetaker1239

I dont get this fast side thing. that shot was taken aat...1/40 and I cant remember the aperture. pretty wide I must say I think it was maybe f4.2. So are you saying that if I shoot with an even slower shutter speed the problem might dissapear? I can see where you are coming from tho. like all the pictures have the over exposure on the side but some are more prominenet than others. it seems now too that the faster the shutter speed I use the more of the overexposure there is? I duno maybe I'm trippin.

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It could simply be that your shutter curtain is sticking. Any camera that old, that has simply been sitting around unused, should probably get a CLA...

Tuna

yeah we'll see. like I might just leave it I think that the overexposure gives an artistic feel? maybe not. it could go away with time. I have a funny feeling it will. since it fixed itself with the film jam. i'm going to put a couple more rolls through it and see what happens.

I can't really help you with your problem as I am new to film myself, but in looking at the image I think you have a winner here. It certainly looks creative, which makes it unique. I would much prefer a shot like this than one properly exposed. I would continue to experiment with this camera to see what other creative images you can create with it.