I have the world's ugliest working M2. Some previous owner was obviously determined to kill it (but failed). I love it. I am going to convert it to a hot shoe. I have designed the center poll and insulation with I will turn up. To connect it to the camera's wiring, I need to remove the top plate.

Can somebody please give me a list of actions, any any helpful hints. The range finder is currently acurate, and I will just ive it a superficial cleaning out what the top cover exposes. From the threaded fasteners I have seen, I can make the special tools.

Do I need to remove the eyecup ring? RH Thread?

Are the Flash contact ring nuts RH Thread? Are the wires long enough to first remove the top cover and then hold the connectors as you unscrew the nuts?

For the rewind knob, do I hold film cassette winding dog while unscrewing the rewind knob center? RH Thread? (Two special tools).

After removing the Shutter speed dial, I have a central fastener with two slots mounting the shaft (special tool), and a thin black ring surrounding the shaft which doesn't rotate. Do I remove the central fastener, lift out the shaft and this exposes the screws which mount the ring?

Is the ring shurrounding the shutter release the wind lever mount nut, any if so RH Thread?

Is the peice next to the frame number pointer wich looks like a rivet head a fastener?

-- Mark Wrathall (bwp@aon.at), December 07, 2000

Answers

Boy, Mark, are you brave! Taking the top cover off a Leica without knowing what you're doing! Sort of like captain Kirk, going where no man has gone before (sort of).

I think that in order to remove the top plate, you have to take out the top screw of the lens mounting ring (I'm not sure I should be telling you this). Now, when you remove the lens, you won't actually see a top screw. You nwill see four other screws; but at the top, all you see is a recessed black area. But on closer inspection, this is a seal, embossed with the secret insignia of GOD (father Leitz). This is where he personally gave his seal of approval to your Leica M@ by stamping that tiny seal with his secret decoder ring.

Now, it is fabled that a Leica can be opened, and its secrets revealed, by violating the sacred black seal and removing the screw underneath. As I understand it, no one who was not personally blessed by Dr. Ernst Leitz has ever done this, and lived to tell about it. It is said that Leica won't work on any camera that's had its seal violated. I certainly wouldn't know. I've never done it.

You said you love your M2. I love mine, too. Did you know a surgeon won't operate on his own wife?

But I don't want you think I'm trying to discourage you ...

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), December 07, 2000.

Yikes! I'm afraid to even watch this thread.

If the quip was serious, Leica DOES work on cameras with "violated" seals. I think it probably just affects the Leica warranty, where applicable. After all, even when you have Leica themselves service the camera, it comes back with the embossed L gonzo, kaput, AWOL.

-- Ken Shipman (kennyshipman@aol.com), December 07, 2000.

This is information you don't otherwise find on the web. It is about time.

That seal was long gone when I got it. Looks to me like I need to pull all the top three lens mount screws.

Every Leica technicial in the world once opened one of these for the first time. I am an aicraft A&P, and intend to leave what works (the shutter and RF) alone. The top cover is just an access plate.

-- Mark Wrathall (bwp@aon.at), December 08, 2000.

Unscrew bezel* around shutter release button.

Lift off saddle spring, winding lever, spacer, and counting dial (Some cameras do not have a spacer). Remove felt ring (usually glued so remove only if damaged).

Unscrew headless screw* next to counter index mark.

Unscrew speed dial retaining screw and lift off dial.

Unscrew four retaining screws from accessory shoe (only remove stop screw if damaged). Lift off accessory shoe, pressure plate and spring.

Unscrew rewind knob retaining screw* and lift off washer, knob, forked carrier and slotted friction sleeve.Unscrew retaining ring *now exposed.

Unscrew two retaining rings* around flash sockets.

Remove two flash socket bushings (remove the two locking springs only if damaged).

Unscrew lens mount upper sealed screw (remove seal first).

Lift off top cover

Around shutter release, lift off saddle spring, release knob and shaft, and release sleeve.

*requires special tool

All threads in THIS procedure are normal threads ( anticlockwise to remove). The featureless screw fittings requirie special clamping ring tools to remove. DO NOT USE ANYTHING ELSE! They are often on VERY tight and are sometimes damaged even when you use the special tools. Spare fittings may be purchased from Leica and the clamping ring tools may be purchased from Leica or:

http://www.micro-tools.com/

This procedure is for an M2 camera, others will differ slightly. I do not recommend you do this if you do not already have a great deal of experience on repairing small fiddly things.

Cheers

-- John Collier (jbcollier@home.com), December 08, 2000.

I forgot to mention that the M6 cameras have electronic circuitry under the top cover and should not be tackled by the us mere mortals. THE VIEWFINDER ASSEMBLY CAN EASILY BE DAMAGED!!! This is especially true in older cameras where the optical cement may have deteriorated.

Cheers

-- John Collier (jbcollier@home.com), December 08, 2000.

I will second everything John has said, having done this many times with the special tools from Fargo (www.microtools), plus I'll add that *replacing* all the threaded rings is an even more delicate procedure, as the thread pitches are very tight and alloys are soft, so it is easy to cross-thread and strip if you don't get them started just right and/or apply too much torque.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), December 08, 2000.

Thanks John and Jay.

You procedure confirms what logic tells me would be the way this is fastened.I've been an aircraft mechanic for 10 years, and appreciate the need for special tools and correct torquing into soft alloys.

My camera is really ugly. I bought it for under $250. At some stage it has been dropped hard enough on the rewind knob to bulge the top plate out between it and the Leica logo. It also has a dent on the opposite end, and the left side frame line is weak.

Even if someone was to butcher this with pliers, I don't think it would make much difference (I won't). All the screws have so far been easy to remove. Thansk for the URL to micro tools.

My greatest concern is that some gorilla has already been in there, and overtorqued all the fasteners.

-- Mark Wrathall (bwp@aon.at), December 08, 2000.

Unknown issues about grounding and the electrical circuitry in general would make schematics desirable. RPS or Kalt or whoever has absorbed them made a relatively inexpensive adapter than ran a cord from the PC to a resin shoe that slid into the real shoe creating a synchronized hot shoe. Duoflash makes or made extensions with shoes at each end, perhaps rewirable for for your needs.

-- Michael D. Johnson (mdjohnsonphoto@hotmail.com), December 09, 2000.

Where is the fun in that? :~)

-- Mark Wrathall (bwp@aon.at), December 09, 2000.

FYI, a hot soldering tip held close to black "Fimo" clay that has been pushed into the space above that masthead screw in the Leica M lens flange, will serve as replacement for missing script "L" or other seal. The last thing I sent to Leica was back during the (late 80's) signature service days. The serviced camera came back with plain black parrafin (no logo).

-- Michael Johnson (mdjohnsonphoto@hotmail.com), December 09, 2000.

The "fired" FIMO clay makes a repl. seal not the soldering tip. :-o

-- Michael Johnson (mdjohnsonphoto@hotmail.com), December 09, 2000.

Well, Mark, it looks like you are going ahead with it. I wouldn't mind having the knowledge to repair Leicas myself, but I have neither the time nor a suitable Leica to practice on. Who knows, you might get good at it, and we'll all be sending you our Leicas. Good luck with it, and let us know how it turns out!

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), December 10, 2000.