I have an oppurtunity to aquire an M5 trading my labor(sweat equity) and upon inspection of the camera as I fired the shutter and then advanced the film advance lever it would go really smooth and then like a little clunk would happen at the very end. Is this normal as I don't have any experience with Leica at all. Maybe clunk is a little harsh of a description but I was thinking this was the way the shutter cocked for the next frame or something. Any help at all would be most helpful! Thank you

-- Mike Pry (vila@techheadnet.com), August 02, 2001

Answers

Mike, if "clunk" is a little harsh, then it sounds like the film advance is OK. There is a different feel at the end of the film advance travel on a Leica M camera. But I experience it as a reassuring tactile feedback, right at the end of the travel. The camera is just telling us it's fully wound, that's all. Just one of those details that makes a Leica a part of you, an extension of your body, not just a brick in the hand.

If you are putting in anything much less than $2000 worth of sweat and the camera is in excellent condition, you are coming out ahead.

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), August 02, 2001.

I belive that little 'gronch' at the end of the shutter/film wind is where the wind mechanism transfers control of the shutter curtains to the shutter release button, via a clutch, pawl, lever, or some other locking device. As you wind the camera you're pulling the shutter curtains back to the right side of the camera against spring tension. The curtains have to disconnect from the wind in order to be free to spring back across for the exposure, but not until you are ready, so something connected to the shutter button has to 'grab hold' of the curtains until you push the button and 'release' the grip, allowing the spring to expose the film.

My M4-2/Ps both have distinct 'breaks' at the end of the wind, so I think it's just the Leica mechanism. I'll let any M-5 experts out there decide if yours sounds excessive.

It seems to be a fucntion of horizontal-travel shutters. Both the Nikon F and F3 have VERY strong 'breaks' at the end of the shutter wind sequence - the first time I ever wound a Nikon F I thought I'd broken something.

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), August 02, 2001.

it is wraiten M5īs are the strongest of Mīs, they really try to improbe over the classic M, that could something related to that sound.

Mike have you try other leicas M before, it seems it is your first one, just curious, you are picking up a very special one, more of a colector than a user, although an exelent camera to be use, but less comfortable than regular ones (M3,M2,M4;4-2,MPīs or 6īs).

-- r watson (al1231234@hotmail.com), August 02, 2001.

My M5 did the same; I always thought that it had something to do with the light meter semiphore locking into place. Congratulations on acquiring a fine camera.

-- Bill Mitchell (bmitch@home.com), August 02, 2001.

Bill makes a good point, too. Try looking in through the lens mount while winding (no lens! 8^) ) and see if there is a correlation between the movement/locking of the meter arm and the sound.

(Or - M5 fans - is there a safety interlock that keeps the meter arm hidden if no lens is mounted?) M5 was the first M-Leica I ever took pictures with, but it's been 27 years since I touched one....

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), August 03, 2001.

My M5's film advance lever sets at the end of the stroke in the same way as you describe, although I wouldn't say it is as harsh as a "clunk."

I love my M5 with the uncluttered framelines. I use it with the previous version 50mm lux with the rigid hood. The only thing that bothers me about the M5 is that I can't use newer lenses like my 35mm cron ASPH on it. The new lenses don't fit on the M5 because the mount on the lenses aren't machined as thin as the older versions, so they get blocked by a pin in the camera body which moves the metering cell arm. Plus they don't even bother to make the groove for this pin on the newer lenses. I hope this description makes sense. Maybe someone else can describe this better. Anyhow, I love using my M5 and I am sure you'll enjoy it too.

-- Bill Lee (Bill_Lee@telus.net), August 03, 2001.

The sound you described is indeed the coupling of the meter arm. This coupling will be only engaged when the lens is mounted. Next time when your M5 is not loaded with film, try to advance without mounting any lens - you will feel the difference. I have been using my M5 with newer lenses 35 Summilux ASPH and 24 Elmarit ASPH without any problems - the meter is acting very normal and accurately.

I also thing that M5 is design and built better than other Ms. The shutter is much smoother and the meter is dead on accurate. Leica designed the M5 in 60's but they didn't release the camera 14 years later. Unfortunately, the market wasn't ready when it finally came out. What a pity! I really like my M5.

-- Cing-Dao Kan (cdkan@yahoo.com), August 03, 2001.

I sold my M5 because the meter system was unreliable, just like the CL. Being off 1/3 stop doesn't matter much if you're shooting B&W or color negatives, but with Kodachrome it was a disaster, while it wasn't off enough to be obvious while using it. Incidentally, the addition of a hand grip turns an M5 into a different camera.

-- Bill Mitchell (bmitch@home.com), August 03, 2001.

I take back what I said about newer lenses not fitting on my M5. After I read that Cing-Dao had no problems I just tried it again without pressing the lens in too firmly and it turned properly into place. I guess I just never bothered to fiddle with it very much before and I just matched older lenses with it. Stupid me. I never take my 50mm lux off it anyway so it was never a real problem, but its nice to know that I can use newer lenses on it. Thanks.

-- Bill Lee (Bill_Lee@telus.net), August 03, 2001.

SLightly off-topic. but in response to Bill Lee's lens-mounting question: I've noticed that there can be tight fits between any randomly chosen Leica lenses and bodies. My old 90 TE snapped right onto my M42, but was always a little stiff going on the M4-P. Today at a Leica Day I tried a 75 Summilux: It went right on the M4-P but would not seat completely on the M4-2 (and I noticed the Leica rep really struggling to get it of her own demo M6 so I could try it.)

The four little 'ears' on the 90 TE mount were visibly thicker front- to-back than my later lenses.

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), August 05, 2001.