I'm looking at buying a "user" M and have found one in pretty good condition and a fair price. However, one of the strap lugs turns (without too much effort). I don't see a problem with this, I just want to make sure it isn't indicative of any larger, costlier problems. Other than a few cosmetics (scratches) the camera appears to be in pretty good shape. Are "loose lugs" pretty common? Are they indiicative of any bigger problems. I'd appreciate your help.

Tony

-- Tony Knapp (aknapp9@home.com), August 30, 2001

Answers

I have a rotating strap lug on my 'user' M3. Since I never use straps, it really isn't a problem for me. But in any case, I highly doubt it is in danger of coming off. It just rotates.

As far as judging a user M, I would start with the shutter. Does it sound tight at 1 second? Listen to it at 1/15. You should hear a little "bounce" after the shutter closes. Open the back of the camera, wind and fire the shutter. Is the place where the shutter curtains meet visible either before or after? It shouldn't be. Shine a light into the camera and look at the shutter both before and after firing. Any pinholes? Then check the RF/VF. Is is nice and clean and bright? Do the images line up both vertically and horizontally? Wind and fire the camera 30 or 40 times. Does it feel smooth? Anything sticking or slipping? Move the preview lever (if it has one) and check that all the framelines look good. Attach lenses of different focal lengths and make sure the proper framelines come up and are entirely visible--and not visible when they shouldn't be.

Last but not least, make sure you have at least two weeks to return it. Shoot with it under varying conditions and at all lens apertures-- especially wide open at minimum focusing distance. Then examine the negs scruplously with a good 8x loupe.

Good luck!

-- Peter Hughes (ravenart@pacbell.net), August 30, 2001.

Do not carry the camera by its strap lugs until you get them fixed!! They can come off the body. This happens suddenly and catastrophically.

Go here and scroll down to find a M buyer's guide:

http://www.cameraquest.com/mguide.htm

Cheers,

-- John Collier (jbcollier@powersurfr.com), August 30, 2001.

Protect your investment and have the strap lugs checked out. If the lug fails, the repair bill could be another disaster. As a matter of choice, I would not use the camera until the lug has been repaired. Better safe than a smashed camera. Every little replacement part carries a multi-diget price tag.Stay on the safe side.

-- John Alfred Tropiano (jat18@psu.edu), August 30, 2001.

I've never heard of rotating strap lugs on an M (other than the M5) & it can't be good . . .

-- Chris Chen (furcafe@cris.com), August 30, 2001.

Tony, the inner point of a strap lug is riveted, but in your camera it has been riveted not so tightly (it’s scarcely) or twirled violently by somebody. It’s impossible to take out a strap lug from a camera body, if it is even rotating, I tried to make it unsuccessfully. However it’s almost impossible to rivet loosing lug more tightly without damaging a camera body or its cover. I would leave it as is.

-- Victor Randin (ved@enran.com.ua), August 31, 2001.

One of my friends had a lug pull out while hiking. Lens was totalled and the camera badly damaged. Fortunately Leica replaced both under the camera's warranty. Get it fixed.

Cheers,

-- John Collier (jbcollier@powersurfr.com), August 31, 2001.

I'm reluctatnt to suggest this, because it requires a certain amount of sensitivity to how far things have already gone, but if you are not going to replace the lug--that is, if the problem has just started--a drop (ONE drop) of superglue at the joint will keep it from moving around. What you *don't* want to happen is for the constant movement of the lug to saw the lug out through the body shell, damaging that and complicating replacement of the lug later.

-- Michael Darnton (mdarnton@hotmail.com), August 31, 2001.

Replace them. If the lugs are worn (getting thin) from the strap attachment rings, you will soon want to replace the lugs, anyway. The rings on the newer Leica straps wear down old lugs (on M2, M3, M4) fairly quickly, in my experience. This replacement is easily done at the time of a CLA, which you will probably want before too long if the camera is more than 10 years old. You will get the newer (M6) steel lugs that wear more slowly than the softer lugs on older M's, and are compatible with the metal of the new strap rings. I had my M2 lugs replaced at the last CLA, included in the price.

-- Tim Nelson (timothy.nelson@yale.edu), August 31, 2001.

I've been using my M3 single stroke (converted from double stroke) for several years and noticed that one lug was wearing badly. I got some very thin brass tubing from my local specialty hardware store and very carefully filed it and cut it to size, forcing it in to the lug hole with pliers.. Voila! it worked. It's like having new lugs at a tiny fraction of the cost of replacement.

I don't recommend this unless you're willing to spend the time and be very careful to file the tube just so it fits snugly and not to force it in or it will crush. Good luck.

-- Sid Hecker (Heckersid@Hotmail.com), January 09, 2002.