My 5 year old M6 Classic has what appears to be a hair or strand of dust in lower left hand corner of the rangefinder patch.

I would appreciate any insight as to how I can remove the dust and how I can prevent this from happening in the future.

-- Howard Taylor (howardstaylor@yahoo.com), May 28, 2002

Answers

Cleaning the inside of the finder requires removing the camera's top plate, which involves removing several other parts including a few that require special tools to not ruin them. If you aren't going to do it often, the cost of the tools isn't economical, plus you do need to know what you're doing and have a delicate touch or else you can cause sufficient cosmetic damage to the camera to lower its resale value significantly. My advice is to send it to DAG or Sherry, let them know all you want is the finder cleaned.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), May 28, 2002.

Have it cleaned by a reputable tech. There's no way of avoiding this, eventually some dust will work its way inside the finder. I had my M6 CLA'd last year, my finder is clear as water again. Well worth the money.

-- Bert Keuken (treb@operamail.com), May 28, 2002.

A $250 CLA for only a hair when everyhing else is fine? Someday I hope to have the $$$ you guys have, maybe after I am graduated with my Mrs. degree. 8*)

-- Allison Reese (a_b_reese3@hotmail.com), May 28, 2002.

Allison:

I have an MR. degree and it is cheaper to clean the M6 and feed it film than an MRS degree and it's upkeep.

;)

-- Mark Johnson (logical1@catholic.org), May 28, 2002.

Dust and hair inside viewfinder is the result of not using an eveready case to protect the camera and lens.

All my cameras have eveready case, after taking picture/pictures in one location, I put back the front cover.

The chance of dust/hair get into the inards of camera is directly proportion to the time the camera is expose outside its protective case, by using a case and the chance of dust/hair inside camera is greatly reduced.

All my cameras viewfinders are sparkling clean.

Prevention, prevention, prevention

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), May 28, 2002.

Howard

My newish M6TTL has great dust spot right in the middle of the rangefindere spot inside the finder. It has only just got there. I am hoping it will shift off the patch. Annoying, but I will get over it. Certainly though if it gets bad, a professional clean is the only solution for me.

-- Robin Smith (smith_robin@hotmail.com), May 29, 2002.

I use a Tamrac Zoom 14...it prevents exposure not only to particulates in the air, but the weather and bumps. I highly recommend it, if you have questions visit www.tamrac.com, and no I'm not going to answer questions about it.

-- James (snodoggydogg@hotmail.com), May 29, 2002.

M cameras are not very well sealed. I know of one chap who had an insect inside his M. He found out when its outline appeared in his pictures.

You will not need a CLA to have the viewfinder cleaned up. It should be a minor job (by Leica standards).

-- John Collier (jbcollier@shaw.ca), May 29, 2002.

For interchangeable lens camera, the wide open lens mount is the easiest way for dust and hair, ant, insect to crawl into the innards of camera.

For that reason, I stop the practise of carrying several lenses with SLR, instead opt for using a zoom, so I never need to change lens in the field.

As for dust in new Leica. When I bought my R5 new, after a few days I found that there was a piece of not small flake inside the pentaprism finder, it some times get into the center, some times crawled to the edge, fortunately it had warranty, so I exchange for another new one.

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), May 29, 2002.