Leica rewind crank

awty · Feb 19, 2021

hi.
Im cursed.
The wrist stap on my newly aquired MD-2 decided to unscew and camera decided it didn't want to to take anymore pictures and headed to the concrete footpath. Everything looked ok apart from some minor dings, lens was unscaved, but when I tried to advance the film it wouldn't budge, upon checking I could see it was lopsided.
Hoping I didn't bend the shaft, I headed home to take a look. Shaft looks good but crank knob was out of wack......what a piece of shit. Weak aluminium, what stupid place to put something so delicate, unless it was designed to break on impact. Had to do some butchering to get it working, too poorly made to beat into shape.

Now they seem to be pretty rare and expensive and I probably just drop it again and mess another, thinking either adapting another to fit or making my owm.
Any ideas?
It looks to be a left hand m4 thread?...no its a clockwise thread but smaller than m4. Weird.

BradS · Feb 19, 2021

Leica shop Miami has them in stock from time-to-time. New parts - $75
https://leicastoremiami.com/products/leica-rewind-knob-black-for-m6?variant=38170127312

DAG also offers some used and new on his website at considerably higher prices.
https://www.dagcamera.com/store/c6/Leica_M.html

The knob from the LeicaFlex SL is identical.

awty · Feb 19, 2021

BradS said:
Leica shop Miami has them in stock from time-to-time. New parts - $75
https://leicastoremiami.com/products/leica-rewind-knob-black-for-m6?variant=38170127312

DAG also offers some used and new on his website at considerably higher prices.
https://www.dagcamera.com/store/c6/Leica_M.html

The knob from the LeicaFlex SL is identical.

Yes I know, thanks.
Would cost roughly double to me.
Just need to find out the thread size, then I can make one.

awty · Feb 19, 2021

Im thinking it might be M3.5, the local nuts and bolts store didn't have anything the right size. Shop person said it was common for German stuff to use weird sizes.

awty · Mar 7, 2021

M3.5 right hand thread.
Those crazy Germans, have to make things difficult.
Took the crank of off a Nikkormat I had lying around. Was a bit too big, but thr hole was small enough to bore out and tap, grinded off all the satin chrome to plain brass, filled down a dit a now it fits.
Need to find something better than stack washers, or I will just make something from scratch. Easier now I know the thread size.

awty · Mar 7, 2021

Made a brass backing nut. I'll see how that goes. Much better than the crap Leica version.

Likea · Sep 27, 2024

Due to low availability and $$ ( and general curiosity ) desided to make a M3 style rewind knob.
Original rewind crank seems rather prone to bending.

beemermark · Sep 28, 2024

awty said:
Shaft looks good but crank knob was out of wack......what a piece of shit. Weak aluminium, what stupid place to put something so delicate, unless it was designed to break on impact.

Stupid German engineers, not for seeing people would drop test it on the pavement.

GregY · Sep 28, 2024

beemermark said:
Stupid German engineers, not for seeing people would drop test it on the pavement.

MFstooges · Sep 28, 2024

awty said:
Made a brass backing nut. I'll see how that goes. Much better than the crap Leica version.
View attachment 268721 View attachment 268720

Very nice. I think you should gold plate the crank and call it #3/100 special edition whenever people ask.

beemermark said:
Stupid German engineers, not for seeing people would drop test it on the pavement.

I am not familiar at all with Leica but there's got to be a not so stupid reason to put a mechanism on the corner

AnselMortensen · Sep 28, 2024

Nice work, @awty .
I appreciate a well-done DIY repair.
That being said, I must admit that I am enjoying the not-mean-spirited 'schadenfreude' in this very entertaining thread.

awty · Sep 28, 2024

Likea said:
Due to low availability and $$ ( and general curiosity ) desided to make a M3 style rewind knob.
Original rewind crank seems rather prone to bending.View attachment 379520

That will do the job, neat work.

beemermark · Sep 28, 2024

MFstooges said:
Very nice. I think you should gold plate the crank and call it #3/100 special edition whenever people ask.

I am not familiar at all with Leica but there's got to be a not so stupid reason to put a mechanism on the corner

The rewind crank was angled so you could rewind film without removing the M4-R meter.

snusmumriken · Sep 29, 2024

I'm content with what I've got, but I do find that angled crank really awkward. It goes fine until I get near the film leader, then it slips out of my fingers. Wish I had the machine skills and equipment to make such things, @awty - very impressed.

GregY · Sep 29, 2024

beemermark said:
The rewind crank was angled so you could rewind film without removing the M4-R meter.

& it works like a charm, as engineered. Not intended to be used for drop tests.

GregY · Sep 29, 2024

snusmumriken said:
I'm content with what I've got, but I do find that angled crank really awkward. It goes fine until I get near the film leader, then it slips out of my fingers. Wish I had the machine skills and equipment to make such things, @awty - very impressed.

there are lots of M2/M3 & MP with straight cranks if you so prefer....

Leica rewind crank

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