need help with Leica IIIc and super ikonta II 533/16

A friend of mine has loaned me these two cameras while he is away on business trip. For some reason I cannot remove the tale up spool and I don't want to try and force it. With the Super Ikonta I followed the instruction manual he gave me but for some reason I cannot get the shutter to fire after I loaded the film according to those instructions. For some reason there is a small lever in the lower left side of the shutter just above the shutter release which is activated by a small stud in the shutter speed ring and when the shutter speed is set to anything but B the stud engages the lever and prevents the shutter release from tripping the shutter.

I've tried doing the film loading process numerous times to try and resolve this problem but with no success. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Doug

On the Ikonta, I think you may have moved the shutter release just enough to engage the multiple exposure prevention mechanism. If the shutter is cocked, fire it directly with your finger and wind it to the 2nd shot and see what happens.

spoolman said:

A friend of mine has loaned me these two cameras while he is away on business trip. For some reason I cannot remove the tale up spool and I don't want to try and force it. With the Super Ikonta I followed the instruction manual he gave me but for some reason I cannot get the shutter to fire after I loaded the film according to those instructions. For some reason there is a small lever in the lower left side of the shutter just above the shutter release which is activated by a small stud in the shutter speed ring and when the shutter speed is set to anything but B the stud engages the lever and prevents the shutter release from tripping the shutter.

I've tried doing the film loading process numerous times to try and resolve this problem but with no success. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Doug

Click to expand...

did you cock the shutter?

The shutter of a super ikonta has to be cocked or it will not fire on any other speed but "B" -- Winding the film does not cock the shutter, it must be done separately. Usually it's a lever on the top of the shutter assembly that you push to the right as you face the camera, left it looking down from the top. Cocking the shutter allows the shutter to be fired by moving that blocking lever you mentioned up and out of the way..

However, on B (bulb) the shutter does not have to be cocked on those cameras -- on B you just push the plunger and the shutter opens. Setting the camera shutter on B moves the little lever up, as you noted.

I just re-cocked the shutter and the shutter lock lever doesn't quite move out of the way to allow the shutter to be tripped. It looks like the camera will need to be looked at because of this. Can anyone recommend a repair tech to correct this?.

Doug

The TU spool on the lllC doesn't give you a lot to get ahold of does it?
I'd like to say they just slip out but.........kinda snug ain't they?

Hello John: A little snug ????. I tried last night to use a pair of small pliers to get it out and it just doesn't want to budge !!!!. I tried to pull, twist and turn but the whole mechanism including the wind knob turned. I didn't want to force it because its not my camera and I know that Leica's are expensive to repair.

Doug

spoolman said:

Hello John: A little snug ????. I tried last night to use a pair of small pliers to get it out and it just doesn't want to budge !!!!. I tried to pull, twist and turn but the whole mechanism including the wind knob turned. I didn't want to force it because its not my camera and I know that Leica's are expensive to repair.

Doug

Click to expand...

um...are you absolutely sure that is the take-up spool you are pulling on?

The take-up spool extends out almost even with the bottom of the inside of the camera, and should have a knurled end you can grip and pull on. It always, in my experience, comes out easily. If the spool is there the outer flange of the spool, which is 1/4 inch below the knurled knob, will also block your view of the inside of the cavern into which the spool fits.

If, however, you can see into the camera and see the little gears way down at the bottom, and you are looking at a slim pole-like thing projecting up inside that area, said pole being very narrow at the tip, with a hole in the middle that goes about 1/4 inch down, with no knurling, that is not the take-up spool, that is the shaft onto which the take-up spool fits. Pulling this shaft will (a) be darn near impossible and (b) ruin the camera if successful.

Look down inside the camera as you wind the film advance. As the shaft turns, can you see some gears way down there at the bottom, with a pawl that moves out of the way of a gear wheel and keeps the knob from being able to be turned backwards?

If so, there is no take-up spool there.

If the camera does not have its take-up spool, you need to find one.

If the take-up spool is there, and is this impossible to remove, then a repair person is in order.

Hello summicron1: well do I look stupid. Without my glasses, I was pulling on the post that the take up spool fits over. When I finally found my glasses (senior moment) I gripped onto the spool itself and with a little effort managed to remove it from the camera. I tried to grip the knurled top of the spool with my thumb and forefinger but they were too big to get a firm grip. So thank you to all who helped with this particular problem. I'm going to load it up tonight and do some film tests tomorrow to see how it handles.

Doug

spoolman said:

Hello summicron1: well do I look stupid. Without my glasses, I was pulling on the post that the take up spool fits over. When I finally found my glasses (senior moment) I gripped onto the spool itself and with a little effort managed to remove it from the camera. I tried to grip the knurled top of the spool with my thumb and forefinger but they were too big to get a firm grip. So thank you to all who helped with this particular problem. I'm going to load it up tonight and do some film tests tomorrow to see how it handles.

Doug

Click to expand...

ah, someday I'll take a few hours and tell you about all my stupidities. Have fun. Don't forget to trim the film leader so the narrow tongue is about 4 inches instead of 1 before you load. Precision not essential, but it does need to be trimmed.