The New Leitz - Wetzlar Leica M6 (and the dreaded film scratching issue)

[Huss]

And I stopped doing that after Leica has replaced the plate? How could I forget it? Thanks for this genius hint

Didn’t you know? A Leica needs to be handled like a piece of ripe fruit. Hold it gently, do not squeeze it unless you want Leica juice all over you.

 

[Kino]

 

[mshchem]

It‘s why Leica made the pre-worn already brassed edition M. So it’s customers do not have to use the camera , but it looks like they did.


https://leica-camera.com/en-US/Company/Press-Centre/Press-Releases/2015/Press-Release-Special-limited-edition-LEICA-M-P-‘CORRESPONDENT’-SET-CREATED-BY-LENNY-KRAVITZ-FOR-KRAVITZ-DESIGN

First I was aware of this. WOW!

 

[Kino]

"To achieve this look, every camera and lens of the edition was ‘aged’ entirely by hand to create absolutely unique individual products."

Was this on a small, hidden line in a Foxcon facility?

 

[Huss]

"To achieve this look, every camera and lens of the edition was ‘aged’ entirely by hand to create absolutely unique individual products."

Was this on a small, hidden line in a Foxcon facility?

They spend their time doing that, but not checking to make sure their regular cameras do not scratch film.

I guess they know their audience...

 

[Pieter12]

Maybe scratching the film is just another Leica feature, giving your prints that time-worn authenticity of a battlefield journalist who has been chasing the ultimate images while dodging shrapnel.

 

[mshchem]

I just finished developing 5 rolls T-MAX 100. No scratches to report. A couple in my new M6 and last years MP, also my 1999 M6ttl. Still need to get out my super loupe. Apparently OK.

 

[Radost]

FSU cameras weren't cheap for us in USSR. And I never used expensive filmy cameras. Never had need, urge for it. Even my film Ms were well under 1K$.

Nor my post was about how rare scratching film is. It was about how easy it is to fix instead of whining on ten pages.

This is like buying a q5 for $50,000 and it steers to the left. It should not happen if you pay that much.

 

[Huss]

I just finished developing 5 rolls T-MAX 100. No scratches to report. A couple in my new M6 and last years MP, also my 1999 M6ttl. Still need to get out my super loupe. Apparently OK.

You don't need a super loupe. Sounds like yours is good! Which gives me hope for mine, as ridiculous as it is for me to have to type that!

 

[mshchem]

You don't need a super loupe. Sounds like yours is good! Which gives me hope for mine, as ridiculous as it is for me to have to type that!

I cranked as quickly as I could when I rewound the film into the cassette. Still no marks. The defective pressure plates must really be out of spec. I don't buy into the theory of "squeezing the back door" sounds like there's out of tolerance parts.
With such low volume products, an entire years worth of parts could fit into a single carton. Need 100% inspection, and the inspector needs proper inspection jigs, tools etc.

 

[faberryman]

With such low volume products, an entire years worth of parts could fit into a single carton. Need 100% inspection, and the inspector needs proper inspection jigs, tools etc.

Don't forget the white hazmat suit like in the Leica camera assembly videos.

 

[Jon Buffington]

@Huss
I haven't read all the posts in this thread but I am curious: Was your scratches in your new m6 with kentmere film? I ask because I know you shoot it a lot. Anecdotally, my M5 will put some scratches on kentmere but not with other kodak or ilford products. This led me to believe kentmere was just a softer emulsion. Anyways, no excuse for your new, spendy Leica to be scratching ANY film but was curious if it was film dependent. Granted, my M5 is not your M6 and the M5 is long in the tooth so I just deal with it's specific oddity of laying the occasional scratch on K100/400 by loading other films into it.

 

[Huss]

@Huss
I haven't read all the posts in this thread but I am curious: Was your scratches in your new m6 with kentmere film? I ask because I know you shoot it a lot. Anecdotally, my M5 will put some scratches on kentmere but not with other kodak or ilford products. This led me to believe kentmere was just a softer emulsion. Anyways, no excuse for your new, spendy Leica to be scratching ANY film but was curious if it was film dependent. Granted, my M5 is not your M6 and the M5 is long in the tooth so I just deal with it's specific oddity of laying the occasional scratch on K100/400 by loading other films into it.

Kentmere, HP5, C200, Metropolis...

 

[logan2z]

Kentmere, HP5, C200, Metropolis...

Weren't the scratches on the base side anyway?

 

[Huss]

Weren't the scratches on the base side anyway?

Shiny side, whatever that means.

 

[logan2z]

Shiny side, whatever that means.

Right, the non-emulsion side.

 

[Jon Buffington]

Kentmere, HP5, C200, Metropolis...

Ahhh, gotcha. So scratching with all....sorry to hear of this. I am sure you are beyond frustrated and rightly so.

 

[Huss]

Ahhh, gotcha. So scratching with all....sorry to hear of this. I am sure you are beyond frustrated and rightly so.

Yah... the one and only time I buy a new film M. In the past - no issues with M3 DS, M3 SS, MdA, M4-2, M5, M7, M7, M-A, MP. All handled the exact same way. And only this brand new M6 apparently is allergic to film.

 

[mshchem]

The amazing thing is not that Leica has problems. The amazing thing is the way that this has been handled (not handled) .
It's really sad. Anti-marketing.

 

[madNbad]

The amazing thing is not that Leica has problems. The amazing thing is the way that this has been handled (not handled) .
It's really sad. Anti-marketing.

I mentioned this somewhere but Leica's best step would have been to quickly acknowledge the problem and either offer a replacement or to move those cameras to the front of the repair line. In no way should it be incumbent on the customer to explain what needs to be done and better ways to check their product. Coming from a company that markets themselves as a beacon of quality, the customer should expect more.

 

[Pieter12]

I mentioned this somewhere but Leica's best step would have been to quickly acknowledge the problem and either offer a replacement or to move those cameras to the front of the repair line. In no way should it be incumbent on the customer to explain what needs to be done and better ways to check their product. Coming from a company that markets themselves as a beacon of quality, the customer should expect more.

Leica dealt with the sensor corrosion problem much better.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Shiny side, whatever that means.

Indication that the pressure plate was doing the scratching ...

 

[Huss]

For all those fan bois who claim this is not an issue, email from Leica. Remember when they claimed only a tiny # of M9s had defective sensors? Well, take this 'small batch' in that spirit...

 

[Huss]

To exhale, I am going to be using this wonderful camera this weekend. It does not scratch film.

 

[warden]

To exhale, I am going to be using this wonderful camera this weekend. It does not scratch film.

That’s the spirit! Leica will fix your camera, eventually. Until then you have other fun options.