Operations carried out
Cameras and lenses
Leica M3 - 1955
He has seen better days
This camera arrived in very poor condition.
Black viewfinder that only shows the frames, rangefinder coupling arm blocked, cocking blocked and many external traces of mistreatment.
This model is from the first series, recognizable by screws for fixing the hood, inherited from previous screw models.
Subsequently, these screws were removed by different fixings under the cocking lever and the rewind button.
This device had already been disassembled, seeing the marks on the screws and even the trigger cup had two holes….
Dismantling the hood revealed that many points had been greased unnecessarily, in particular the frame block.
The frame selector was stuck by congealed grease and the limiter was misaligned.
Of course, the viewfinder had both prisms detached and some chips. (who knows why)
The rangefinder was partially disassembled, the fixed parts degreased, which restored flexibility of movement.
The two prisms were cleaned, freed from the old glue.
They were positioned correctly using a very thin double-sided tape and I made a dental silicone position mold.
Once this was well hardened, the prisms were removed, separated, cleaned again. The main prism was replaced in the mold.
A drop of optical UV glue was placed in the center of the main prism and the second part positioned under pressure so that the glue diffuses.
The assembly was held in place before hardening with a UV lamp.
When removed, the two glued prisms regained their normal functions, the sighting is clear and the semi-transparent mirror correctly reflects.
A light polishing of the surfaces further improved the result.
Of course, the chipped parts are still there, no miracle for that.
A little matte black paint ensures the finish and protection against stray lights.
But, for this rangefinder, this is only the beginning, there are the frames to restore.
Next will come a complete CLA of the case which needs it badly.
Now we need to clean the frame module.
This is a delicate operation, because disassembly requires the removal of two tiny springs.
Then we need to separate the 4 elements that compose it.
1/ The main support that is screwed onto the rangefinder.
2/ The support for the backlit frames.
3/ The backlit frames.
4/ The cut-out part of the mobile frames that correspond to the selected frames and that corrects the parallax.
This last part was a little twisted (again, who knows why…), which hindered its movement.
The metal parts 1/2/4 were difficult to clean, because the grease was thick and sticky.
Two baths in Zippo gasoline and isopropyl alcohol got rid of it.
The backlit frame part was cleaned on the glass side with a little alcohol, very delicately with a cotton swab.
The other side, the one that delimits the frames, is very fragile and already sufficiently degraded to avoid taking unnecessary risks.
C L A (Control, Lubrication, Adjustment)
Lubrication of mechanisms must be done with great moderation.
Schematically, there are three types of lubricant.
Thin oil for the axles.
Light non-sticky grease for the gears of the armament.
A little thicker grease for the parts in friction.
The slow speed block must be cleaned with a bath of isopropyl alcohol, dry well and lubrication must be done only on the axle bearings, never on the gears.
Another very important point, you have to check that the anti-fog located on the top of the lens mount is present and complete.
If it is damaged, it is imperative to renew it.
I use a very fine gummed canvas, but it is possible to use old curtains or material for the new ones.
When reassembling, this part is placed and glued to the top of the lens mount.
Do not forget to glue the anti-fogs to the back of the darkroom and renew the joints on each side if necessary. Originally it is a simple string, I use jade thread.
A yellow patch has been added to the rangefinder to improve readability and contrast.
You will find additional information on the YouTube channel “Repar’gentique”
LEICA the legendary brand
I disclaim all responsibility if you damage your toys!!! There are also professionals to do this job!
