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m6 problem with chrome bubbling

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f dinaro

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I do not use my M6 that much I keep it in my camera bag.I live in NY the weather is not that humid.I took it out the other day to shoot a roll of film. The top chrome on the camera is all bubbled. I have never seen this before.I have a much older m4 in perfect condition.How can this be repaired with out it costing a lot of money.
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frank d
I have a Nikon D2X & Canon 5d
They get along just fine together.
http://www.pbase.com/frangee/photos_by_frangee
 
I've never heard of that happening to a chrome M6 before. Black enamel, yes, but chrome? I find that hard to even fathom happening without reason, like a chemical reaction, or maybe sea water/air.

I didn't even realize that the M6 camera was really chrome at all (nor silver), but just a descriptive term to differentiate it from black. I know Russian Leica screw mount copies are terrible about this, but I've never seen a copy of an M6.
Did you buy the camera new? I'm wondering if maybe it's a re-chromed
custom job?
Can you post a photo of the camera and problem?
 
I am afraid this is a common problem with the M6 . My understanding this was a problem with related to the coating on the body. I remember reading about this a few years back.... Not sure if there is a remedy.

Cheers. Terry.
 
I believe that the camera body is brass (at least it is on my M3) - which is, of course, quite reactive, especially to acids. The plating normally protects the brass but it looks as if there might be pinholes in the plating that have provided access to the brass body - one way this might occur is if the body had been cleaned with a harsh chemical or abrasive or possibly even etched with an air eraser (like an airbrush but using a very fine abrasive) as part of a "clean it up to sell" process.

i don't think there is much for it except to try and find someone who can take it down to the bare base and replate which would probably cost more than replacing the body.

Sorry to offer such a gloomy prognosis
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see profile for equipment
 
The M6 switched from brass to zinc top plates. I've seen a few like yours where the coatings allowed penetration and oxidation to occur at the zinc level. Eventually the bubbles will crack, flake off and expose the base metal. Other than having the top plate replaced, I don't think there is anything that can be done. I would suggest contacting Leica US and see if they offer to help.
 
Sounds like they read the Mercedes book on making customers pay for poor engineering decisions!
--
see profile for equipment
 
In Leica's defense, I don't believe this is a result of poor engineering decisions but the result of handling/cleaning possibly by a previous owner as another post mentioned. I've seen some 50 year old M3s begin to display this problem, but I personally have not seen an M6 do this of it's own accord. As far as Leica's engineering and plating process, I can assure you it's of much higher standards, and made to last longer, than any other chrome plated camera (or especially a black paint camera for that matter).

I personally wouldn't let it bother me unless you purchased the camera for collectable purposes. It's still only one of the best cameras ever made and the uglier it gets, the less likely someone will want to steal it from you.
If you did buy it for collectable purposes, well, I'd say you got taken.
 
when I bought the camera it was mint,not a mark on it.It was fine for about 1 1/2 years. It started slow. I keep the camera in the Leica hard case if that has anything to do with it. I only shot maybe 5 rolls of film with it. I waited my hole life to own a Leica and take very good care of it. I can't see the old owner doing anything that would harm the camera.He was an old man that had a lot of Leica camera's.
--
frank d
I have a Nikon D2X & Canon 5d
They get along just fine together.
http://www.pbase.com/frangee/photos_by_frangee
 
I think that you have the key. My observation from living in a number of old houses is that the faucets and tub fixtures (exposed, of course to much harsher conditions than any camera can survive) fall into two catagories - chromed brass parts will last until the plating is literally worn off by use but die cast parts (typically a zinc alloy, Zamac) will always fail in the manner described. Unless the M6 required a complexity of internal structure that could only be achieved by die casting, I see no good engineering reason for the change.
--
see profile for equipment
 
f dinaro said:
thanks for the help guys, the top cost over $500 for the part
alone.I asked LEICA if it would be coverd under warrenty they said
no... :0(
Click to expand...
sorry about your loss.

but you know, the more I hear about the 'legend' known as leica, the more I EXPECT perfection from them. and top-level customer service and support.

this seems like a DESIGN DEFECT. but this is a perfect company, right? they know god personally and all that? (...)

so why would they not design the finish to last ('inheritance value') and if they did it wrong, why would they not fix it? this is NOT a user fault!

I try to understand the 'draw' of leica and why people pay 10x as much for them. and when I see shoddy design like this and once the flaw comes out they don't stand behind it, I'm sorry - that's just WRONG for a company of this 'stature'.

the more I read, the more I see leica as 'just another camera company', nothing really special at all. they make some good products and some lousy designs, as well, it appears. and like ALL THE OTHERS they don't stand behind things as much as they should when THEY screw up.

--
Bryan (pics only: http://www.flickr.com/photos/linux-works )
(pics and more: http://www.netstuff.org ) ~
 
Pretorien said:
Sounds like they read the Mercedes book on making customers pay for
poor engineering decisions!
Click to expand...
as a german car owner (currently VW but previously had many BMW's) - I can say that the german car companies are really POOR on customer service and owning up to design flaws.

I had an m3 (e36) that was just blowing rear shock tower mounts almost on a yearly basis. and no, I never 'tracked' the car. it was a design flaw. they wanted to charge me $1k for the part+labor EACH TIME it failed in the field. (yes, I ended up selling the car and never considering THAT brand again).

its not just merc. its all the german brands. (sorry, but its true).

fwiw, I still have and love my VW ('fah vee') but I know that I would have gotton a better product and design if I had bought, say, a japanese car, instead.

german workmanship and design is highly over-rated. its a myth from decades ago. it does NOT apply anymore, sadly to say.

--
Bryan (pics only: http://www.flickr.com/photos/linux-works )
(pics and more: http://www.netstuff.org ) ~
 
This was a batch fault on chrome bodies that Leica are aware of, the top plate on early the early M6 bodies were brass, but these suffered from a dishing of the top plate problem, when the production of the M6 moved to the Solms factory the top plate changed to Zinc alloy.

I suspect that the die casting is out sourced to other companies as the R bodies zinc top plates were made in Switzerland, the main body casting is made in Portugal.
 
rollei53 said:
engineering and plating process, I can assure you it's of much
higher standards, and made to last longer, than any other chrome
plated camera
Click to expand...
Yet i've never seen a Chrome Russian FED or Zorki this bad (or any of the Chrome SLRs) ! I've never seen a Leica that bad either come to think of it .. I'd have a word with Leica and see what they have to say, you'd be amazed how they value and look after customers!

--
Please ignore the Typos, I'm the world's worst Typist

 
As you said the top plates cost lots of money and they have to engrave a serial number on the plate and fit it.

I think that the problem may of been some sort of contamination that then causes the blisters on the top plate this is from memory but Leica know of this problem.
 
f dinaro said:
I did speak to Leica, They said it was not under warranty any more.
I will try again and be more Aggressive.
Click to expand...
I guess that your reply to them on the phone could go along the lines of ----------- > " I'm about to add Digital to my setup and if the M8 is going to do this after a few years, AND it would seem that you aren't interested then I really don't want to invest more money in Leica - it looks like you have made my mind up for me and I'll be now looking into the Nikon D2X and Canon 1DS MK2" .....

Just a thought .. You'd think that they'd sort this out of goodwill , It may also be worth mentioning that Fuji have been replacing sensors in 3 & 4yr old S2-Pros out of goodwill, they aren't obliged to as the warranty expired 2 / 3 years ago but they obviously want to sell the customers more cameras - even Nikon have been repairing out of warranty D2Hs and D70s (BGLOD) and there's of course the Sony CCD recall with 2002 vintage cameras etc..

Basically if Leica want you to spend another brass Farthing (let alone an M8 + new Coded Glass) rather than watch you post pics of the bubbling chrome of the M6 with a Warning all over the place then it may be in their interest to look after you - where if they DO fix it no doubt everyone will be reading "This is how they looked after me and my M6 " :) .

--
Please ignore the Typos, I'm the world's worst Typist

 
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