Had to choose between a $3 rubber band and a full shutter replacement on a Leica M3

So this old Leica M3 came in, shutter capping like crazy. The owner, a nice guy from Portland, said he'd been quoted $400 for a full curtain swap. I got it on the bench and saw the real issue: the curtain tension spring had lost its little felt bumper, letting it bounce. I had a choice. Order the proper part from Germany, wait two weeks, and charge for the labor, or try a fix I'd heard about but never done: a tiny, specific rubber band cut to size as a temporary damper. I went with the band, a perfect one from my kid's loom kit. Took an hour to fit it just right without touching the ribbons. It worked. Smooth as butter. The guy paid me $80 and was thrilled. Has anyone else ever pulled off a weird fix like that on a high end camera? I still feel a bit nuts about it.

3 comments

3 Comments

kai_park1mo agoTop Commenter

Ever notice how the "right" way is usually just the most expensive one? Good on you for actually fixing the problem.

dakota_nelson431mo ago

That's a band-aid fix on a classic camera, man.

riley_west1mo ago

Remember fixing my grandpa's old radio with a paperclip. It worked for another ten years. Sometimes the fix just needs to hold.