There are few cameras I would be more nervous about attacking with a spanner than a Leica M, but apparently there is now a tool for that – or, more accurately, an entire kit of them.
Currently eBay is packed with inexpensive aftermarket repair tools designed to help owners dismantle and service classic Leica cameras at home, raising an interesting question:
With the cost and waiting time associated with professional servicing, is it finally worth learning how to perform your own CLA?
CLA, for those unfamiliar with the term, stands for clean, lubricate and adjust, and it is something that mechanical Leica cameras can benefit from as they get older.
The interesting part is just how accessible the specialist tools have become. Current eBay listings include 6- and 9-piece wrench and clamp sets advertised for Leica M2, M3, M4, M5, M6, M7 and MP bodies, with prices starting at just over $20.
I found one 9-piece kit on eBay UK for around £21, while another aluminum-alloy set was listed at £27.57. In the US, similar kits currently range from around $23 to $42 depending on the set and seller.
These aren't simply generic screwdrivers, either. The kits contain specialist-sized tools intended to remove components such as flash-socket rings, film-advance parts, viewfinder and rangefinder fittings, rewind controls and other circular fittings without resorting to the sort of pliers-based brutality that makes Leica collectors shudder.
Some sets are also advertised for screw-mount Leica cameras, while there are individual specialist tools available for more particular jobs. In other words, obtaining the equipment required to start taking apart a classic Leica has never been less difficult or expensive.
And that is where things become tempting. A mechanical Leica was built to be maintained – and these cameras have already demonstrated that, with the correct servicing, they can remain usable for many decades.
If you are mechanically minded, understand how a rangefinder works and are comfortable working with tiny precision components, spending $20-$50 on a set of tools could open the door to maintaining your own camera rather than shipping it away every time something becomes stiff, dirty or slightly out of adjustment.
With the price of virtually everything increasing, there is certainly a financial argument for learning the skill.
There is also the time factor. Sending a Leica away means packaging up a camera that might be worth thousands, waiting for it to be assessed, and then waiting again for the work to be completed.
Leica itself maintains a worldwide repair network staffed by factory-trained technicians, and says its service is intended to maintain the quality, precision, longevity and value of its products.
That expertise is precisely what you are paying for – but having the ability to carry out straightforward maintenance yourself could be enormously appealing to experienced DIY users who don't want their camera out of action whenever it needs attention.
Personally, my DIY abilities are enough to make the decision extremely easy: I would happily pay somebody who knows what they are doing. Give me a $25 Leica repair kit, and there is a very good chance that my innocent attempt at a CLA would rapidly become a much more expensive professional repair.
Removing the correct part is only the beginning. Knowing what to lubricate, how much lubricant to use, what should be left alone, how to correctly tension and adjust mechanisms, and how to calibrate a rangefinder afterwards is where the real skill lies.
Owning a Leica wrench does not suddenly make you a Leica technician in much the same way that owning a scalpel doesn't make you a surgeon.
There is also something else to consider: these cameras have value far beyond simply being photographic tools. A Leica M3, M2 or M6 can be an extremely valuable piece of equipment, and one slip of a tool can damage a screw, mark a top plate or turn a relatively simple service into a search for replacement parts.
When Leica talks about professional servicing preserving the quality and intrinsic value of its products, that point shouldn't be ignored.
However, I don't think these inexpensive tools should be dismissed – quite the opposite.
For photographers who already repair cameras, watches or other precision mechanical equipment, or those prepared to properly learn the process on something considerably less valuable before touching their prized Leica, they potentially open up an entirely new side to camera ownership.
There is something rather satisfying about the idea of not only shooting a 50- or 60-year-old mechanical camera, but also possessing the skills needed to keep it running for another generation.
So should you service your Leica at home? For most owners, I still think the answer is no. A proper professional CLA remains the safest and, in my opinion, best option for a valuable Leica.
But the fact that the specialist tools required to tackle these jobs can now be bought for the price of a couple of rolls of film certainly opens the door a little wider for those far more DIY-savvy than me.
With servicing costs rising and photographers increasingly reluctant to be separated from their cameras for extended periods, I can understand exactly why people are tempted. Just remember: the cheap part is buying the tools. Knowing how to use them is where the real investment begins.
You might also like…
Whether or not you're using one of the best Leica cameras, learning how to clean a camera sensor is one of the easiest and most money-saving do-it-yourself tips.
