Leica Motor (battery) User manual

GENERAL lNSTRUCTIONS
    Your Leica Motor may be fitted to any "M" Model Leica          ,{
    camera except the M3. And your motor equipped Leica                                        l
   can be operated as a sequence camera; a single ex-
I   posure camera with automatic film advance; a remote'   camera controlled by push button remote cord, or by                                                                           I
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 I     radio. lt may.be actuated by a trip-wire or photo-cell for
    surveillance or nature photography and, with an inter-
    valometer, can be used for time-lapse photography.
   The camera can be manually operated (film advanced
   and shutter released) with the motor attached.

   catuena MoDtFlcATtoN
   Your Leica requires modif ication, including a different
    take-up spool, before the motor can be fitted to it. Both
   your Leica and the Leica Motor should be sent to E.
    Leitz, Inc., 304 Hudson St., New York, N. Y. 10013.
                                                                                                                                                                                       I
   When the Leica camera and Leica Motor are purchased  I    as a unit, the camera is already modified and no further                          I
    adaptation is necessary.                                                                                                                                                        I
    Modification of your Leica in no way prevents it from        '
    being used in the normal manner without motor. The
    Leicavit can be used providing it is fully wound and                       i
   cocked before it is attached.                                                              "-*1

                                                  f

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BATTERY PACK
The battery pack is held to the base of the Leica Motor
by two knurled bolts. To remove the pack simply un-
screw the bolts, using a coin in the slot if necessary.





To installdry cells, let the bolt furthest from the speed-
selector drop down, and slide off the cover. When in-
serting the cells be certain to observe the indicated
polarity, and be sure the battery contact springs are
making good contact. lf necessary bend the springs to
insure good contact. One poor contact will cause im-
proper operation.
The battery pack holds eight "Afi" cells. You can ex-
pose approximately 40 rolls of 36-exposure film with a
fresh set of batteries, but only when high-energy "AA"
cells are used. The following, or their equivalents, are
recommended:

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    Whenever the camera and motor are separated, you
     should be sure that the shutter is wound and the motor
     cycled at least twice before trying to reassemble them.





Mike Butkus                                                                DigitallyDN:Date:cn=Mike2024.04.19signedButkus,by00:50:16Mikeo=ButkusButkus-04'00'camera manuals, ou=butkus.org, email=mike@butkus.org, c=US



    With the Leica Motor's locking lever turned to the front
    as far as it will go, fit the motor to the camera in the
    same manner as the baseplate. Then secure it by turn-
     ing the locking lever all the way to the rear.

Wind off the usual two "safe-exposures";  either by man-
 ually advancing the film or by using the motor's release.
Set the Leica's exposure counter to "Zero".
Set the Motor Drive's exposure counter, located at the
rear, to the number of sequence exposures desired.
The counter is set by sliding the setting button to the
right and releasing. (This may be done either before or
after the Motor Drive has been attached to the camera).
The counter is subtractive and indicates the number
of frames remaining in the sequence.
The motor will automatically stop when the set number
of exposures has been made. lf you wish Motor Drive
operation for the full roll of film, set the counter to
"36" (for a 36-exposure film) or to "2O" (tor a 20-
exposure cassette).
                    EXPOSURE COUNTER
     REMOTE CONTROL SOCKET





    SOCKET FOR 6-14V DC         SETTING BUTTON

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                                                                                                            \
     To remove an exposed film, set the "speed-control"
      switch (on the bottom of the battery pack) to "OFF".
      Then set the camera's rewind lever to "R" and rewind
      the film in the usual manner. Remove the Leica Motor
      from the camera by turning its locking lever all the way
       to the front.


n    SPEED CONTROL
     The Leica Motor has a unique feature in that its oper-
      ation is controlled by the two curtains of the Leica
       focal-plane shutter. This has been achieved by building
     a micro-switch into the shutter mechanism. In opera-
       tion, the passage of the first shutter curtain switches
       the motor off; the arrival of the second turns it on again.
       This technical innovation makes the motor drive almost
        foolproof.
      The switch on the bottom of the battery pack, has three
        positions: "H" for high-speed operation (approximately
      two and one-half frames per second); "L" for low-speed
       (approximately one frame per second) and "OFF". When
       the Motor Drive is not being used, the switch should be
      turned "OFF" to avoid unintentional operation.
      Because of the micro-switch in the shutter mechanisml
      the motor operates on all shutter speeds from 1 to
      1/1000th second with the switch set to either "H" or

"L". This is the widest range of shutter speeds provided
 by any motor drive offering continuous operation.





REMOTE CONTROL
The rear of the motor is provided with two outlets; one
accepts a special remote control cord and a second
takes a connecting cord for the use of any 6-14 volt DC
power source, when desired. The remote firing circuit
incorporates a special high-resistance relay permitting
the use of up to one mile (1.62 km.) of standard two-
conductor wire. Induction coils wired into both sides
of the remote control circuit of the motor ensure reli-
able functioning with radio control.

      Do not plug an auxiliary power source
             into the remote contiol socket.

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    USE WITH ELECTRONIC FLASH
      Keep the following points in mind when using the Leica
      Motor with electronic flash:
         1. You must use the low ("L") setting.
        2. Trip the shutter either with the motor release or
           with the remote control.
         3. Allow enough time for the flash unit to re-cycle
           completely between exposures.


    SOME TIPS FOR BEST RESULTS
       Familiarize yourself with your Leica Motor and its oper-
       ation by trying it on the camera without film. lts oper-
       ation is simple, but not foolproof.
          It is important that the Leica Motor's exposure counter
      be reset for each new film you put into the camera. lf
      you do not, the motor may reach "zero" before you have
      completed the roll and it will cut off. lf this happens,
       reset the counter, without manually winding the camera.
           lf the Leica Motor's exposure counter is set for a num-
       ber of exposures greater than the length of the film, you
     may tear film perforations. Or the motor may stall. lf
      the motor stalls at the end of a roll, turn the selector
      switch to "OFF" and rewind the film. lf this should
      happen, immediately turn the selector switch to "OFF"
Il     and then remove the battery pack from the motor.

Then turn the battery pack end-for-end  (to change polar-
 ity) and hold the contact pins against the motor's con-
tact plates. This will reverse the motor just enough to
clear the jam. Attach the battery pack. First time button
is pushed, motor will only wind camera, it will not trip
shutter.
The "AA" cells in the Motor's power pack require a
"rest" afterextended use. lf the motor stops (due to
weak batteries) before a cycle is completed, the speed
selector switch should be turned to "OFF" for a short                   J
period. The batteries will recover faster and last longer.
You should not use a combination of cells in the battery              I
pack that produces more than 12 volts or less than 4.7                                                                  lvolts. (Six volts is nominal for the "L" setting.)
Your Motor Drive is a well constructed precision unit.
And if used with reasonable care will give you long and
dependable service.





                                CONTACT PINS
  CONTACT PLATES
                                         BATTERY

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      PROBLEM        CAUSE          SOLUTION

                             Shutter not fully wound     Wind shutter manually
                          Motor not fu lly cycled       Cycle by depressing
        Motor Drive                                    release button
        does not attach
         to camera           Take-up spool not           Depress, rotate and,
                            locked in down               lock take-up spool
                                pos it ion                    knurled knob


       No power in       Dead batteries              Replace batteries
         Motor Drive
         but camera can     Motor exposure             Reset counter
        be operated         counter al "zero"
         manually


                       Weak                                                        Fresh                                 or improperly                                                                       batteries,
  I                                                          properly                              inserted                                         batteries                                                                          inserted         Motor operates
          slowly                                Faulty film casseG        Use new roll of film
                        Camera sluggish              t:"  *r:-1:-cteaneo-

                          Motor counter at          Remove battery pack,
                            "zero" before end of        turn end-for-end and
                                                                     f ilm, and camera            reverse motor to clear
          Stalled Motor      wound manualry before      jam. (Reset Motor
          Drive and,/or                               resetting counter           Counter if necessary)        jammed                 camera
                            Film exhausted before       Turn switch to "0FF"
                          Motor Drive reached        and rewind  f ilm
                                         " zero"





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