Leica M8 Shutter Bug (NOT shutter fault)

J

jonaphil

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3:43 AM
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Nov 13, 2009
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Dear all,

Here is my problem.
My M8 is less around 5000 shots, used with extreme care, no humidity, not used under rain, no extreme temperature, nothing special.
It decided at one point to have a re-cock problem.
First it decided to re-cock a bit more than usual.

See this video that i made as an example :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yQSqNeFmtk

Then, it decided to go in extreme re-cock mode, like in this video I made today :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etELefpV-HQ

And now, I'm quite unhappy. :mad:

I bought it used to a reknown shop which I trust, hopefully with a 6 monthes warranty.
A month ago.
So I should be covered by this warranty (I'll go get there on wednesday to give it back to repair.).

I have no idea of what this problem could be, found nothing about something "similar" happening.

2 weeks ago, at 1250 but especially 2500 ISO, I had real problems with horizontal lines going all through image too, not as a "green line", or a "black line" just like a moving line (it's never at the same place) splitting the image in two parts with like 1/3 to 1/4 stop exposure difference, at some point in some pictures, this line is blue.
But anyway, this happenned before to people.

I don't know what to do exactly. :(

I hope my shop will take it back and will send it back to Solms...

But here I say "Dear Leica, I'm not really happy getting a problem noone got before and this just after the "official" warranty expires"....

Any comment / help / welcomed.

Jonathan

PS : no update just before, no special shoot, no use, never felt, no difference changing lenses, tried reinstalling firmware, tried everything I could... Now you know ! And NO, I didn't get the "Shutter Failure" message !
 
I forgot to PS : bought it used, but from someone really serious, who used it with extreme care twice (he made less than 3000 shots for test).
Was still with all plastics, boxed as new, and is totally trustable.
 
I know this is an old thread, but I just bought a used M8 yesterday, low mileage, as new etc, and today the same thing happened to me.

Jonathan - what was the outcome? Anyone else have this happen to them?
 
Hello,

Well, unhopefully, not much.
I had a warranty from the place i bought it.
It went back to Solms.
They serviced and repaired everything (including changing sensor, for maybe other reasons), happened to cost 700€, but I didn't have to pay.
Good luck...

Jonathan
 
Check that you have the latest revision of firmware, 2.005. This fixed a particular shutter related problem. Might help, might not- but worth a try.
 
Thanks for the tip, Brian.

I already have the latest firmware version installed. I just shot about 30 frames of the dog and it's been working great since. :) *crosses fingers*
 
I remember a few users reporting the 'repeated cocking' issue. Ping an email to Leica, you'll get a quick response.
 
Hi,

As an addendum:

My M9 (8 months old, used mostly indoors and with great care) is showing the same symptoms. On the display it says "Attention: shutter failure".

Greetings,

mess
 
Just saw the videos posted, this is exactly how my M8 is behaving. Will update its journey through Leica New Jersey, in case it may help anyone in the future with the same issue.
 
What is he doing in the video?
In the Video , He has the body cap on the camera too. This will delay the shutter or get jammed if the camera is on the A Mode. If you set the shutter to B perhaps it is ok.
This ( digital cameras have a problem ) One thing is if your battery is rotten/ old / you need to replace it soon. When I bought my M8 first time the very day at home I opened my box took the camera and tried some shooting the camera failed. So the next day the dealer had to sent it back to Germany to get it fixed. So it came back fixed and the INSTRUCTION SAID IT FAILED AND THE SHUTTER GOT BLCKED AS THE BATTERY WAS OLD. So they sent me the camera with a new battery.
I learned some thing. If you click the camera shutter and if this camera has a low battery then when the shutter mechanism is on the move according to the programmed your shutter need enough power to accomplish it's action. If there is no power during in the half way the shutter will stop dead where it is and it docent comeback to it's start or to the end for the next action.
This is one thing happening in digital cameras. so it has to reset back on a surgery bench !!!!

The second thing is this camera M8 has a fastest shutter speed of 1/8000 . So this fact was well hidden by Leica. For the shutter to work at this speed they had to use an special alloy and it's colour is whitish. So when you look at the back shutter of m8, you can see the shutter is made of two type of alloy leaves and they grey and white. So most of the special white shutter blades tend to break in M8 it was the disaster in many cameras. So what Leica did was to cancel that highest shutter and introduced M82 U ( upgrade) it is the same M8 camera with a new shutter with out the highest speed ( without the white alloy blade _ sorry I can't remember the name of this metal ) This is the reason why all the next up graded cameras never have the 1/8000 high speed.
It is actually an unnecessary speed for LEICA PHOTOGRAPHERS!!!! The Leica is not a machine gun cameras like other competitive SLRs. :)

How do I know this fact? Well after one year of using my M8 failed and my shutter was broken into pieces while it is on action. It cost me another £ 900 to replace and up grade my camera to M82. So Leica charged me that and they fixed my camera replacing an old worn out spare shutter dial which suit the m82. camera ( without the 1/8000 Sutter) and a low noice shutter too . It comes from a spare part from another cameras for sure. Failure to the shutter is M8 Continues shooting mode. Avoid and never use that mode. If the shutter is working on continues and during that time if there is a power failure ( The battery being weak ) the shutter will remain where it it and it has to be re fixed by a Leica professional. IT IS IMPORTANT BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT USING ANY CHINESE / generic batteries for this Or any M digitals.
 
The Nikon F4 had the problem with the shutter self-destructing. The first batches had this problem, then was corrected. Probably best to avoid a new camera when first introduced and wait for the kinks to be revised out.

I've had my M8 for 12 years now, bought a very late one used with 400 clicks on it for $2500. The camera was bought new in October 2009. I've not had a problem. I use the shutter on "Discrete Mode". The shutter is from the Leica SLRs of the period, the M8 was somewhat rushed into production. The main complaint that users had with the shutter is the un-Leica "Clunk" that it makes. I use a half case, dampens the sound. I like the 1/8000th top shutter speed for using lenses wide-open in sun. My M9 only goes to 1/4000th.

3rd party batteries: I make sure to charge them immediately before use.
 
Knock on wood, I have not yet had problems with my M8.2 with factory replaced sensor cover. I like this camera very much because of the images which I get with it. When I see problems with any camera my first question is always about the firmware. Is it the most current? These cameras are just computers with a lens stuck on the front. With Leica's first fumbling attempts with digital there are also mechanical problems. This time I will refrain from commenting on that.
 
boojum said:
Knock on wood, I have not yet had problems with my M8.2 with factory replaced sensor cover..
Click to expand...

Leica replaced the sensor and board if there were problems- but not just the cover glass of the CCD.
What service was required? Other repair shops would probably replace the cover glass of the CCD, but I don't know of anyone that had this done.
 
Sonnar Brian said:
Leica replaced the sensor and board if there were problems- but not just the cover glass of the CCD.
What service was required? Other repair shops would probably replace the cover glass of the CCD, but I don't know of anyone that had this done.
Click to expand...

SB, the button dance indicates that Leica did the whole deal, board and all. But, tell me what to look for and where and I will re-check it. I like very much the M8.2. I am having trouble explaining it to Godfrey. I think this link will help. I hope so.

https://flickr.com/photos/sandynoyes/albums/72157716739415061
 
To me this is like reading an Assembler dump. Well, not quite as bad, but here is what the button dance told me on the M9

CCD ID 15
CCD BOARD ID 2
Control Brd ID 2
M16C ID 0

So, the question is, did I win the trip to Tahoe, all expenses paid?

The menu at The Secret Garden looks great. I hope you had a great dinner.
 
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