New M8 user with freezing problem

Epimetheus

Epimetheus

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8:22 AM
Joined
Sep 11, 2006
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266
This is probably old news for most of you but I didn't find a solution by searching. During the couple of days a I have had my M8, it has frozen two times already. Nothing but the little red light on the back came on. Both times it seem to happen when I snapped few frames quite rapidly. Both times have been resolved by replacing the battery with a fresh one.

One of my batteries is original and the other one is cheap ebay copy. I haven't found any difference between them in terms of reliability. Should I try some other battery with different capacity or something or do I just have to suffer with it?

By the way, I bought it as used and it doesn't have a valid warranty any more. However there is a valid warranty for the updates (shutter, sceen, etc.) Leica made for it but that probably doesn't cover this.
 
Leica should cover it with the update warranty. As fare as I know it is a full warranty for one more year.
 
abumac said:
Leica should cover it with the update warranty. As fare as I know it is a full warranty for one more year.
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I have now prior experience with warranty issues. How should I proceed with it? I'm located in Finland and camera is originally from UK, if that matters.
 
Does the camera also makes a stuck shutter noise and "shutter fault" message? With my camera it helped not to use the " discreet advance" option and shoot in "C" mode.
 
jasperamsterdam said:
Does the camera also makes a stuck shutter noise and "shutter fault" message? With my camera it helped not to use the " discreet advance" option and shoot in "C" mode.
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I can't recall if it makes a shutter noise but I'm sure there is no message. I haven't used C mode and it has faulted also without discreet mode. I haven't been able to repeat it at will. It only happens when I least expect it.
 
I know this may just be stating the obvious, but have you made sure you formatted the SD card in the camera? Is the SD card of known reliability when used in other cameras?

Steve
 
250swb said:
I know this may just be stating the obvious, but have you made sure you formatted the SD card in the camera? Is the SD card of known reliability when used in other cameras?

Steve
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Yes I have, and I have used two different memory cards and had the problem with both of them. The other card is Sandisk Extreme III 2GB and the other Ultra II 16GB and they both work with other cameras.
 
Last edited:
Leica informed me that the problem might get fixed with the next firmware update but it is best to send it in for a check. So that's what I'm going to do.

Do I just fill the repair form sheet and ship the camera to Solms then?
 
The plot thickens. I got a message from Leica that they couldn't find a fault and suggested that the problem might be the battery which isn't original. On the weekend I borrowed a fiend's M8 and managed to get the same fault! It had the original battery and it had been free of problems until then. I don't get it. I have now used two M8, with three different batteries and three different memory cards. I must be cursed.
 
Fujitsu said:
Turn auto-review (or whatever it is called in english) off.
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I'll have to try that. It might be that there is a bug in the firmware and only a certain combination of settings is causing the fault and that's why Leica service couldn't find it.

In case someone wants to try it, I'm always using AUTO ISO Setup 1/60 / 1250, Auto Review 5 s, Auto Power Off 5 min. I have ISO set to AUTO and Compression to DNG and I have shutter speed dial at A. And the fault appears when battery level reaches about 2/3.
 
If you state the cards work well with other cameras, I take it you didn't format them before using on your M8. It is always a bad idea to switch SD cards between cameras without formatting and it can create the kind of problem you are describing.
 
jaapv said:
If you state the cards work well with other cameras, I take it you didn't format them before using on your M8. It is always a bad idea to switch SD cards between cameras without formatting and it can create the kind of problem you are describing.
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I always format cards on the camera before using them.
 
Turn off autoreview, avoid continuous mode, and hold your tongue in the right side of your mouth while facing the east with a pie tin on your head! ;)

Man, I'm glad I don't have to go through that to get my Rebel XTi to take photos. Amazing.
 
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