Bobonli
Established
I'm not sure whether foam should be there or not. It seems to me if there was a light leak it would be constant and appear in every frame. But it's not.
No M door I've ever seen has that foam.
Bobonli
Established
Just to be clear, "foam" is my word. I don't know what it is. It could be a thin, old strip of rubber.
coelacanth
Ride, dive, shoot.
There should be none there. Just metal door, no rubber or foam. At least my M3, M2, M4, M6 and MP didn't have any.
The leak could happen only when strong light is trying to get inside of the camera thus not consistant leak on all frames. Would you wanna try removing the foam/rubber thing?
Bobonli
Established
I'm gonna send it to someone competent to have a thorough inspection and perhaps add the MP finder. I bought it only 2 weeks ago. The body is pristine and the artifact is not constant (therefore difficult to prove what the cause is) so rather than return it-and possibly end up with nothing or a lesser specimen- I think I'll send it to one of the reputable repairpeople.
I had it out in intense sunlight this afternoon and rushed the roll to a lab. So we'll see what turns up on Monday. I want to believe it's something the lab did ( a gunky roller in a machine or something) but the artifact is on two different rolls (XP2 and Ektar) and so that's not looking like a reasonable explanation
MRohlfing
Well-known
I should have mentioned earlier - when you shine the light into the front (shutter open), you should before have removed the pressure plate, maybe even place a piece of white paper inside the back door. Otherwise there will be no light inside the camera.
Could be the foam, it sure does not look good. I think you should remove it - but maybe it was placed there because there was a problem already.
Bobonli
Established
Update. Ran a roll through over the weekend and took it to another lab hoping the problem occurred outside the camera. No such luck. That "smudge" is in about 45% of the shots.
So, it gets to go to the spa for thorough overhaul.
Is this sort of thing common or do I have exceedingly bad luck with my first Leica purchase? The camera has a 171xxxx serial number and otherwise looks like it was well-kept. .........Very bummed out!
So, it gets to go to the spa for thorough overhaul.
Is this sort of thing common or do I have exceedingly bad luck with my first Leica purchase? The camera has a 171xxxx serial number and otherwise looks like it was well-kept. .........Very bummed out!
SolaresLarrave
My M5s need red dots!
I know the feeling... it happened to me with my first Leica M6TTL. The funny thing is that while the body was in the shop, I impulsively bought another... and wound up with two cameras and one lens only.
The story ended thus: after Don looking at it twice, I simply sent it to Leica for refurbishing. It came back... with a leak, so I sent it back. Six months later, it leaked, so it went back. Almost a year after the initial repair it leaked again... and I sent it back to Leica NJ. After it's return in 2006, it's been working as it should (let me knock on wood here...).
In short: have it refurbished by Leica. Yes, it's costly, but they back their repairs for a year and eventually they'll hit the nail in the head.
Take care!
The story ended thus: after Don looking at it twice, I simply sent it to Leica for refurbishing. It came back... with a leak, so I sent it back. Six months later, it leaked, so it went back. Almost a year after the initial repair it leaked again... and I sent it back to Leica NJ. After it's return in 2006, it's been working as it should (let me knock on wood here...).
In short: have it refurbished by Leica. Yes, it's costly, but they back their repairs for a year and eventually they'll hit the nail in the head.
Take care!
Bobonli
Established
That's not too encouraging! I have my very first serious camera, a Nikon Fm from 1984 and it's be flawless it's entire life. So this is a bit of a shocker.
Phil_F_NM
Camera hacker
Looks to me like some weird lens flare, not a light leak. The best way to find a light leak would be to load a roll of fast film and hit the camera body from all angles with a powerful flash. Do that for a few frames.
I say lens flare because in your low light shot with the blue spot, there appears to be no bright light source aside from the one in the frame. This is what is causing all your issues, but a shutter light leak would present in the exact same place. The one instance I can think of the shutter having a light leak which would cause this is if the metal leading or trailing edge of either curtain were wrinkled slightly. Still, the low light shot presents a very prevalent flare.
The other issue could be your processing service. The leader puller may be deforming the cassette just enough to allow a light leak in. After that, there may be internal light leaks in the processor itself if any one of the several baffles is missing.
I'd say do some more testing before sending your camera out to get serviced when the issue may be coming from a decentered or separated lens element, flocking missing inside the lens barrel or your processing service botching it up.
Phil Forrest
I say lens flare because in your low light shot with the blue spot, there appears to be no bright light source aside from the one in the frame. This is what is causing all your issues, but a shutter light leak would present in the exact same place. The one instance I can think of the shutter having a light leak which would cause this is if the metal leading or trailing edge of either curtain were wrinkled slightly. Still, the low light shot presents a very prevalent flare.
The other issue could be your processing service. The leader puller may be deforming the cassette just enough to allow a light leak in. After that, there may be internal light leaks in the processor itself if any one of the several baffles is missing.
I'd say do some more testing before sending your camera out to get serviced when the issue may be coming from a decentered or separated lens element, flocking missing inside the lens barrel or your processing service botching it up.
Phil Forrest
Bobonli
Established
Yeah, I thought of lens flare but it shows up in indoor shots, on the beach, with the light behind me or even in complete overcast conditions..pretty much everywhere, with a filter and without.
And I don't think it's the lab. It's on three rolls from 2 separate labs, both color and black and white.
SolaresLarrave
My M5s need red dots!
Oddly enough, the Leica M6TTL I bought out of "spite" has turned out perfect: not one single problem ever since it came to my hands.
Go figure...
Bobonli
Established
I just got off the phone with one of the repair gurus, who saw my pictures and thinks it's a light leak. Shocking! As the guru explained, "things wear out after 20 years, don't take it personally."
rxmd
May contain traces of nut
Then again, if it's a Zorki from 1952, people will say it's shoddy workmanship.
Scrambler
Well-known
As a bit of DIY-er, I'd go along with the suggestion of fast film and trying light exposure. I find the sun pretty good. Try shielding parts of the camera while exposing others. Expose with the lens off and back covered to test the shutter. Then replace lens and lens cap and take what should be an unexposed frame. Expose with lens cap and lens on and back to the sun to test the rear door. Try different angles of light incidence. Compare your negatives to see where light might be entering. Take notes so you remember what each test consisted of. Leave the camera in the sun for a decent amount of time - a few seconds might not be enough. With an "M" camera where the door extends over more than 1 frame I'd consider taking three unexposed frames for each test, just to make sure the leak isn't actually to the left or right of the shutter.
If you carry your camera in your hand, that will be when the light leaks are occurring, not during exposure. The longer the camera is in the light, and the brighter the light, the more visible the leak will be.
If you can bring yourself to do it, duct tape the back of the Leica and see if that fixes the problem
If you carry your camera in your hand, that will be when the light leaks are occurring, not during exposure. The longer the camera is in the light, and the brighter the light, the more visible the leak will be.
If you can bring yourself to do it, duct tape the back of the Leica and see if that fixes the problem
nome_alice
Established
Is this after removing the foam/rubber strip?
I've never seen anything stuck on a Leica M back door. On the back door side is a 'gutter' in which sits a 'lip' on the camera body side. That bit of foam/rubber there will be stopping the gutter and lip from fully seating into each other when you close the camera.
Plus, I've never come across a light seal kit for Leica M bodies
Callmedave
Newbie
I know this is an old thread but I have the exact same problem on my early M6.
I’ve been searching everywhere to try to find info on it. I’ve already had my camera repaired once and it wasn’t fixed. So I’m hoping to find out if you were able to fix yours.
Thanks -Dave
I’ve been searching everywhere to try to find info on it. I’ve already had my camera repaired once and it wasn’t fixed. So I’m hoping to find out if you were able to fix yours.
Thanks -Dave
xayraa33
rangefinder user and fancier
I say it is a stealth mini TR-3B Astra drone caught on film.
Callmedave
Newbie
davidnewtonguitars
Family Snaps
PM Bobolni, surely after 7 years he has some advice for you.
I think it was that piece of something stuffed in a groove where none should be.
I think it was that piece of something stuffed in a groove where none should be.