Leica M-E shutter problem

[siracusa]

Dear all,
I'd appreciate any insights forum members can offer.
I went out with my M-E this afternoon (battery just under 100%; original battery). It functioned perfectly for six shots. After the seventh the shutter did that slightly irritating thing where it does not recock following the shot. As usual in such situations, I lightly touched the shutter button to make it cock. Instead of recocking as normal the shutter cocking motor kept whirring and whirring as though it was trying to recock over and over again. This went on for about 25-30 seconds.
After it stopped the camera seemed to function normally. The camera was in 'S' mode and (though this is probably not relevant), the card was full after this shot.
The camera was purchased used and is still inside the dealer's six month warranty (just). I'm guessing that this is a sign of shutter problems and that I need to get it back to the dealer without using it further, but I thought I'd post just in case others have had similar experiences and can advise me otherwise.
Thanks in advance,
David

 

[Ronald M]

Let us hope they do not tell you they can not make it misbehave. Save the SD as proof.

 

[Fenster34]

Hello,

Did you have any luck getting to the bottom of the shutter problem? My me has just developed the same problem. The first time it happened the only way i could stop it was by removing the battery. The battery is well charged but the sd card is only half full. Doubt thats anything to do with it though.

Any advice would be great.

Fenster

 

[siracusa]

Hi Fenster,
The camera was returned to the dealer within a week of my post, and from there it was sent back to Germany under the dealer's warranty (I bought the camera used). In the meantime I'm coping by using a mixture of film cameras and loan digitals for my photography.
I don't yet have any further information on the fault. The dealer has been following this up with Leica and the last information I received was an email a couple of days ago saying that Leica estimate the camera will be back within 6-8 weeks, but that no further information on diagnosis or repair had come through yet and that they are actively following this up with Leica.
I am no expert on camera electronics or mechanics so whatever I say should be taken with a pinch of salt. However, on the basis that my dealer's response was to send the camera straight to Germany, it seems logical to suppose that this may be a sensible line of action. In the best case scenario they can test and reassure you that all is well with it. In the worst case scenario they might find and repair a fault. With such an expensive piece of equipment I probably wouldn't want to run the risk of not having it checked by the experts, though.
Good luck with yours. I'll post any info/update when I know more.

 

[john neal]

David - it's a known fault on the M8 and I had it on my MM - normally just the shutter and wind mechanism need to be adjusted, rare cases get a new shutter assembly. I was worried as mine kept on firing even when switched off (I had to pull the battery).

My MM was at the factory for less than a week, having been told the same sort of figures as you. They did the adjustments and cleaned the sensor within a couple of days of arrival and shipped it back the next day.

Hopefully you won't have to wait too long.

 

[siracusa]

Fenster, in case you read this, I thought I'd update that the camera was returned from Leica with the winding mechanism replaced, so if you haven't yet sent your camera in for repair, it seems the thing to do. The sensor was also cleaned, the rangefinder recalibrated and one or two other things attended to. It would only be right to add that the frustration of being without the camera was completely erased by the excellent service provided by the dealer from whom I bought the camera. It really was a pleasure dealing with Clifton Cameras, and after this experience I shall certainly be returning to them in the future as a repeat customer. I found them extremely courteous, professional, prompt, and helpful, and while we'd expect this as a norm, we don't necessarily always receive that level of customer service, so I would like to namedrop them for this reason.

 

[Huss]

It would only be right to add that the frustration of being without the camera was completely erased by the excellent service provided by the dealer from whom I bought the camera. It really was a pleasure dealing with Clifton Cameras, and after this experience I shall certainly be returning to them in the future as a repeat customer. I found them extremely courteous, professional, prompt, and helpful, and while we'd expect this as a norm, we don't necessarily always receive that level of customer service, so I would like to namedrop them for this reason.

Glad you got this addressed and the dealer helped you. A quality dealer is really a special thing.
As a public service announcement, Samys in Los Angeles where I bought my M-E is the opposite of this. I spent quite a bit of money with them, buying the camera and some lenses even though I could have saved over $1000 in tax if I bought it out of state. But I thought I would support my local shop as they would reciprocate if I needed anything.
So, I had a sensor issue under warranty. Samys wanted to charge me shipping to send it to Leica for repair!!! I flat out told them that if I knew they would charge me shipping for warranty items, I would have bought it from one of the NYC shops, saved a lot of money and would have been happy to pay for shipping out of pocket if I needed warranty work!

Between my purchase and this issue the Leica Store in LA had opened, so I took it to them. They immediately took care of everything, no questions asked. And were really surprised to hear about Samys.

So if you're buying a Leica in Los Angeles, I recommend the Leica Store LA. Same price as Samys, but with fantastic customer service and a really nice environment.