Leica M4 just froze up

[stompyq]

I was out shooting today and my Leica M4 froze up mid-roll. The advance lever won't move and the shutter can't be depressed. I took the film out and the counter reset but it's still locked up. Kind of at a loss about what to do. The camera had a CLA before I purchased it. I've had it well over 10 years and it has never had a single issue. Would love to hear what people think is going on and what the best course of action is. Is it a minor fix or does it need specialized repair?

 

[maddoc]

How does the shutter look like? Anything stuck (snippet of film) in the shutter curtain guards?

 

[stompyq]

How does the shutter look like? Anything stuck (snippet of film) in the shutter curtain guards?

The curtain looks fine. No wrinkles. I did not check carefully if there is anything stuck. But will check

 

[Richard G]

Once the film is out and all looks OK with no obstructions an M4 should go to a good repairer. It might be something subtle that’s disengaged or maladjusted and it could be a simple fix. If you fiddle with it you could add to the expense of getting it working again.

 

[Beemermark]

I agree it with the repair route but first make sure there is no film chips stick in the film channel. Chips will be small so you need to examine it carefully.

 

[WJJ3]

The light shields around the shutter in all the classic Leica Ms are deteriorated at this point and can detach and get caught up in the shutter. Were you getting light leak on your film in the form of a band at the edge of the frame on recent rolls? It is possible your light shields were deteriorated and a piece came off and caused your shutter to jam.

 

[Highway 61]

Can be the well known problem of threaded washers having come loose under the film rewind crank, which affects almost all Leica M bodies with the oblique rewind crank (M4, M4-2, M4-P, M6) sooner or later, and locks up the rewind shaft when you want to advance the film once you have reached mid-roll. If the wind lever has got stuck in such a position that its escapement makes that you can continue to wind even now that the film has been taken out, try to depress the R lever and keep it depressed to wind in full and release the shutter, or to manually turn the film sprockets shaft until the shutter gets cocked - and then fire it. Then try to make the camera work with no film in it. Does it work ? Fine. Then turn the rewind crank clockwise, the way it turns when you wind, not when you rewind. If it gets stuck after, say, a dozen of full turns, this is it.

And if this is it, this is an easy DIY fix. But it might be something else of course.

 

[Nitroplait]

I have owned 6 Nikon SLR cameras for almost 4 decades, several produced in the early 70's and bought used, and not a single one has needed service while in my possion.

I have owned 5 Leica M's over the past 2 decades and every one has needed service at least once while in my possion.

I don't subscribe to the idea of preventive service - I send them in when something is not right.
If it was my camera, I would just ship it off for service, and stop second guessing - for peace of mind.

Just a quick comment to the "CLA before purchase". That is only true if you have documentation that it happened - The "it has just been serviced" is the oldest sales trick in the book.
If you have documentation and the CLA was done just before you took ownership, I'd consider choosing a different camera tech.

 

[jsrockit]

Good thing you've been into that Nikon F2 lately Pramodh... 😉