Line/crack in M9 focusing patch?

[kennylovrin]

Hey guys

I just wanted to check with you guys if you've heard/seen about something like this before..

So I was on holiday two weeks ago, brought my M9 with me and one of the days I shot it, everything was completely fine as it's always been. Then in the afternoon I put it in the safety box in the hotel room.

The morning after I took it out of the safety box, changed from my 50mm to my 35mm lens and went out to shoot. As soon as I put it up to my eye I noticed a line going vertically straight through the focusing patch and my first thought was "crap, something is cracked". In any case, the camera works as before, and I can focus it accurately etc, it's just annoying having that line in the middle of the area I use to focus.. The line doesn't move when I focus, it just stays there looking the same all the time.

But then I stumbled across some other information about people having this issue (it sounds like to me) and it turned out to be just dust. I tried to blow it away, even though I see now obivous way to do that into the view finder, but it hasn't helped.

What is important to note here (I think) is that the 6 months I've had the camera, it hasn't taken a single hit or been dropped. Worst that it has been experiencing is riding in my padded camera bag on gravel roads basically.

The day this happened I had also just been out walking normally and always treated it nice. 🙂

I've opened a support ticket with Leica, and all they got back to me was just now asking me to send it to them, including my lenses etc. Nothing at all about what can be wrong, how long it will take, how much it will cost and so on.

So here are my actual questions:

1. This sounds potentially expensive to fix, what do you guys think?
2. It seems to me when I read from others that it always takes months to get something back from Leica service?
3. If I send it off, do Leica normally perform a CLA as well included in the cost?
4. If they don't do a CLA, what do they need my lenses for? If I send those off I can't even use my M2 during that period.

I have attached an iPhone shot though the finder that clearly shows the problem inside the focusing patch:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/436484/IMG_0009.jpg

Thanks for your input!

Kenny

 

[jonmanjiro]

Looks like a fiber or a hair to me. Its probably on the half mirror on the inside of the little RF window. An easy fix if you can get to it.

I tried to link your photo so it displays in your post, but it doesn't work for some reason...

 

[kennylovrin]

I'll try to get some more air in there first I think.. It would suck to send the camera off to Germany for weeks or even months for a hair.. 😉

Yeah something happened with the link first, but it should work now right?

 

[kennylovrin]

I managed to shoot another photo from the front into the RF window, and it shows the line clearer.. I can't really tell if it looks like a hair or a crack to be honest..

Is there even something in there that could crack? And from what? The only thing I can imagine causing that in that case would be the camera getting warm when I was carrying it in the sun and the materials expanding and eventually cracking, but it doesn't seem reasonable to me.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/436484/IMG_0011.jpg

 

[Jockos]

So here are my actual questions:

1. This sounds potentially expensive to fix, what do you guys think?
2. It seems to me when I read from others that it always takes months to get something back from Leica service?
3. If I send it off, do Leica normally perform a CLA as well included in the cost?
4. If they don't do a CLA, what do they need my lenses for? If I send those off I can't even use my M2 during that period.

1. Ask them for a quote.

2. I think it took 5 weeks from the day I sent it (Posten, utrikespaket) to the day I picked it up. I sent my lenses this summer, so the experience is relatively fresh 🙂

4. They'll adjust the rangefinder after cleaning (or repairing) it to your lenses.

The thing I don't understand is why you're asking this on RFF, when Leica support will give you the correct answers? I asked all this stuff before I sent my lenses, and got estimates with no fuss whatsoever.

 

[kennylovrin]

1. Ask them for a quote.
The thing I don't understand is why you're asking this on RFF, when Leica support will give you the correct answers? I asked all this stuff before I sent my lenses, and got estimates with no fuss whatsoever.

Because I find it hard to get actual answers from them (perhaps answers here aren't more "actual" on the other hand). And I also wanted to see generally what people thought of my specific problem, like I said, it does feel slightly strange sending a camera off for weeks, and probably pay for service consisting of removing a hair..

On the other hand, if it includes a CLA it might be worth it anyway.

But yes, you are right - I should, and have, asked Leica as well, waiting for their answers, but thought it didn't hurt to ask here as well.

Kenny

 

[Vickko]

Probably a hair in the rangefinder, as jonmanjiro says. So the top needs to come off, and the object removed, which might be as easy as blowing it with an air bulb.

The issue is that the M9 is packed with circuitry and very congested. Taking off the top cover is no longer as simple as on an M4.

And if it is under warranty, well, it has to go back to Leica, and into their work queue.

I sympathize with your pain.

 

[kennylovrin]

Well I might as well just send it in I guess.. With a bit of luck it might even be under warranty, but I suspect it's a month or two past that..

 

[Vickko]

From what I've read on the web, Leica has been quite good with providing service on cameras that are "just beyond" their expiry.

Personally, they covered a repair for me, on a camera that was a month or so beyond the warranty. I had an MP that I didn't use, and wanted to sell, and found that the meter circuit board had failed. They repaired it for free, despite being just out of warranty. But my experience was a few years ago.

Good luck with it.

Well I might as well just send it in I guess.. With a bit of luck it might even be under warranty, but I suspect it's a month or two past that..