M4P vs Twister

[Darkhorse]

I went on a vacation to Canada last week. I was excited to use my M4P for a few shots. Maybe an introspective look on where I grew up in London Ontario. The people, the faces, the sense of moving on and lingering ennui felt for the place... well I considered doing that, but I ended up wanting to get the heck out of there after a few hours.

When we got to Ottawa we stayed with my aunt and uncle. The second evening my cousin's dog Twister came along. Nice, friendly, energetic dog. Surely he couldn't be a threat?

That night my camera bag was placed on the counter of the center island in the kitchen. In the morning my Leica, apparently, had been flung out of the bag, onto the floor due to Twister nabbing the bag on the counter.

While inspecting it in the morning I, to my horror, found that the shutter release button wasn't working well. Sometimes it would fire, sometimes it wouldn't. Eventually it stopped working completely. I took maybe 15 shots with the camera in total on my entire vacation in total. Luckily I still had my s90.

On my final day while packing to go home, I pulled out the M4P again to take another look at it. As a final blow to my spirit, it seems the M4P decided to start working again. This is good, yes, but I reeeeally could've used that camera in the gloominess of Quebec City that week. Quelle dommage.

Should I be concerned about the camera? Something may be outta whack, but is it something that should be looked at professionally?

The perpetrator:

 

[NaChase]

Nooooooooooooo! He looks serene with that "I have no idea what happened" expression on his face. Contemptible albeit adorable scalawag. I hope that your M4 is okay though, but you might want to get it checked out. Those cameras are sturdy, but the RF alignment might have been thrown off.

 

[nlubis]

I think all the CLA places, will give you their suggestions before doing any work. Maybe a good idea to see what they say?
Or shoot a roll of film and keep using it, until it develops problems. (non critical work of course).
I personally might not be able to stand the nagging feeling if I don't have it checked beforehand.

 

[Nikon Bob]

It could just as easily revert to non operating mode when you least expect it. I would have it checked out and serviced if necessary. Leicas, like other cameras, are not damage proof from falls.

Bob

 

[johannielscom]

Uh oh. Twister season.

I'd run a roll or two, three. If it doesn't jam once, keep on rockin'. If it does jam only once, somethings fishy in there and it needs to see the camera doctor. It might have decided to do this all the time when away from home, and stop doing it once you pack your bag to return. Little kids do that too, you know.

😀

 

[literiter]

You may be in luck. One of the best leica guys on the planet, is in Ontario, assuming you are still there. http://www.kindermann.ca/Service/default.html

Send it attention Gerry Smith.

 

[tlitody]

Did he get any good shots from a dogs perspective that is?
My friends daughter tied her Canon G10 to her dogs collar and left the video running to get a dogs perspective on the world.
And my niece left her brand new BlackBerry on the kitchen table and the new puppy chewed it to bits. I rekon you got off lightly.

 

[NickTrop]

I'd develop the rolls - if they look good, I'd forget about it. Ontario is a magical place, I'd chalk it up to that 🙂

 

[Keith]

If that dog has a favourite toy ... I hope you broke it before leaving. 😛

 

[mooge]

there's a flatspring on the bottom of the camera, just under the film loading diagram plate you could mess with. it adjusts the shutter release point and if it has been moved far enough, the shutter won't fire when the button is pushed. I hit my M2 on a bunch of rocks on a hike last summer and the same kind of thing happened to me. this is a 'DIY' sort of fix -things can't go horribly wrong as I see it- but if the camera works, maybe leave it as it is.

it's also worth giving the RF alignment a look over.


yeah...

 

[TXForester]

Ya know twister is another name for tornado. Maybe Twister is appropriate for the suspect.

He's a good looking pooch.

Sorry about the camera.

 

[rover]

What a cute doggie.

 

[maddoc]

Twister "1" : M4-P "0" ....

 

[Travis L.]

I came home one evening to find that my dog had chewed up my $2500 Omega Speedmaster watch.
I straightened the watch bracelet out with a pair of pliers and had to polish some tooth marks out of the case, then I kicked the dog.
Both watch and dog are functioning perfectly to this day..... If it aint broke, don't fix it.

 

[Darkhorse]

hopefully i'll get to test it out this weekend. if not, i think there's a leica repair person in culver city. here are some photos from the 15 i shot on the entire vacation.

trix@250, 1:50 rodinal

 

[johannielscom]

I think Twister definitely has something to explain here, those shots are great. Love the bridge over river shot even on iphone, that would be brilliant in large print!

 

[Darkhorse]

Thanks. Here's the same bridge shot done with the s90. Quite a difference!

The flowers in the front are LILACS! It had been so long since I've smelled them. They used to remind me of spring, and the coming summer, and just made me feel a great deal of joy. But when I was 18 I went through a dark period, and I went on antidepressants, and the last time I smelled them I felt nothing. No joy, no hope, no promise of the coming season. After that, the lilac bush in our backyard was pruned and didn't flower again while I lived at that house that we long since left.

When I saw them in bloom while I was there, smelling those flowers consumed my mind. Would it smell, and feel the same way when I was young? Or when I was drugged?

While walking down a little street in Ganonoque I got my answer. I caught a smell on the wind from a nearby lilac bush, and those wonderful feelings of my youth came back.

 

[muser53]

The repair shop in Culver city is Steve's Camera repair. I have had them do CLA's on my two M's and a lens cleaning. Highly recommended.

 

[Paul Luscher]

You KNOW what this means, don't you??? Death penalty for Twister....

 

[johannielscom]

Thanks. Here's the same bridge shot done with the s90. Quite a difference!

The flowers in the front are LILACS! It had been so long since I've smelled them. They used to remind me of spring, and the coming summer, and just made me feel a great deal of joy. But when I was 18 I went through a dark period, and I went on antidepressants, and the last time I smelled them I felt nothing. No joy, no hope, no promise of the coming season. After that, the lilac bush in our backyard was pruned and didn't flower again while I lived at that house that we long since left.

When I saw them in bloom while I was there, smelling those flowers consumed my mind. Would it smell, and feel the same way when I was young? Or when I was drugged?

While walking down a little street in Ganonoque I got my answer. I caught a smell on the wind from a nearby lilac bush, and those wonderful feelings of my youth came back.

I guess that's when you know for sure that those dark days are truly in the past. I almost feel like saying 'congrats', because of the landmark moment of that event!

And, I like the film shot of that bridge better!🙂