M6 shutter problem

[Bob_McBob]

So, my new M6 TTL arrived today, and it's in great condition cosmetically. Unfortunately, I've been having some trouble with it. The package arrived with no obvious damage anywhere, and it was well-packed inside. It was extremely cold when I unpackaged it, so I left it in the sealed bag until it warmed up. I've been playing around with it for a bit now, and the shutter release only works every 2-4 hard presses, depending on speed, orientation, and whether the baseplate is attached. I tried using a shutter release cable with the same results.

Is this a common fault? The camera is warmed up now, so I don't think the temperature is the problem. I'm feeling pretty dejected, as I was planning to use it for my upcoming trip to England on Tuesday. I can't even get a cheap CLA done, as Youxin won't work on the M6 TTL.

 

[Vickko]

It isn't a common fault.

The shutter release that does the "release" is accessed via the bottom plate.

It likely is just ever so slightly out of alignment. I'm in Ottawa, if you are in a panic, I could look at it.

Today is Friday, I bet if you drove to Kindermann in Toronto on Monday, they could fix you up.

In any case, good luck with it.

Vick

 

[Bob_McBob]

Thanks, that's a good idea. Is Kindermann open on the weekends? Is it likely something they can fix quickly in person? I am pretty desperate to get it working for the trip, but I don't think I could get it to Ottawa and back in time.

 

[Bob_McBob]

Well, they're not open on the weekend, so that's out. I e-mailed them, but last time they took four days to reply, so I'll give them a call first thing on Monday morning. If they aren't able to accommodate me, I'm out of luck. I'd be prepared to live with the problem for the duration of the trip if it were consistent, but it can be 2, 3, or 4 presses before the shutter is released, so it's pretty much useless for photos right now.

On the plus side, it's in wonderful condition. There are only a few little scuffs, and it's obviously been taken care of. The 35mm framelines are clearly visible, and having a built-in meter is definitely nice, coming from the M2 I used to own (not that there's anything wrong with meterless cameras). I tried to get the focusing patch to flare, but couldn't. The Leica viewfinder is definitely a step up from the R-D1's, but I knew that already from the M2. I'll definitely be picking up a 50mm lens in January -- it would be a crime to not take advantage of the nice big 50mm framelines!

I'm just hoping I can get this working in time for my trip.

 

[awilder]

It's not a common problem but not very rare either. MUCH more commonly, this starts out as the trip point or "moment of release" occuring near the end of the shutter release travel where there is very little travel left after the tripping point. Your's has simply slippped a little further such that it occurs at the very end or just beyond the length of the shutter release travel. It's not difficult to repair, unfortunately, it's something that needs to be watched since it tends to go out of adjustment faster with current M models like the M6. According to Sherry Krauter, earlier cameras like the M5, 4, 3, 2 are much more resistant to going out of adjustment and very rarely need attending. My experience with the M6, M6 TTL and MP indicate this adjustment issue still persists and I usually request when serviced to have the "moment of release" set as short as tolerance allows to delay reoccurance as long as possible. Unfortunately many years ago, Leica had chosen to cheapen the production of certain parts of these cameras to save a few dollars that otherwise worked to perfection on earlier Wetzlar camera. A few issues were partially or fully corrected over the years by going back to the tried and true original designs but unfortunately, many others were not. This is one reason that many Leica enthusiasts prefer earlier M cameras to later versions despite improvements such as TTL metering.

 

[Bob_McBob]

The release point is definitely extremely low. I have to give it several good presses to get the shutter to fire. Is it likely Kindermann will be able to fix it quickly on a walk-in basis? I'll be going nuts over this all weekend 🙁

 

[Vickko]

Bob, call Gerry Smith at Kindermann on Monday. www.kindermann.com
Now, there is a snowstorm coming our way starting this evening.

Also try David Yau: http://photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00EVLS
Tel. #(416)494-8988
http://harrysproshop.com/Yau/yau.html

...Vick

 

[Pablito]

I had the same problem on one of my M6 classics. Leica in NJ fixed it a long time ago and it's been fine since. The problem is that no matter how simple (or complex) a repair, many places charge a standard rate for repairing an M6 (or other M) body. So you lose out on the simple repairs.

 

[Bob_McBob]

Thanks Vickko, I e-mailed David as well. If I don't hear back, I'll call them both on Monday morning. I'm sure one of them will be able to help me out.

 

[Bob_McBob]

I just heard back from David Yau by e-mail. In his opinion, the problem is caused by either a faulty release mechanism, or a blockage of the release mechanism. The former would take a few minutes to fix, and the latter an hour or two and cost twice as much. Whatever the cause, he will be able to fix it for me on Monday.

 

[Vickko]

Fantastic. Good luck. It's snowing now but should be good tomorrow.

Vick

 

[Bob_McBob]

Fantastic. Good luck. It's snowing now but should be good tomorrow.

It certainly is!

 

[Vickko]

So - is the M6 fixed?

Vick

 

[Vickko]

So - is the M6 fixed?

Vick

 

[Bob_McBob]

Yep, I heard back from David, and he says it's fixed. It was the more minor of the two possible problems, so the repair was quite inexpensive. David has been really helpful with accommodating my crazy schedule today. I'm just going to go over to pick it up in a few minutes.

 

[Vickko]

Wonderful, have a good time in UK