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Help with Blinking Light on M7


leicar7

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It's the lower of the two over/under dots bracketing the left (right-pointing) manual exposure triangle, between the left and center shutter speed LEDs.

 

It blinks all the time. I've cleaned the batteries and tried to clean with a small pencil eraser the camera contacts. I've inserted an unused set of batteries that were purchased at the same time as the ones in the camera. Still blinks. I've rotated the ISO dial and the exposure compensation dial to clean the surfaces of the microchip in the back of the camera.

 

The manual in the camera box is none too specific about exactly which LEDs' blinking indicates time to change batteries. I infer that there are several possiblities for blinking LEDs to indicate battery issues.

 

Can anyone help me quickly to know what the blinking lower dot indicates?

 

Thanks.

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No. Actually, I don't even carry the lens caps once I take the lens out of its box.

 

More digging into the small print in the factory manual may have a hint. In the table on DX vs non-DX coding, the blinking lower dot may just be an indication that the ISO has been set manually.

 

Unfortunately, the M7 is not my more frequently used camera. I still tend to pick up the R kit, especially if I want focal lengths longer than 35mm, the longest I have so far for the M.

 

Thanks for your help.

 

T Campbell

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Set the DX to the white dot. Set the dial to 0. Turn the camera on. For an instant you should see the correct ISO of the film in the camera, then no flashing. If it still flashes, you may have a problem. You will always get flashing if you adjust the exposure compensation..., to remind you that you have! :)

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This actually is an Achilles heel of the M7 and has to do with the re-designed ASA/ISO dial and DX coding. Mine was back to Leica twice and still has the problem. I set the ASA manually now and have learned to ignore the flashing dot.

 

The lower dot should blink only when exposure compensation is dialed in, or if the set ASA and the film's ASA do not match. Unfortunately, the dot will also blink in humid weather, when one's nose is pressed against the dial too firmly or if the DX contacts on the film cannister are not clean enough.

 

There was talk of a newly designed DX reader for the M7, using an optical reader instead of the electrical contacts, but I don't believe anything came out of it. As far as I am concerrned, Leica users are a pretty competent group and DX coding could have easily been omitted from the M7. My M6 never had this problem.......

 

Best,

 

Jan

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  • 4 weeks later...

So, if I understand this correctly, if the ASA/ISO is set to automatic, without any manual adjustments, and the lower dot still blinks, it is just annoying but does not affect the actual picture taking? Or should one set the ASA/ISO manually just in case?

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Pascal.

 

So, if I understand this correctly, if the ASA/ISO is set to automatic, without any manual adjustments, and the lower dot still blinks, it is just annoying but does not affect the actual picture taking?

 

Correct.

 

Or should one set the ASA/ISO manually just in case?

 

That is what I do. Does not stop the blinking light though......:mad:

 

Best,

 

Jan

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So, if I understand this correctly, if the ASA/ISO is set to automatic, without any manual adjustments, and the lower dot still blinks, it is just annoying but does not affect the actual picture taking? Or should one set the ASA/ISO manually just in case?

 

Pascal,

 

Not that I know what a chronically blinking light means, but several of us early-adopting M7 users experienced random, but intensely erratic, shutter speeds, until we stopped setting the ASA/ISO dial to automatic. By setting the ASA/ISO manually, the erratic shutter speed problem disappeared.

 

My lower left dot blinks continuously, but that is because I put scotch tape over the DX code on the film cannister of each film roll I load into my M7. I do this so that, when I turn the M7 on, the effective film speed in use will be displayed.

 

If the M7 camera's DX reader is working correctly, and you have manually set the ASA/ISO to the same speed the DX reader sees, and you have not set any Exposure Compensation, then the lower left dot should not be blinking at all. It is my speculation that the fault is not with M7 camera or battery, but with the film manufacturer's implementation of the DX-code on the film cannister...these film manufacturers just cannot live up to Leica specifications <grin>.

 

If you have set the ASA/ISO dial to the "DX" (automatic) position, then I have no idea what the lower left blinking dot is supposed to be doing. On my M7, its behavior has changed, independent of relative humidity. Therefore I decided not to use that position.

 

Hope this helps.

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  • 2 weeks later...
This actually is an Achilles heel of the M7 and has to do with the re-designed ASA/ISO dial and DX coding. Mine was back to Leica twice and still has the problem. I set the ASA manually now and have learned to ignore the flashing dot.

 

The lower dot should blink only when exposure compensation is dialed in, or if the set ASA and the film's ASA do not match. Unfortunately, the dot will also blink in humid weather, when one's nose is pressed against the dial too firmly or if the DX contacts on the film cannister are not clean enough.

 

There was talk of a newly designed DX reader for the M7, using an optical reader instead of the electrical contacts, but I don't believe anything came out of it. As far as I am concerrned, Leica users are a pretty competent group and DX coding could have easily been omitted from the M7. My M6 never had this problem.......

 

Best,

 

Jan

 

 

I completly confirm this statement. My M7 went to Solms twice too because of problems with the DX coding which could not be fixed. Leica promised to inform me when they found a solution for the DX problems. Never heared anything again from Solms (I guess since the release of M8 they don´t care for minor M7 bugs). Now I set the ISO manually and have no problems anymore. Sometimes the upper or the lower dot blinks, or after switching the camera on a blinking ISO number is shown. Just ignore it... Apart from this bug, the camera works perfectly. I really love it.

Yours

Olaf

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  • 2 weeks later...
Guest hagen
There was talk of a newly designed DX reader for the M7, using an optical reader instead of the electrical contacts, but I don't believe anything came out of it. As far as I am concerrned, Leica users are a pretty competent group and DX coding could have easily been omitted from the M7. My M6 never had this problem.......

 

My M7 was modified with one of the first optical reader devices (prototype before official release by technical department ;) ) and works perfect since then. Meanwhile the design of the first optical reader was slightly modified and additionally the base plate will be modified as well with a washer to fix the film canister in its position. The reason for the slight modification of the first relase of the optical reader were internal reflections inside the optical reader which could lead to a wrong DX reading. This problem occured extremly seldom but leads to the modified design.

The reason for the modification of the base plate is to fix the film canister in its position and to avoid the possibility of a wrong reading. Unfortunately the film canister dimenions have very big tolerances from one manufacturer to the other. Therefore Leica was serching for an easy solution to overcome the wrong DX reading which could be caused by the different dimensions of the film canister. The result was the modification with an additional washer. Simple and easy but works.

 

For all having some problems with the DX reading I can recommend to get the M7 modified by the optical DX reader. This will normally be done under warranty and thereafter the M7 is one of the best and reliable cameras ever build.

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My M7 was modified with one of the first optical reader devices (prototype before official release by technical department ;) ) and works perfect since then. .

This is an interesting information. As I wrote previously two years ago Leica wrote me a letter in which they stated that they would inform me when they have a solution for this problem. Until now they didn´t react...

This problem occured extremly seldom but leads to the modified design..

Are you talking about different occasions on a specific body or about different bodies? I experienced the problem very frequently on my M7 - with different films from different manufacturers (and not only with "several high exposure films" as Leica stated but also with the Velvia 50)

For all having some problems with the DX reading I can recommend to get the M7 modified by the optical DX reader.

I just don´t use the DX function anymore and apart from this problem my M7 works perfectly since two years. I heard too many stories that this changed after the customer service in Solms tamperd with a camera.

 

thereafter the M7 is one of the best and reliable cameras ever build

this is true anyhow

 

yours

Olaf

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Guest hagen
This is an interesting information. As I wrote previously two years ago Leica wrote me a letter in which they stated that they would inform me when they have a solution for this problem. Until now they didn´t react...

 

Sometimes it's better to take action yourself than wait ;)

 

Are you talking about different occasions on a specific body or about different bodies? I experienced the problem very frequently on my M7 - with different films from different manufacturers (and not only with "several high exposure films" as Leica stated but also with the Velvia 50)

 

As far as I understood the anti reflex painting of the first version of the optical DX reader wasn't done properly in some seldom cases and leads to internal reflexes which results in a wrong reading. Therefore the design and the way of manufacturing was modified so that internal reflexes couldn't occur anymore. This second version of the optical reader is the actual version which will be used in series. This second version is reliable and together with the washer you'll have no problems anymore.

As said my M7 was modified with the first version as a kind of betatest an works absolut properly. Even my base plate isn't modified up to now.

 

Apart from the DX reading the optical reader has the advantage that you can take off the film canister like in all other Ms. With the spring loaded DX reader one always must hit a bit on the bottom to get the film off.

 

I just don´t use the DX function anymore and apart from this problem my M7 works perfectly since two years. I heard too many stories that this changed after the customer service in Solms tamperd with a camera.

 

Well, that's the pragmatic version :)

 

Forget all stories about the CS. The CS gives the best service I ever had from a camera manufacturer.

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Apart from the DX reading the optical reader has the advantage that you can take off the film canister like in all other Ms. With the spring loaded DX reader one always must hit a bit on the bottom to get the film off.

 

 

You make a good point about how much easier it would be to unload a film canister from a camera with an optical reader.

 

However, why should I have any confidence in an optical reader?

 

I have called Leica Service regularly for the last 5 years and always received the same answer: the original spring-loaded DX reader "cannot be removed" (I quote verbatim) from the M7 camera.

 

Until they master the technology of removing the old DX code reader I will dodge opportunities to get them to install any new design.

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Guest hagen
However, why should I have any confidence in an optical reader?

 

Because it's and damned good solution and works fine. Believe me ;)

 

I have called Leica Service regularly for the last 5 years and always received the same answer: the original spring-loaded DX reader "cannot be removed" (I quote verbatim) from the M7 camera.

 

The optical reader in its first version was released end of 2005 for a short time. I got my reader build in in Nov. 2005. Thereafter they slightly changed the design once again (reasons see above) and the reader wasn't available for some months as far as I heard from other Leica users. The reader in the second version is available sinc mid of last year and can be changed by the CS at any time.

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I have called Leica Service regularly for the last 5 years and always received the same answer: the original spring-loaded DX reader "cannot be removed" (I quote verbatim) from the M7 camera.

 

Until they master the technology of removing the old DX code reader I will dodge opportunities to get them to install any new design.

 

Someone is telling you nonsense. I got fed up with that DX-reader problem and had Leica install the new optical reader. They also changed the base plate for a new one, which up to now I didn't have any clue as to why they did that, but from Wolfgang's explanations it is now clear.

 

For removing the old DX-reader, it is necessary to remove the camera's top cover, as well as the "leather" lining of the body, but that's no big deal. Everything works perfectly now, and the film canister just drops out as it did in earlier M's without any DX-reader.

 

Cheers,

 

Andy

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Guest hagen

I'm left-eyed as well but having no problems with the dial.

 

If you push the left button you can only modify the setting from -2 to +2. To set the ISO manual you push in the middle of the dial and rotate the dial until the ISO number reaches the white point on the right side.

 

BTW, you can load a manual on the Leica website as pdf ;)

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I'm left-eyed and I believe the problem with the back door. It blinks sometimes when I put my nose on the dials.

 

After I read about this phenomenon I tried to reproduce it on my M7 - and it worked. I don´t now if this is related to the old DX reader which without any doubt had a design flaw.

Yours Olaf

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