new M8 user, some problems...

[pat hattori]

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Hi all,

 

I've been reading this forum for a while now, and finally purchased an M8.

I'm a fulltime press photographer, and after years shooting Nikon digi, I find shooting rangefinders again a joy. Takes me back to the beginning of my career, when I used M6's...

 

I like it so much that since I got the M8 about a month ago, it has become my primary equipment. Basically, Nikon for sports, M8 for pretty much everything else. This means close to 8000 images shot in under a month.

 

Now for the not so enjoyable bits.

Since day one I've had this frozen camera thing. Works fine, switch it off, switch it on again, and nothing. remove battery( same one) switch on with no problem. I switch my camera on/off a lot on a typical day. It switches on 80% of the time with no fuss I recon.

I got the camera delivered with a bum battery and rattling charger. Thought nothing of it. got a new battery pronto, and bought a second one as well. Kept the charger. Lately both have started to give me grief. Charger lights go out real quick, Batteries drain real quick( even with full charge symbol on top cover), and more disconcerting, I've had my camera run hot on two occasions. This seemed to have drained a fully charged battery.

 

I've read things like static building up and playing havoc with the cam's guts.

I ride a motorcycle to get to my assignments, and keep the camera in a lowepro photorunner. a fannypack thing. could it be that the camera charges from the constant rubbing against the bag??? I started transporting the camera with battery removed and putting it in when arriving at my gig. since then no more problems. But a royal pain.

 

So I've got two questions:

1. Does this T2 thing I read about cure the frozen camera situation.

2. Has anyone else experienced this heating of the camera. And could it be a

battery/charger related problem?

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[pat hattori]

And BTW,

 

Any input would be grately appreciated.

I've learned a lot from this forum.

 

Pat

 

Patrick Hattori - Photographer

[el_greco]

The heating issue is anything but normal behaviour. The battery should not be causing heat and the processor could never heat up strong enough to make you feel the heat as there is plenty of room in the casing. I have never heard of heating nor have I experienced it on my own M8. If I were you, I would contact Leica support directly. I do not know if it is likely, but if the heating could affect or damage your M8's CCD then it is really an issue that should be solved soon.

 

El.

[sparkie]

some nice work on yr site Patrick. were some of these shot with an M8?

[orjanf]

Just a thought, It is not clear whether the camera got hot during normal use or during transport.

The power switch is easily moved and a slight pressure will turn on the display leading to fairly rapid battery drain and a warm camera.

Happened to me once.

[Shootist]

Welcome to the forum!!!

 

I suggest you take the camera into your dealer and see if he will give you a replacement. Something is not right with your camera. I have had 3 M8's and none of them ever got hot during normal use. There was reports of cameras getting hot just before they did the SDS.

As to the camera not turning on that could be bad connections between the battery and the camera body. My Cell phone did the same thing until I cleaned the terminals on both the phone and the battery. I haven't had this problem with any of my M8's.

[marknorton]

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The on-off switch does not actually switch the camera off, it simply puts it into an immediate deep sleep state which only turning the switch back on will wake it. In this state, the processor is set to "wake on interrupt" and uses absolutely minimum current. If it's getting hot when supposedly asleep, something is not switching off.

 

The "T2 problem" is said to be a faulty batch or incorrectly specified transistor which prevents the camera shutting down and starting up correctly, though I've never seen the specific transistor identified.

 

When the camera gets hot, can you identify the source of the heat - the metal casting will heat up but do you think it's the battery generating the heat or something else?

[pat hattori]

Thanks all for the input!

 

As far a I can tell, the whole camera feels hot. I immediately took out the battery after noticing the cam was warm to the touch, but it didn't feel hotter than the rest...

This heating up has only happened twice, and I have used the M8 every day since I got it. always transported it in the same manner. I checked the power switch as well, and it was set to "off" both times. It's troubling...

I really like shooting with a rangefinder again, so i'm not keen on having to send it to solms for god knows how long.

All camera's i've used in the past had their quirks. nikon, blad, even leica. So, I could live with some minor inconveniences. But not with my camera melting down in my pack!

If anything else would be off in my specific camera I'd have shipped it back allready. But the metering, focussing, and overall IQ is stunning.

 

Cheers,

 

Pat

[pat hattori]

Sparkie,

 

Thanks for the heads up...

None of the images we're shot with an M8.

Although most of the BW were shot with an M6. With some converted from color digi files.

All color shot with various nikons.

 

Pat

[larry]

Patrick,

 

I use the same bag for my M8 and doubt that it could be causing the problem. I'd try to get an exchange or send the camera back to Leica.

 

Larry

[fotografr]

I would try to get the dealer to swap the camera for a new one. Some are better about doing that than other, but either way the camera definitely needs to go back to Solms. I've been through the same thing and it's no fun, but you'll be much happier with a camera that works properly and that you can rely on.

[pat hattori]

Soooo,

 

This getting warm issue happened to me again, 30min. ago.

This time no transport. Shot an assignment, came home, no problems. Pictures are fine.

Picked up the camera an hour later. Hot and drained battery...

Goes back to the distributor tomorrow. Sob sob.

Back to lugging bricks I guess.

 

I'll let you know what happens.

 

Thanks a million for everyone who chipped in with advice.

 

Pat

[Shootist]

Soooo,

 

This getting warm issue happened to me again, 30min. ago.

This time no transport. Shot an assignment, came home, no problems. Pictures are fine.

Picked up the camera an hour later. Hot and drained battery...

Goes back to the distributor tomorrow. Sob sob.

Back to lugging bricks I guess.

 

I'll let you know what happens.

 

Thanks a million for everyone who chipped in with advice.

 

Pat

What are the first 4 digits of the serial number, IE 3xxx.

Could be you have a earlier unit that was setting around on the dealers shelf. Your type of problem came up 6-10 months ago but this is the first time I have heard this since then.

[fotografr]

Here's contact info for you for someone who can help get your camera through the process in Solms as quickly as possible.

 

"Jakob, Eberhard" <Eberhard.Jakob@leica-camera.com>

 

Good luck.

[marknorton]

I think you are right to bite the bullet and get it fixed. Let us know what they say.

[pat hattori]

Thanks for the email. I'll see what the distributor can do for me first.

Serial N° 310 7558.

It came with firmware 1.094.

I uploaded the current version pretty much straightaway.

In case I'm offered a replacement, could someone on the forum point out how I could spot a later model? ie. a camera which would be less prone to , uh, problematic behaviour...

Man, I almost forgot how heavy my Nikons are!

 

Pat

[Shootist]

Thanks for the email. I'll see what the distributor can do for me first.

Serial N° 310 7558.

It came with firmware 1.094.

I uploaded the current version pretty much straightaway.

In case I'm offered a replacement, could someone on the forum point out how I could spot a later model? ie. a camera which would be less prone to , uh, problematic behaviour...

Man, I almost forgot how heavy my Nikons are!

 

Pat

Not that serial #'s are any reference to manufacture date but units in the 310 2-8 xxx range were second batch cameras and some did have this heating problem and SDS.

[ArtZ]

Thanks for the email. I'll see what the distributor can do for me first.

Serial N° 310 7558.

It came with firmware 1.094.

I uploaded the current version pretty much straightaway.

In case I'm offered a replacement, could someone on the forum point out how I could spot a later model? ie. a camera which would be less prone to , uh, problematic behaviour...

Man, I almost forgot how heavy my Nikons are!

 

Pat

 

Patrick, your camera was built on March this year. Firmware 1.094 hasn't been downloadable from Leica Web site (My first M8 came also with this firmware).

 

This firmware has been used only for about two weeks and dealers didn't have access to it. You could only get it from Leica factory.

 

What surprises me is all cameras I know with this firmware had S/N: 332xxxx (Mine 3329084). Some pleople here explained that serials numbers are given in alleatory way depending on hotshoe batch.

 

I had a SDS problem with a camera (S/N: 3329847) which was replaced by S/N: 3329084. This one works perfect (not even venetian blind effect or mad scroll wheel). With my second one (September 2007 S/N: 3196834) I have more problems than with the first one.

 

I think serial numbers cannot give you any assurance about quality or trouble free camera. Besides, Leica resells cameras which have been used and repaired at Solms as new gear.

 

I don't know if this information will help you.

 

My advice: call or write to CS at Solms and ask them what they can do.

.

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[Daniel Ortego]

Not that serial #'s are any reference to manufacture date but units in the 310 2-8 xxx range were second batch cameras and some did have this heating problem and SDS.

 

Just curious, but why isn’t the Leica serial number not a fair indication of the production date? I mean, I’ve seen this posted elsewhere and it does baffle me. In most other applications, the S/N is the key element in determining cut-in dates for all kinds of vital data and troubleshooting. It just blows me away that a company such as Leica could be that antiquated.

Regards,

[Shootist]

Just curious, but why isn’t the Leica serial number not a fair indication of the production date? I mean, I’ve seen this posted elsewhere and it does baffle me. In most other applications, the S/N is the key element in determining cut-in dates for all kinds of vital data and troubleshooting. It just blows me away that a company such as Leica could be that antiquated.

Regards,

Leica allocates serial #'s in batches of about 1000. Those SN go on the hot shoe and are placed in a bin. Someone building a M8 takes one of those shoes and places it on the camera. The hot shoe he just took could be # 1 or 1000 or anywhere in between of that batch. 1-2-3 months later someone else grabs the last shoe in the bin. That shoe could be # 1 or 1000 or anywhere in between. Also when the bin get low on hot shoes Leica may allocate another 1000 SN's and they get thrown in the bin, depending on demand and what they have in stock at the factory. Now the builder grabs a shoe that is #'er 2000 when there is still # 67, 99, 130, 765, left in the bin from the previous batch of SN's. It could go on like that for months and months. So in theory you could buy a M8 in March built in March and one today built last week and the SN's could be 1-2-3-100-400-whatever number apart. It's a crap shoot as to SN's and build date.