Lens and M8 back from coding/repair with weirdnesses

[ibogost]

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I had to send my M8 in for sensor repair, so I took the opportunity to get a couple lenses coded as well. Just got the works back and there are a couple things wrong. I'm going to call Leica NJ tomorrow, but I thought I'd ask here first, in case these have been seen before and you folks have any thoughts. The first one is far more worrysome, but the second is also annoying.

 

(1) I sent in a current gen Summicron 50/2 for coding. It came back with the correct code, but with two problems, which might be related. First, it no longer brings up the 50mm framelines. Instead it brings up the 28/90. It seems to mount completely, and when I compare the flange to another 50mm they appear to match. Second, the lens appears not to couple to the rangefinder at the shortest end of focus, from 0.7 to about 1 meters (although the lens does turn through it, more loosly than in the other distances.

 

If I press the lens release button and rotate the lens anti-clockwise slightly, the correct frame lines come up and the focus seems to work correctly. However, the focus ring seems to spin more freely before 1m. It feels that way off the camera as well.

 

(2) The M8 reports inaccurate frame count when I turn it on. For example, with a 2GB card with 5 DNG shot, 174 DNG images remaining, it shows 501 in the display. If I fire a shot the display shows the correct number, but after I cycle power it goes back to the erroneous number. Firmware is 1.201.

 

Any ideas?

[jaapv]

It seems a bit weird what you are describing. It appears the wrong mount was fitted to your lens. Does it record the focal length in "info"?

 

As for the number of shots, are you sure you have set the camera to DNG and not to small jpeg?

[gravastar]

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(2) The M8 reports inaccurate frame count when I turn it on. For example, with a 2GB card with 5 DNG shot, 174 DNG images remaining, it shows 501 in the display. If I fire a shot the display shows the correct number, but after I cycle power it goes back to the erroneous number. Firmware is 1.201.

 

Any ideas?

If I remember correctly when that happened to me I'd formatted the SD card in the computer as FAT32. Initially the camera would show a large incorrect count (501 or 504 can't remember) until after I'd taken a picture. As you say though, it reverts to abnormal behavior when you switch the camera on again. Try re-formatting the card in the camera or as a very last resort FAT16 in a card reader using the PC.

 

Bob.

 

ETA: Have you used the card in another (not M8) camera, that may have formatted it as FAT32.

[ibogost]

It seems a bit weird what you are describing. It appears the wrong mount was fitted to your lens. Does it record the focal length in "info"?

 

It records the focal length if I readjust the lens in its mount in the weird way I described above. It does not if I mount it until it stops, as one would normally do. I too wondered if it was the wrong mount, but it does have the Summicron 6-bit code and it looks (to me anyway) like the correct 50mm mount. Here's a photo of the Summicron mount (left) next to a Zeiss Sonnar 50 M mount (right). They look the same to me...

 

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As for the number of shots, are you sure you have set the camera to DNG and not to small jpeg?

 

Yeah, I checked this. It's set to DNG. And after I fire the first shot, the counter displays the correct number.

[ibogost]

Try re-formatting the card in the camera or as a very last resort FAT16 in a card reader using the PC.

 

THANKS! That worked. I must have reformatted the card without remembering in another camera while the M8 was off on vacation.

[jaapv]

The way you describe it (underrotating brings up the correct framelines etc) strongly suggests that a 28/90 mount was used. The difference to the correct 50 mm mount is about 1 mm on the frameline lug and not readily apparent. As the coding entails changing the mount this really sounds like a banal mistake in the coding process.

[ibogost]

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The way you describe it (underrotating brings up the correct framelines etc) strongly suggests that a 28/90 mount was used. The difference to the correct 50 mm mount is about 1 mm on the frameline lug and not readily apparent. As the coding entails changing the mount this really sounds like a banal mistake in the coding process.

 

I think you must be right. I appreciate your expertise here; I hadn't ever looked so closely at the mounts. Sigh. I'll call Leica in the morning and see what they are willing to do about it.

 

Still, I remain very confused about the focusing feel. When I sent the lens in the focus spun smoothly through the entire focus arc. Now it seems to stop or hesitate around 1 or 2m. I can't imagine this has anything to do with the mount though?

[ian thompson]

I've just experienced the same thing as you while on Holiday in Copenhagen. My M8 started to show I had 550 exposures or so left when I turned it on, only to revert to the right number once I took a shot. sadly, this all started when I let my battery run down before switching to a charged one, with the result that I also lost all access to the rear panel. No image review, no nothing. I've tried the usual remedies, but to no avail. Off it goes to Solms tomorrow. Very annoying.

[marknorton]

I think you must be right. I appreciate your expertise here; I hadn't ever looked so closely at the mounts. Sigh. I'll call Leica in the morning and see what they are willing to do about it.

 

Still, I remain very confused about the focusing feel. When I sent the lens in the focus spun smoothly through the entire focus arc. Now it seems to stop or hesitate around 1 or 2m. I can't imagine this has anything to do with the mount though?

 

How does the lens focus feel off the camera? Do the roller at the top of the lens throad move smootly when you (gently) depress it with your finger?

 

It's possible you have a mount for a different lens. The bayonet flange which sets the viewfinder is the one opposite the cut out with the circular end. For a 50mm lens, its length is 9mm, for a 28mm lens, it's 10mm and for a 35mm lens it's 8mm. In each case, I'm measuring from the corner of the right angle to the opposite outer corner. This lens is a 50/1.4 ASPH.

 

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[ibogost]

How does the lens focus feel off the camera? Do the roller at the top of the lens throad move smootly when you (gently) depress it with your finger?

 

Thanks for your suggestions Mark. Here's my sense of it: the focus feels the same off the camera if I orient the lens horizontally as it would be when mounted on the camera. It feels slightly smoother if I turn the focus while holding the lens vertically. I'll check the roller when I'm back with the camera.

 

It's possible you have a mount for a different lens. The bayonet flange which sets the viewfinder is the one opposite the cut out with the circular end. For a 50mm lens, its length is 9mm, for a 28mm lens, it's 10mm and for a 35mm lens it's 8mm. In each case, I'm measuring from the corner of the right angle to the opposite outer corner.

 

Well, that settles it. The flange you point to measures 10mm, so they must have attached a 28/90 mount. What a pain.

[marknorton]

Here's the back of a 28mm Summicron so you can see the longer flange compared to the 50:

 

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[ibogost]

Just talked to Leica USA. Not much of a surprise, I have to send the lens back in. They'll pay shipping, which I'd expect, and promise an immediate response. We'll have to see how long that takes.

 

There's no question that things go wrong when done by hand, and we all know that Leica's resources are seemingly strapped by work requests. Still, I'd expect that mounting the lens and insuring that the correct framelines come up would be a standard part of the QC process before the lens goes back out the door.

 

At least the body is back. And I have other 50s I can use in the meantime.

[badpets]

I have lost faith in the repair service in Solm; I sent my M8 for repair early this year and waited for 3 months only to receive it back with nothing fixed. They even lied to me that they replaced camera skin, which they didn't.

 

I really hope it's just you and me. Otherwise, my passion for Leica will slowly die out.

[charlesphoto99]

I got a 28 summicron back with a 24mm mount - after 8 weeks waiting because they supposedly didn't have the 28 mount available. So when it became available they put the wrong mount on the lens. Par for the course. They really need to get their shit together over there.

[metaxyz]

when you mount the lens with hold the lens release button, .. somehow, most leica lenses are rotate more than it should be.. if lens rotate more than it cliks, lens will bring up wrong frame line and focus problem..

 

I suggest when you mount the lens, don't hold the release button.. just push the lens and rotate it until it clicks..

 

hope this will help..