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Hello everyone. For a long time I’ve been frustrated by the lack of information on how to disassemble a Leica R8. So I made a video about it. My purpose was to establish whether I’d be able to replace its damaged shutter. If anyone has a good shutter, or a whole R8 (or R9?) that’s surplus to requirements, or an R10 (with its autofocus shutter; that’d be nice), do let me know. The Part 2 video is being developed and will be available for all to see sooner than any of us see an R10. I found three problems with the winding system and will be glad for your input on solving them. Regards, Rick.

Hello everyone. Here is my Leica R8 Disassembly - Part 2 video. The shutter is removed and disassembled too. Then I do some repairs on a few winding issues. There's some surprises. As mentioned with Part 1, I am on the hunt for a new, like-new or undamaged shutter. Also, if anyone feels inspired to pull the bottom off their R8 we could compare notes on what you see. I'm curious about the sensor-switches and parts that feature in this video. Regards, Rick.

Hey, I’m having a problem with my Leica Q’s viewfinder. I’m from Czech Republic and nobody in my country is repairing the Q line. I’ve looked at official customer service places in Vienna or Wetzlar, but it’s far from my place and I would prefer something in Berlin. Do you have any suggestions for someone who would be able to check it out there? I attached a photo with the problem. It only affects the viewfinder and not the display nor photos. Thanks a lot.

Hello everyone. I have been searching the internet for more information about the SBOOI and I cannot seem to find answers to my questions. I was hoping that I would be able to find help here. 1) I have an old SBOOI with the mirror coating inside the front glass element degrading. It seems to be a reflective paint of some sorts to help illuminate the 5cm frame lines. It has chipped off (althought I cannot seem to find any chipped off paint within the glass element). Does anyone have any experience opening it up and re-applying the mirror coating? If yes, what kind of paint could be used? I have one of the older models with chrome finish on the backside (instead of the black finish) and the grooves for better grip on the side. 2) If it is very difficult, does anyone know a place in Europe that may perform such services for an SBOOI? Thank you in advance for your help!

Hi all, I am still quite new to repairing cameras and lenses but so far I have a pretty good track record for fixing them. I have mainly repaired Canon rangefinders and some Canon SLRs. I recently picked up a R4 which has the problem of a possible jammed shutter. Basically the shutter does not fire when the shutter button is depressed. I have checked both magnets under the battery compartment and could not see any dirt that was causing a weak connection. I have also compared the cams and gears to a Minolta XD11/7 as I have read on this forum that they have the same internals. I have only worked with cloth shutters in SLRs and not the later bladed shutter curtains. To me this looks like it might be jammed but I am not 100% sure as an image of the shutter in the Minolta service manual looks similar, unfortunately this detail in the scanned document is to contrasty to tell. I am also wondering if there is a way to trip the shutter without using the shutter button? If you could help me out I would be very grateful! Many Thanks, Jack

Hi, Found this lovely forum while searching for info on a Leica R4 body described as having a "small problem". It belongs to a friend who gave me the option of buying it off him cheap, in its existing state, and trying to fix it and re-sell to a collector. I have been reading up on this and trying a few things and had a couple observations and questions that I am hoping the experts in this forum can help me with. 1) When I received it, I discovered that the shutter was not just firing with a delay, it was stuck and unusable. The film advance lever was stuck as well, indicating that the shutter probably froze midway through its cycle. The mirror was down, but the DOF preview lever was "loose". 2) The battery LED would light, but there was no activity in the viewfinder, meaning no leds or anything at all. The camera seemed dead. New batteries did not change anything. 3) After a fair bit of research, I found a thread (unsure where) that suggested "smacking" the camera bottom on a bed or similar soft surface. Somewhat frustrated, I did this, and it actually worked. The shutter finished its cycle and the film advance lever was working again, AND the viewfinder leds worked. I checked the meter and it seems fine too. 4) Advance the lever (no film), press the shutter, and same exact problem. But over many tests, I discovered that in B and 100, both mechanical modes, it would sometimes fire with a big delay, and other times get completely stuck. Smacking always releases the shutter. 5) Based on many threads in this forum, I believe this problem is typically related to dirty magnetic dampers. However, I find mixed information on how to reach the magnets. There was one thread that suggested it can be reached from the bottom plate and is easy, while another suggested it is behind the dof preview lever and complicated to reach, requiring some degree of disassembly. Unfortunately, I did not find information on WHAT disassembly is required. 6) In the meantime, I have also found that in all of the electronic modes (manual operation, but shutter speed electronic), the shutter button actually never fully depresses and therefore the shutter never fires at all. It feels like a half-press only in the electronic modes. In the mechanical mode, I can clearly see and feel the shutter go much deeper and actuate something. So my questions: 1) Is the shutter button behaving normally? Is there something else I am missing, as to why the shutter button won't fully depress in electronic mode, but works in mechanical mode? 2) If its the dampers, do I go from the bottom or the top? In any case, how do I get the top plate off and get any sort of serious disassembly done on this camera? I see one screw in the back, by the eye-piece control dial, and know that the top most screw on the mount holds the top plate down. But are those the only two screws? What else do I need to remove to get the top plate off? I am guessing the film rewind lever (on the left side, over the ISO dial) needs to come off, and the entire ISO dial mechanism probably needs to be lifted off too. What about on the right side, how do I get under the film advance lever and the shutter control? 3) Given the fact that the meter seems to work properly, I am guessing the electronics on this sample are okay (its a 156xxxx serial number). But just to be sure, if the electronics are toast, how do I know this? Any help/advice is appreciated, including an opinion on what price its worth buying at and then trying to fix it so I can keep it for myself, OR sell in working condition to a collector. A warning that it might be more valuable sold off to a collector in present condition than executing a botched repair and destroying its value completely is also taken in the right spirit. Thanks, Karthik PS - I literally went thru every single page of the English forum looking for answers. Now after posting, I see threads related to this in the German forum! Is there a way for me to search on the other language forums? Any pointers appreciated, but please understand that I did a pretty comprehensive search and processed what information I already found before making this thread

Hi! I have a mint Leica R7, worked always without any issue but today I noticed when attaching the Summicron the "A" (full and centered) modes were no displaying when changing the modes (it displayed "m" and even the controls were manual), the same for the program mode (where it said time priority"). is it possible that maybe the metal contact of the selector needs a clean or the electronic has a big problem? or what can it be? (the lens I'm using is a "R only" lens, I had the R4s2 before and it functioned in all modes with no problems) Thanks

I have noticed in the two more recent outings with my M240 that i have a lot of dust on my sensor. The attached image is from the most recent outing to see the airshow. The circles are the spot removal I had to do to fix all the dust. As you can see it is substantial. Note that I was stopped down to F22 on a 90mm lens to get the depth needed for the air crafts and people to be in focus. So the dust was more apparent in the image. I have cleaned the sensor with the blower multiple times. I have cleaned the sensor with swab and solution once between the outings. I switch lenses often enough for dust to get in, I expect it to happen. My problem is that after cleaning the sensor so thoroughly I should not have this much dust. It appears that using the blower provides minimal help and the swab basically nothing. Has anyone experienced such persistent dust? Could this be some sort of corrosion on the sensor? I am debating sending it in for a repair and service to fix the issue. Has anyone used this service before and has an idea of cost, procedure, and effectiveness in getting a clean sensor back?

　Hello from Japan. I bought a used Leica M7 because it was a great price with two lenses.　I love the features and proportions of the M7. Most of all, I love the fact that the camera was born in 2002 (I have a personal attachment to 2002). Of course, there is the issue of the repairability of the electronic shutter. 　Now, my Leica M7 that I bought is a bit scratched up. It's used, and it's an early model of the M7. But since it is my first Leica and I plan to travel with it until it is beyond repair, I want to freshen it up and make it beautiful. Initially, I was looking for a repainter, but I couldn't find one who repainted the M7, at least not in Japan. In the course of my research, I found out that Leica offers Redesign Options, and on Reddit I found a guy who had replaced the top cover of his M7. 　Is it possible to revive the Leica M7 with Leica's Redesign Options? Also, has anyone done that? I would like to do an overhaul on my Leica and replace the exterior parts at the same time. There is not much information about that. If the replacement of the exterior is not possible, I would like to engrave the print on the top cover. Thanks in advance. P.S. I heard that Leica Japan is a bit unresponsive on that front, so I'm asking here.

My Leica D-Lux 3 that displays (1) a purple color shift for white colors in bright light; and (2) a photos show a green or yellow tint in low light. I have looked over the presets and defaults. I cannot find a switch that improves the display. I believe that the exposure sensor is damaged or malfunctioning. Otherwise, the camera is in good shape cosmetically and according to a review of the presets and default, working correctly. A used replacement on Ebay is about $150 to $200. My questions are: -1- Can I send my camera to the Leica repair for a new sensor for that amount of money? I know about the submission form that requires a maximum repair cost to be stated. -2- Is a Leica repaired camera totally checked out and then repaired so as to insure long lasting functioning? -3- Is it better to purchase another non-leica camera for $150 to $200 with improved specifications like increased megapixels? Thanks for reviewing my questions, Inkbox PS I encountered an error when uploading files; although I deleted the upload files, I cannot upload replacements. I have used up all of my storage space and cannot locate a delete button in My Attachments.

My Tele Elmarit M 90 shows these marks when inspecting under a certain angle. It looks like dried water behind the front-element of the lens. It does not show in photos but still it concerns me. Is this serviceable? Have you ever seen something like this?

Bought a new (used) M9 to replace my old one that packed it in, and it came with a scratch on the red dot, so I removed it to try and repaint it... then I turned to fire to help remove the old paint and ended up preferring the raw tempered look, so think I will stick with it for now! What you think... seen anyone do this before?! I'm sure it will divide opinions!

So I recently got (for lack of a better word) scammed into buying a Summaron 35 2.8 with a cracked goggle (let's not get into it). The lens functions okay, but I'm wondering what my chances are of replacing the glass on the front of the goggle and what this might cost. The lens is over 60 years old, so I'm not very hopeful but wanted to check anyway. Thanks in advance for any responses.

Hi everyone, I'm currently working on a project to once and for all fix the analogue Leica CL's broken take up spool problem, by 3D printing them. I've ran a roll through mine with version 2 of the spool and it works pretty good, but i'm working on version 3 which should be better still - I got the dimensions slightly wrong on this one - it's too short. How many of you CL owners would be interested in buying such an item? They'd cost around £20 and be sold through eBay all said and done, and I'd make a video showing how to take apart the CL and install them, as well as reassembly - International shipping would happen too through the eBay GSP as I'm UK based. The attached photo is version 2 and not by any means the final version as this is still in very early development, but the quality of the ones that go on sale will be much higher. This one was printed by a friend of mine, but I'm soon going to acquire my own printer and make them much better. I know also that this doesn't look anything like the original, but when I copied the original part dimension for dimension, curve by curve, it didn't work and suffered the same problems as the original.. immediately. Thus I simplified it and made it more "3D Printer friendly." Thanks Tom

So I was ripping around in an off-road vehicle in Sedona and taking some beautiful landscape photos with my Q2. All of that off-roading caused the Q2 to get covered in some fine dust and sand and while the camera worked fine, you could feel the dust inside the aperture ring and dial—it was just a little grindy and you could tell it needed to be cleaned, but otherwise it was perfect. The camera got shipped off to Leica in New Jersey and 2 weeks later they came back with a repair starting point of $2,600! Apparently, they didn't open up the camera or anything and just do a general look at things and an assumption prior to the true estimate. My shop told me they wrote very basic notes - "Damages by sand - Need to adjust auto focus, replace parts, check, adjust, clean" - it seemed very templated. They did not say what parts needed to be replaced (according to my shop.) They did say shipping was included. Just wanted to see if anyone has any suggestions. Maybe the actual repair will cost less? Should I push back on them? Do I have other options outside of Leica? Thank you!

OK. I am starting from that point where we all start: total ignorance. I receive my M8.2 today when FedEx delivers the little honey. I would not normally run an eBay camera by a repair facility to check it but this is special. And the seller has a 30 return window so I want a skilled tech to 1) look it over and evaluate its condition and, 2) do a CLA if needed. I will bring it up with the new lens so that the tech can check how well the lens gets along with the rangefinder. I have read on this board and in this sub-forum that two esteemed Leica techs will not open an M8/M8.2 because of "grounding issues." I have asked Wetzlar and finally Leica NJ about this. They have danced all around this and are as good at equivocation as any politician or time-share salesman. The best I could get out of them was that taking the camera to a non-Leica facility may void my warranty. They have not said that any other tech is unable to inspect, evaluate or repair the M8/M8.2. So I am going to be a guinea pig on this. I will take some pics when the camera arrives, of course, just to make sure it works. Tomorrow I will drive up to PDX and drop it off with a repair facility I have had do work in the past. They did the job right in the past on a Pentax digital. I will see what happens. I will know it worked before I brought it up. I will have the digital proof. I will also see what these fellows can do. And the tech left me a message to the effect that the M9 was pretty much an M8/M8.2 inside but with a bigger sensor. So we know he has opened up a few of them. As they used to say on TV, "Tape at Eleven."

Hi there. Today while taking photos with my MP I realized some kind of liquid had dropped on the back of my camera. It had been dried before I noticed it. As a reflex I immediately clean the thing but the same stuff had also snuck on to the light seal cloth that covers the parameters of the back door. How can I clean the residue on the light seal? Or should I bother? I am afraid of the possibility of the strange liquid damaging the light seal.

Hello Friends, I recently noticed that my M4 has a slight delay while I am focusing from infinity to 0.8. The patch would not align, it's quick but i can tell there like a millisecond lag. I found out that the rangefinder roller is a little stiff when a push it back. Is this something i can fix myself or do i need an expert to CLA my camera? I bought it 6 months ago. No idea when it was last CLA'd but it is in excellent condition. Thank you in advanced!!!

I am very pleased to say that my M9 returned home today after being with Leica since September for the removal of an SD card label (Fuji 16gb card) jammed in the shutter, and for a sensor clean and service. It came as a surprise as they had bot notified me it was on its way, but they appear to have done a great job, and sent it back in its own box by UPS. Now to tackle Fuji about the SD card, who seemed to be pretty disinterested when I spoke to them on phone. Gerry

Some of my R bodies have the internal black coating flaking off. Is there a way to fix that? Could I use a vacuum cleaner to remove all the loose coating, and then paint the inside with a black antireflective paint?

I have an XPAN II with the 45mm lens; when it needs to be repaired or have a CLA, where would I send it? As far as I know, Hasselblad doesn't work on the XPAN these days. Can anyone point me in the right direction? There was a post a while back about this so I spent a lot of time this evening using the search function for XPAN repair but came up empty handed. Thanks in advance for your help, gents and ladies.

Can anyone shed light on whether Leica is/has restricted the availability of spare parts to repairers outside their official repairers in Australia? Several weeks ago my M3 suffered a detached shutter curtain and I contacted several repairers worldwide and all informed me that they could do the work so obviously they had access to the correct parts. On contacting a well renowned repairer here in Oz he informed me that some time ago he attempted to seek some parts for a job and was told by Leica Australia that the policy now was no internal parts were being supplied. I contacted the Leica repairers (Camera Clinic, Melbourne) and they said they also could not come by the part, and furthermore, Leica Germany was no longer repairing film bodies. Finally I emailed Leica Australia and within several days they replied that the part was available, gave me the cost (very reasonable) and said it would be approx. 4 weeks for delivery?! I am now awaiting the parts to arrive but it bothers me that there seems to be either some accidental or intentional misinformation being put out to the detriment of owners and users like myself. Thank you for any information you may have on this matter.

Hello- I just got my M4-2 back from a repair service for this light leak/shutter issue - a band across the top. I got my first roll back, and 95% of the frames didn't have it - but the last few frames did. None of the frames with my 35mm Summicron had it, only the last few with a 50mm Canon 1.4 LTM with an adapter. Is there any chance this is a lens/adapter issue, or is the shutter still the culprit? Band happend when shot into the direct sun at 1000th, sun behind be at 100th; and also in muted indoor light around 250th. Cheers

Hello everyone, I just got my estimate back from Leica and wanted your advice. I sent M7 in for repair becuse the film started to bind up, this is the most expensive part of the repair at $400.00. I see alot of Misc items on the estimate Leather Covering-$50 Battery cover for M7-$20 Rewind crank -$75 When I sent it in there was nothing wrong with these items and left with battery cover. My question is this common for Leica to come back with these misc repairs? and are those nessary? I know owning this camera $800 for repair seems kinda high. Thanks Mark

Hello there, I have decided to start a topic on jammed shutter issue of Leica film cameras. I experienced this issue while taking photos at the Shard. My camera had been loaded with Adox CMS 20 II, the microfilm had the highest resolving power. The first fifteen frames were beautiful to enjoy the view. Yet after 16th frame, the camera was jammed. Since I tried to force its advance lever, it was totally broken. One wondering what was happened may look at the result here. I sent my camera to Wetzlar via Leica Store Mayfair. After eight weeks, it came back to London in a repaired condition under warranty. Recently, I have heard similar experiences to mine. Some of them is not related to choose Adox's films, since they have occurred while using Ilford's HP5+, and so on. In order to build a guide for one who could experience the same, may you share your experiences on jammed shutter, or advance lever stuck?