yellowish rectangle on the screen

[Manolo Laguillo]

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Hi,

having bought a 2nd hand M8 + 28/2.8 Elmarit days ago, and being extremely satisfied with it, I would like to introduce myself.

I am a professional photographer since the 70's, working mainly outdoors (architecture and landscape), with view cameras (6x12, 4x5, 8x10) and B&W. I used a Fuji 6x9 (a RF with a 90mm), handheld, as a sort of 'point & shoot' camera.

With the advent of dig photogr. I began using years ago the 5D with 24 and 45 TS lenses, and colour, and am very satisfied with it. The D-Lux 4 was giving me big pleasure, but was not exactly what I wanted. Only with the M8 I'm having again the incredible feeling I had with the 6x9 Fuji RF.

In the last 2 days I have been reading through many threads in this forum, and I am impressed by the collective knowledge and helpfulness present in this group. So I want to ask you if it is normal that on the M8's LCD a yellowish and very pale and very soft rectangle appears, only visible when the picture is a light and homogenous color (the blue sky and with no clouds overexposed, for instance). It is the perimeter of a rectangle, in the centre of the screen. On the picture there is nothing like that, of course!

Since the camera has a 12 month garantee, I have time to ask for a repair or a refund.

I will very much appreciate any help! Thank you in advance!

Manolo Laguillo

[Renatus]

My M8 when new had a clean screen. When it came back from the factory after it's upgrade, it had and still has the screen artifact you describe. As picture quality is fine I have ignored it.

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[sfokevin]

Does it look kinda like this?:

 

 

It has been nicknamed the coffee ring - the LCD cover has a broken seal that allowed air and condensation in between the cover and the LCD screen - It will get progressively worse as cycles of condensation bring in more & more small dust particles... It needs to be sent to Leica to repair.

 

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-m8-forum/104392-burned-imprint-display.html

[luigi bertolotti]

Ok, Manolo, you've already had your answer... but I was pleased to read of your Fuji 6x9... years ago was a camera I was seriously thinking to (I remember that there was also a version with interchangeable lenses... 65-90-150 I seem): I red, at that times, a review on that camera on an italian magazine... and I remember that about handling and shooting, the rewiever wrote "...it's easy to describe...is like a grown Leica, and this says it all..." Your post made me at once remember that phrase...

[Manolo Laguillo]

Thank you very much, Sfokevin, for your answer! Tomorrow I will ask the dealer. The transparent cover is very scratched, BTW...

There is a big difference between the 6x9 Fuji and the Leica M: the shutter's action. The M is silent and smooth, whereas the Fuji not. Nonetheless sometimes I was able to photograph handheld at 1/30 with the Fuji! Its weight helped a lot in that regard.

[Manolo Laguillo]

... the dealer tells me the factory will need at least a couple of months to repair the camera...

Ok, I'm sending the camera back to the dealer and will buy another M8: there are some very nice 2nd hand M8 in german shops, nearly new and at the same price I did pay days ago here in Spain in a shop!

Having the 1st M8, the faulty one, was very useful: I could see how well she feels (in english vessels are feminine, why not cameras?). The Leica quality is absolutely incredible: I performed a_very_informal comparison between the M8+Elmarit 28 and the 5DMkII+24TS (strange comparison, ok, but why not?), and I prefer the former.

Thank you, again, for your help!

[farnz]

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Manolo,

 

Welcome to the forum!

 

I'm glad that your dealer has agreed to take back your M8 with the coffee ring. If a quiet shutter is important to you then you may be able to find an M8 that has had its shutter upgraded, which should make it quieter than the M8 you've returned. (Please note that the fastest shutter speed on an M8 with an upgraded shutter will be 1/4000th, not 1/8000th.)

 

When you have found your new M8 please post some photos in the photo forums.

 

Pete.