m9..shutterbutton question

[Samalmoe]

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my new m9 doesn't have the smoothest shutterbutton. With slight side presure while pressing down there's a definite metal on metal sound, not smooth or buttery at all. I am far from a dealer to have it checked out so was wondering if it's the nature of the camera or if they forgot to put in a sleeve of some kind. it feels like something that needs a good oiling. it's easily noticed with the camera off. just doesn't seem to go with the precision of the rest of the camera..

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[Shade]

There might be a foreign object stuck inside? Perhaps something small like a sand or a tiny stone that got lodged in there?

 

Meanwhile we're talking about shutters on M9, I wonder if I use that extra soft shutter that's screwed on, and stuffing it in my bag makes the shutter gets pressed all the way (during off position ofcourse), will in wear down the spring inside the shutter button?

 

Thanks.

[250swb]

it's easily noticed with the camera off. just doesn't seem to go with the precision of the rest of the camera..

 

I agree, and mine was the same. Somebody did post a thread about taking it apart and polishing the inner working surfaces, but fortunately mine did get much smoother with use. Its still not as smooth as other Leica's M though, or maybe its a characteristic of the M9?

 

Steve

[jaapv]

I would say so. It is about the same as the M8 shutter, which caught quite some criticism when the camera got introduced. There is some sample variation, and it does run in. I guess a simple pushbutton switch is not as smooth as a release that works a whole mechanical system.

[Samalmoe]

whew! glad to hear mine isn't the only one. I had visions of taking it apart after watching the leica factory video..looked like 2 screws would do it.. guess i'll keep pressing away to wear it in. it's the worst place to have roughness..right where you and the camera meet. the car companies learned that and paid close attention to all switches to make em feel good. thanks for the replies

[menos I M6]

The only reliable way, to resolve the shutter button feel, is to revert to a Leica film body.

 

I was sweating the rough feel of my M8.2 for a while (which gets worse by the day), but enjoy using the M6 classic the more now.

 

Too bad, the M9 shutter seems the same as the M8 shutter release assembly.

[Samalmoe]

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Something in there needs to be polished.

[tdtaylor]

I did take mine apart and polish all of the components. It was not difficult, but needs a special "U" wrench to get the shutter release assembly unscrewed. ONce the assembly was off, and a tiny set screw removed, I gently used pipe cleaners and a nail polisher with polishing compound over an hour in front of the TV. It was much smoother after polishing. Tim Issacs at Match gave me some excellent isometrics to understand how it was assembled.

 

I had a screw in shutter button from Match which original felt terrible- a grinding feeling. It was considerably better after polishing, but not what I considered smooth. In the end I decided to use it without the shutter button.

 

I did not realize what smooth was until I handled an M3- my M9 is now close, but it has more play making it feel less precise.

[Samalmoe]

can you tell me whats involved in getting the top off..some hidden screws?

also i got the abrahmson large shutterbutton to replace tne small match one..much smoother action

[zlatkob]

The shutter button definitely does not have a good or quick feel. It seems to travel too far, and it seems to have two rest positions before it activates the shutter. Getting it all the way depressed sometimes makes me shake the camera. I've found that setting it to the "Soft" mode helps because it activates the shutter sooner, without that long and disconcerting travel.

[UliWer]

Something in there needs to be polished.

 

Yes.

 

I found out that frequent use of the button for saving exposure metering may leave some grease from my finger on the button which impedes it's movement. Cleaning helps.

 

(Though I don't want to imply that anybody touches his Leica with the same dirty fingers as I do.)

[PaulDavid]

Same problem -- VERY rough shutter release with new M9. It seems that this is very common, and is unacceptable on a camera costing more than $100! Leica -- are you listening. Time for a recall, so you can pay overnight shipping both ways to fix this for those of us using the camera for it's intended purpose.

[diogenis]

You are comparing the shutter button of an M, which is a whole system of parts designed for longevity, great tactile feeling and feedback to a simplified electronic microswitch which has no feeling at all.

There might be performance issues to some buttons, but in general these switches should perform much much better than the newest ones found on every camera.

Don't kill the feeling of this beautifully made switch fade away with other so called "soft switches" that are mounted on top of this. Instead try and "learn" your own, find the 2-3 discrete steps on it and take steady pictures.

[Samalmoe]

sorry, but the thing feels like something I would make in my basement...just because it's mechanical doesn't mean it has to be crude. Another poster took his apart and made it smoother. Shouldn't leica do it instead.? It's just surprising to me, thats all. It's an expensive german camera.. I will certainly live with it or fix it..but it does take away from the 'precision instrument' feel of the piece. nuf said

[diogenis]

You are questioning 50 years of legacy.

Either Germans and its customers are wrong for all those 50 years or maybe -maybe- you are wrong here.

[menos I M6]

You are questioning 50 years of legacy.

Either Germans and its customers are wrong for all those 50 years or maybe -maybe- you are wrong here.

 

This is not right.

The M9 ( and M8, M8.2) shutter release should feel as good as other M cameras before.

 

It is not about the 2 or 3 microswitches in between - it is about the sticky, rough feel in between, that make feeling the microswitches very hard.

 

Up to the M6, it feels on every M the same smooth, perfect shutter release.

My M7 feels as smooth but has a micro switch or two more, which is not ideal, but fine to me.

 

My M8.2 feels like the proverbial coffee grinder.

I took mine apart once already and took a toothpick tip of neutral lens grease to it, which helped for a few weeks.

 

I guess, the next time, I will polish it as well.

 

It surprises me, Leica didn't change the surface treatment on the shutter release assembly

[jaapv]

I can't say mine feel as bad as all that, actually rather smooth, albeit different from the M3 - which is logical. However, my cameras are well and truly run in. The soft release takes away all problems in my case, as I like the hair-trigger feel.

[wda]

The only reliable way, to resolve the shutter button feel, is to revert to a Leica film body.

 

I was sweating the rough feel of my M8.2 for a while (which gets worse by the day), but enjoy using the M6 classic the more now.

 

Too bad, the M9 shutter seems the same as the M8 shutter release assembly.

An interesting observation. Going back to film Ms, I still feel that the shutter release on my M3 is far superior to that on my M6 and M8. I do find this surprising for such a standard and relatively simple Leica component. Why could it not be standardized in design and production, based on the most successful historical version?

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[tdtaylor]

can you tell me whats involved in getting the top off..some hidden screws?

also i got the abrahmson large shutterbutton to replace tne small match one..much smoother action

 

You remove the shutter button assembly with a Flexi Clamp:

 

https://www.micro-tools.com/store/SearchByCategory.aspx?CategoryCode=FLX

 

Unfortunately, I am not at home and don't know the size. I do know the outside radius was to large to fit between the shutter release assembly and the Shutter Speed Dial and had to use a belt sander to reduce this outside radius. Once I did, the shutter assembly easily unscrewed and was removed. There is a very small set screw at the bottom of the assembly- once it is removed, the parts come apart easily. Reassembly is fairly straightforward- if you're not a 3d visualizer, it might be a good safeguard to photograph before disassembly- and disassemble over a tray.

 

I used a nail polishing file and a pipe cleaner, and a micro polishing compound I had on hand. Just worked very slowly, polishing the inside of the barrel and the outside of the button shaft. Worked wonders.

 

Of course, this begs the question- why would one have to do this to obtain a smooth operating shutter button on a $7k US camera.

[zlatkob]

You are questioning 50 years of legacy.

Either Germans and its customers are wrong for all those 50 years or maybe -maybe- you are wrong here.

As several people have noted, this shutter release is different. Different as in not consistent with that legacy. Different as in not smooth, not precise, not well-designed -- not what existed for 50 years. Why defend details of this camera that clearly do not measure up to the legacy?