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Just how many M8s go wrong...


tecumseh

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Focusing may be manual, and perhaps i am incorrectly linking the two, but 'generally' the problem appears to correct itself if either the camera is turned off and then on again or if the battery is removed and replaced. Another odd thing that happens is when the camera is turned off and the shutter release depressed, the little red light comes on momentarily?

The problem manifests itself as not getting the double images in the viewfinder. If anyone has a better idea than solms as they hav failed to fix it, i would be most pleased to hear before i send it back :-)

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The most common reason for not seeing the RF is: finger in front of the RF window -99.9% of the cases and normally the user is not aware of doing it. There is not one single electrical connection between the rangefinder mechanism and the rest of the camera. Obviously if you manipulate the switch or change the battery you remove your finger...It seems to happen more often on the M8/9 than on film cameras. Undoubtedly the presence of the film wind lever and lesser thickness position the hand slightly differently.The Led coming on as you describe is indeed a known idiosyncracy of some M8s. It does not need to be addressed.

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The problem manifests itself as not getting the double images in the viewfinder. If anyone has a better idea than solms as they hav failed to fix it, i would be most pleased to hear before i send it back :-)

 

No need to send it back, it's a finger on your right hand covering the small window on the front of the camera.

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I hav had mine since they were first released. Had intermittent problems with it not focusing after it was turned off and then on again. Just recieved it back from Solms, works fine now...but £500 worse off :-(

 

They charged you £500 to fix a "fault" which turned out to be you putting your finger in the wrong place? :confused: Hey, this really is a rich man's camera.

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I would be more interested to know how many M8s have had to be sent back to fix the same fault twice. The rushed launch, shoddy assembly and general lack of development and testing (except by paying customers) was unfortunate but are there any real design defects?

 

I still think that lack of replacement batteries is the biggest issue which makes digi-cams "obsolete". Even expensive ones.

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I quite expect there to be a small rush of others having this problem when summer ends, as wearing gloves tends to increase the chance of being affected by FFT.

 

On film 'M' cameras there are little knobbly bits to let you know when your finger is drifting too far north. (The rewind lever was a nice place to rest a finger.) And some earlier cameras even had a raised window frame. But the M8/9 models sadly don't have these nice little reminders. :(

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They charged you £500 to fix a "fault" which turned out to be you putting your finger in the wrong place? :confused: Hey, this really is a rich man's camera.

You pays your money and learns your lesson :DUndoubtedly they found something else to do....

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You pays your money and learns your lesson :DUndoubtedly they found something else to do....

 

Actually, given that it is i think over 3 yrs old, gets stuffed into an old sock at the bottom of my rucksac and has been up mountains, in a jungle and down into caves, the once over and leica service complete with a service certificate :-) was possibly due.

As long as it keeps on working, i'll carry on using it, i may even treat it to a new sock!

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Once again, many thanks. Cant tell u how relieved i am and how much i hav laughed at myself! So to get back to the issue, i've had my M8 since new, with absolutely NOOOO problems. :-)

 

I fell victim to this one too (despite having used M film rangefinders before). It always seemed to be when I was changing from landscape to portrait, and I thought there had to be something 'vertically sensitive' in the instrument. When I realised what it was I had that Homer "D'Oh" moment.

 

It does make you think about the wider issue in this thread, though. We produce so many tightly integrated products now that are not worth fixing if they're broken since the cost to repair is higher than the cost to replace. So often a simple explicable failure is feared to be something much more serious.

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I would be more interested to know how many M8s have had to be sent back to fix the same fault twice. The rushed launch, shoddy assembly and general lack of development and testing (except by paying customers) was unfortunate but are there any real design defects?

 

I still think that lack of replacement batteries is the biggest issue which makes digi-cams "obsolete". Even expensive ones.

 

All the M8s I know of have been to Solms for the Red Line Fix. But only once. Leica seems to have cure that lasts. For those who say that you don't have had any faults since 2007 or whatever: Take a few photos at 1250 ASA and enlarge them 100% in PS. See if you can't see a red line right in the middle of the picture....

 

I would not buy a M8 2.hand that has NOT been to Solms for the Red Line Fixing. If it has, it is OK.

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All the M8s I know of have been to Solms for the Red Line Fix. But only once. Leica seems to have cure that lasts. For those who say that you don't have had any faults since 2007 or whatever: Take a few photos at 1250 ASA and enlarge them 100% in PS. See if you can't see a red line right in the middle of the picture....

 

I would not buy a M8 2.hand that has NOT been to Solms for the Red Line Fixing. If it has, it is OK.

 

As mine has just come back from Solms and although this problem was not specifically highlighted to them, one would like to think that they would have taken the opportunity of their own volition to rectify this. This would not have been found by myself as i always use the low end of the ISO range.

 

I will test this tonight and post tomorrow :confused::eek:

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For my Homer Simpson moment, they initialy intimated that they would charge me very close to £1000!! but the very very nice man from R.G.Lewis in London fought my corner and managed to get them to agree the reduced price of £500. Hopefully they have a check list of known problems in Solms they they check all returns against.

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All the M8s I know of have been to Solms for the Red Line Fix. But only once. Leica seems to have cure that lasts. For those who say that you don't have had any faults since 2007 or whatever: Take a few photos at 1250 ASA and enlarge them 100% in PS. See if you can't see a red line right in the middle of the picture....

 

I would not buy a M8 2.hand that has NOT been to Solms for the Red Line Fixing. If it has, it is OK.

I did- with two examples- I have NO red lines. Sorry...:o
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I think I just found signs of red line - like a fine scratch on the film (you know what I mean) on one of my M8's. Just shot a stage show, mainly at 640 ISO and I can see it at 100%, just left of centre.

 

Will take a closer look in the morning, after I sort a few other priorities.

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