bonjac Posted October 25, 2010 Share #1 Posted October 25, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hi. I just acquired a used M8, no manual, and no lens yet. Charged the battery, put in a card and turned the camera on. I wanted to go into the menus to see how the camera was configured BUT the LCD does not illuminate (stays black regardless of what I do). I am really new to RF and Leica and would appreciate any help you could offer. Thank you Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted October 25, 2010 Posted October 25, 2010 Hi bonjac, Take a look here Help please. M8 LCD will not illuminate. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Nicoleica Posted October 25, 2010 Share #2 Posted October 25, 2010 Do the LEDs in the viewfinder work, and does anything happen when you press the shutter? If not, then it sounds like you may have a dead battery, or a dead camera. (Assuming that you've inserted the battery correctly. Although I don't think that it's possible to put it in wrongly.) Edit. You can download the manual from the Leica website. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonjac Posted October 25, 2010 Author Share #3 Posted October 25, 2010 Thank you, Nicole. You are magic! I read your response. Turned on the camera, pressed the shutter release and it worked. I must say, I had done this several times and nothing happened. Wow, I'm impressed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgk Posted October 25, 2010 Share #4 Posted October 25, 2010 I just acquired a used M8, no manual, You can download a pdf of the manual here: Leica Camera AG - Downloads Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valau Posted October 25, 2010 Share #5 Posted October 25, 2010 Hi Bonjac, There is another thread about six weeks ago re a dead M8, after charging a battery and putting it straight into the M8, the camera does not fire up. The red LED flashes a couple of times but the battery charge / shots remaining LED does not come up. You can fire the shutter for a few times before the camera comes to life. Personally I think that the camera does not like a freshly charged battery because either the voltage is a little high or the battery temperature is high and the M8 does not like it. In the previous thread, a new charger was supplied by Leica but the problem still persisted. Hope this helps. David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonjac Posted October 26, 2010 Author Share #6 Posted October 26, 2010 What you describe is exactly what happened. Thank you for the tip -- I'll give the battery a little time after charging. Cheers! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonjac Posted October 26, 2010 Author Share #7 Posted October 26, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) What I am finding is that when I turn the camera on, the small red light blinks. But nothing happens. After about a minute, I can depress the shutter and the light blinks. After several depression, blinks, the lights in the viewfinder come on. And, finally, but randomly, system comes to life. However, some times it never comes to life. Turn the camera off, and I have to go through the same process again. Does anyone have a feel for what this might be or what it would cost to repair? Thanks Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shootist Posted October 26, 2010 Share #8 Posted October 26, 2010 first try cleaning the contacts on the battery and inside the battery compartment. If this doesn't fix your problem then what you may have is a bad camera. Take it back to wherever you bought it or send it to Leica to be fixed. I once had a M8 that would only turn on completely after you turned the switch on then pressed the shutter release. It was like the camera started up, when turning it on with the switch, in sleep mode and would stay like that until you pressed the shutter release. This was a problem for me and a few others and if Leica stands behind there products they should fix this minor flaw free of charge. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wda Posted October 26, 2010 Share #9 Posted October 26, 2010 bonjac, have you reported your findings to the vendor? That would be my first port of call. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coup de foudre Posted October 26, 2010 Share #10 Posted October 26, 2010 Thank you, Nicole. You are magic! I read your response. Turned on the camera, pressed the shutter release and it worked. I must say, I had done this several times and nothing happened. Wow, I'm impressed. she is magic! the more you get to know her, the more you'll know it's true Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonjac Posted October 27, 2010 Author Share #11 Posted October 27, 2010 Here's what I am finding out. I think this is a battery/charger problem, as some of you suggested. I charged a battery, removed it from the charger, put it back in the charger but the charger showed fully charged. So I removed the battery, removed and repluged the charger, inserted the battery and it charged again for at least an hour. Put the battery in the camera and sure enough the camera worked about like it was supposed to. For some reason, cycling the charger made a difference. Still waiting to see what happens after 24 hours. More to come. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jark89 Posted October 27, 2010 Share #12 Posted October 27, 2010 Here's what I am finding out. I think this is a battery/charger problem, as some of you suggested. I charged a battery, removed it from the charger, put it back in the charger but the charger showed fully charged. So I removed the battery, removed and repluged the charger, inserted the battery and it charged again for at least an hour. Put the battery in the camera and sure enough the camera worked about like it was supposed to. For some reason, cycling the charger made a difference. Still waiting to see what happens after 24 hours. More to come. Hi Bonjac, what you describe sounds a lot like what I've read of what happens with 3rd party batteries. Have you checked that you were supplied with an authentic Leica M8 battery? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicoleica Posted October 27, 2010 Share #13 Posted October 27, 2010 I agree with Jark. It does sound like a battery that is not communicating correctly. Although it's possible even for genuine Leica batteries to fail, the problems do seem to be far more frequent with those of a more dubious parentage. If your battery is not a genuine Leica battery, I would strongly recommend that you consider purchasing one. Even though they are generally more expensive than the third-party batteries, they not only tend to be more reliable in general, but you also have the peace of mind from knowing that should your battery fry your camera (Or worse!) , Leica will tend to assist you more favourably than if it were a non-genuine item. It is also possible that your battery may be reaching the end of its natural life anyway. The M8 has been around for long enough for that to be a possibility. It will probably be a good idea to purchase a new Leica battery anyway, as a spare is always handy even if your other battery does last for a while yet. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicoleica Posted October 27, 2010 Share #14 Posted October 27, 2010 she is magic! the more you get to know her, the more you'll know it's true Thanks Cam, but I do no more than many other members of this forum. Yourself included. But thank you anyway. I'm all embarrassed now. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valau Posted October 27, 2010 Share #15 Posted October 27, 2010 I have experienced the problem with Leica bqatteries, one only a few months old and one brand new. I admit the chager is the 'old' big type but I know that the 'newer' small charger has the same result. Do you know if there is a voltage sensor or battery temperature sensor in the M8.2 as this to me seems to be the problem? David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ho_co Posted October 27, 2010 Share #16 Posted October 27, 2010 David, yes, apparently there is. That seems to be the implication of item 2.5 on page 3 of the Sept 2008 "FAQ Leica M8 & Leica M8.2": Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/135033-help-please-m8-lcd-will-not-illuminate/?do=findComment&comment=1484497'>More sharing options...
Doc Henry Posted October 27, 2010 Share #17 Posted October 27, 2010 The M8 or M9 already costs quite expensive. Why some of you use generic batteries that cost the quarter of the price ? In addition the guarantee does not work when the battery is not original as said in a FAQ I do not know if this is the case of Bonjac but if it's a generic battery, he should first pay a new original battery to eliminate this problem , may be due to the battery. Howard, I saw this FAQ for the M8 and the M9. I have 6 batteries : 3 for my M9 and 3 for my M8 : all are original Henry I posted in another thread these two links for batteries: http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-76505.html http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/is_lithium_ion_the_ideal_battery What do you think ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonjac Posted October 28, 2010 Author Share #18 Posted October 28, 2010 Both batteries are genuine Leica. One is old and one is newer (apparently a few months). No matter what I do to the old battery, the camera doesn't work. The success I had with the double charging was with the newer Leica battery. Many thanks to all. I'll keep this updated. I haven't had a chance to really tax the battery and see how long it lasts (ie, how many shots and how well it recharges). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonjac Posted October 28, 2010 Author Share #19 Posted October 28, 2010 I'm not sure I understand this, but, I kept charging the batteries and, now, they are both working and the camera seems to be working beautifully. There is one quirk which I think Shootist mentioned. When I first power up, I have to depress the shutter half way for the camera to "wake up". Anyhow, it appears everything is working for now. My thanks to all of you for kind patience and willingness to help a newcomer. There really are a lot good people in this world. Cheers, Jack Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_livsey Posted October 29, 2010 Share #20 Posted October 29, 2010 The need to depress the shutter, not to fire off a shot, before the camera comes to life is a known fault the M8 can develop. If it goes in Leica will fix it but it appears not to be detrimental to the camera to leave this as a fault. It may on occasion, such as when needing a rapid response, be very annoying. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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