ejd Posted March 15, 2011 Share #1 Posted March 15, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) My M7 has developed a small fault. The exposure meter and lights in the viewfinder no longer switch themselves off after the shutter release has been left untouched for 15 seconds or so as they should. They seem to stay on indefinitely. And the viewfinder no longer shows the film speed for the first few seconds after switching the camera on. It goes straight to the exposure meter. The metering still seems to work fine. Has the heat and humidity got to the electronics, or is it just age and chance? This would be no problem but that I am away on a trip in Singapore and other places in the region -- with many photographs to take -- and have only the one camera with me (not counting the phone). I grandly thought all this business of having a back-up was so much faffing around and have not brought a spare. I should have brought the Mini Zoom along at the very least. By switching the camera off between shots it will be probably possible to keep the batteries working for quite a while, and it's no big deal if I go through a few sets of batteries in the next six weeks before returning to the UK. If not this may be the time I practice using only the two mechanical speeds -- 1/60 and 1/125 -- and guessing exposures -- sunny sixteen. And as a last resort the local camera shops seem to have an ample supply of replacement/extra kit at perfectly reasonable prices. Writing this, with the news from Japan hovering behind the next tab on my browser, I feel that I should not be writing this at all. It isn't one of life's bigger problems. But it would be interesting to know if anyone has had similar experiences with the M7. All the best, John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted March 15, 2011 Posted March 15, 2011 Hi ejd, Take a look here M7 -- minor fault. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
farnz Posted March 15, 2011 Share #2 Posted March 15, 2011 John, It sounds like the contacts on the stem of your shutter release may not be behaving as impeccably as they have in the past, and there might be a smidgeon of dirt or grease that's incensed them. You might like to try a little gentle physiotherapy to see if it improves their humour by, after finishing your next roll and before inserting the next one, holding your M7 upside down (cherishing it of course and telling it what you're doing) and take 10 or 20 blank shots. This might dislodge something that's taken up residence in an awkward spot and shouldn't do your M7 any harm, although it might experience some dizziness for a short while afterwards but you can calm it by talking soothingly to it for a little while. Out of the view and earshot of others of course. If that doesn't improve matters I recommend changing the batteries if you haven't already and if that doesn't make a difference then write yourself at least three separate notes that firmly, but politely, instruct you to never travel without a back up camera and post them to your home address a few days apart towards the end of your stay. Then when you return home you'll wonder who's written to you in your own handwriting and it'll help you to remember your own excellent advice. Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejd Posted March 15, 2011 Author Share #3 Posted March 15, 2011 Excellent advice! I was wondering if it might be what you have described. I will certainly try shaking it upside down etc and firing the shutter between rolls to see if it clears.Thanks! All the best, John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
farnz Posted March 15, 2011 Share #4 Posted March 15, 2011 Please let us know if my foolishness pays off! Good luck, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alun Posted March 18, 2011 Share #5 Posted March 18, 2011 John, Some while back my M7 began to exhibit a range of metering problems -- although not the one you describe. In my case the root of the trouble was a malfunctioning circuit-board. I wouldn't mind betting that this may also be the case with your camera. As long as you have back-up batteries (just in case there appreciable extra drain on the power) and as long as you can be sure that metering isn't affected it sounds as if the camera is OK to use but will need attention when you get back. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejd Posted May 3, 2011 Author Share #6 Posted May 3, 2011 The camera kept on working throughout the trip. It was inconvenient to keep turning it off and on, nothing more. I missed the odd shot as a result. I tried all Pete's excellent suggestions but with no success. I will send it in for repair. It might be a good thing at the same time to have the original DX reader replaced by the optical one, and also the film counter does not reset correctly, so might be good to have that fixed too. And as I have had it for 7 yrs and used it routinely, maybe a general service would be OK also. Time to try out the M2, perhaps John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xmas Posted May 4, 2011 Share #7 Posted May 4, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) The camera kept on working throughout the trip. It was inconvenient to keep turning it off and on, nothing more. I missed the odd shot as a result. I tried all Pete's excellent suggestions but with no success. I will send it in for repair. It might be a good thing at the same time to have the original DX reader replaced by the optical one, and also the film counter does not reset correctly, so might be good to have that fixed too. And as I have had it for 7 yrs and used it routinely, maybe a general service would be OK also. Time to try out the M2, perhaps John Hi If I only take two bodies one of them fails, if I take three, they work ok. I would not mind a failure with three bodies. So the cautious procedure is take four. Noel Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejd Posted June 21, 2011 Author Share #8 Posted June 21, 2011 The M7 is back from being repaired and serviced. And I'm rather pleased to have it back. When I took it in for repair I put a lens on and a film in an M2 body, intending to use it meanwhile, but as it happens I have not taken a single picture with it. (Partly because I took some pictures with a couple of FSU cameras I found recently for very low prices -- a Fed 4, a Kiev 4, and a Zorki. There's an FSU competition going on at http://www.rangefinderforum.com and I couldn't resist.) The M7 now has the optical film speed reader, the frame counter resets properly to -2, and the electronics are working properly -- it shows the film speed when switched on, and the discplay goes off after around 15 seconds if you do not touch the shutter release. John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdemas Posted June 22, 2011 Share #9 Posted June 22, 2011 The M7 is back from being repaired and serviced. And I'm rather pleased to have it back. When I took it in for repair I put a lens on and a film in an M2 body, intending to use it meanwhile, but as it happens I have not taken a single picture with it. (Partly because I took some pictures with a couple of FSU cameras I found recently for very low prices -- a Fed 4, a Kiev 4, and a Zorki. There's an FSU competition going on at www.rangefinderforum.com and I couldn't resist.) The M7 now has the optical film speed reader, the frame counter resets properly to -2, and the electronics are working properly -- it shows the film speed when switched on, and the discplay goes off after around 15 seconds if you do not touch the shutter release. John Did they mention what the issue was? Did they replace the circuit board? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejd Posted June 22, 2011 Author Share #10 Posted June 22, 2011 Did they mention what the issue was? Did they replace the circuit board? yes -- I think they did replace the circuit board (I don't have the details here just now). They also checked and adjusted everything -- shutter, rangefinder, etc. The list of things they were planning to do when they sent the estimate seemed pretty comprehensive. John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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