Nick De Marco Posted September 5, 2011 Share #1 Posted September 5, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) Not so long ago I picked up a nice .85 used Leica M7. It has worked fine up until recntly. Took it off the shelf the other day and no power, and unable to use shutter. So I bought new batteries and put them in, but still the same problem. Does anyone know what this might be? Nick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted September 5, 2011 Posted September 5, 2011 Hi Nick De Marco, Take a look here M7 Power failure. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Guest Randle P. McMurphy Posted September 5, 2011 Share #2 Posted September 5, 2011 Can you see the "bc" sign when you put the new batteries inside ? Are the batterie contacts clean ? You put them in the right way ? Is the shutter closed ? Rewinded ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick De Marco Posted September 5, 2011 Author Share #3 Posted September 5, 2011 Thanks - will check all these things tonight Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
}{B Posted September 5, 2011 Share #4 Posted September 5, 2011 Have you tried the two mechanical speeds I/60th & 1/125th? I believe that these should work even with no power. I recently bought a used M7 and the batteries were low as the shutter speed display was flashing after half a roll. I found that three frames from that film hadn't been exposed at all. It was as though the shutter curtain hadn't opened even though the camera seemed to fire each time I pressed the release. With a new set of batteries this problem hasn't returned. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
christer Posted September 5, 2011 Share #5 Posted September 5, 2011 This has happened to most of us. Generally there is only one solution: Solms. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted September 5, 2011 Share #6 Posted September 5, 2011 Most is a bit strong. I've not heard of such a failure before. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wizard Posted September 5, 2011 Share #7 Posted September 5, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) Most is a bit strong. I've not heard of such a failure before. I agree. While my first M7 had issues, this was not one of them. And my current M7 has been flawless so far. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdemas Posted September 6, 2011 Share #8 Posted September 6, 2011 I agree. While my first M7 had issues, this was not one of them. And my current M7 has been flawless so far. Same here. I've had 2 M7s and never had an incident like this. Best of luck to the OP. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick De Marco Posted September 6, 2011 Author Share #9 Posted September 6, 2011 Thanks for the comments Checked inside the camera. Shutter works at 1/125 and 1/60. Took out batteries, checked and cleaned contacts and re-inserted. Still nothing. Batteries brand new. If I am lucky I bought some crap expensive batteries. Anyway I think the camera just might be still under warranty as second hand camera from the shop I bought it (Red Dot), which also sends off for repairs, so I shall take it there today, try a new pair of batteries or otherwise have it repaired. Good job I have a Zeiss Ikon! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falstaff Posted September 6, 2011 Share #10 Posted September 6, 2011 I also had a similar issue as yours - turned out to be two sets of duff batteries straight out of their blister packs! Good luck. Falstaff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted September 6, 2011 Share #11 Posted September 6, 2011 This has happened to most of us. Generally there is only one solution: Solms. I have two M7s made within a year of each other. No such problems yet. I hope you simply got some bad batteries. Which prompts me to ask - is simply measuring the voltage of a battery an adequate test of its quality? Where I buy batteries they let me test them in the shop, but I only get voltage readings. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
masjah Posted September 6, 2011 Share #12 Posted September 6, 2011 I have two M7s made within a year of each other. No such problems yet. I hope you simply got some bad batteries. Which prompts me to ask - is simply measuring the voltage of a battery an adequate test of its quality? Where I buy batteries they let me test them in the shop, but I only get voltage readings. The answer is no, not really. Modern multimeters have a very high input impedence, which put simply means that the battery doesn't really know it's there. So the measurement is "off-load". Batteries that are faulty, or nearly discharged, might well read normally "off-load", but their metered voltage drops like a stone as soon as they are meaured when driving (or trying to drive) a realistic load. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotohuis Posted September 6, 2011 Share #13 Posted September 6, 2011 Most modern MM have a battery check, here the battery has to deliver some small current and the reading of the condition of the battery is pretty acurate then. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
christer Posted September 7, 2011 Share #14 Posted September 7, 2011 Most is a bit strong. I've not heard of such a failure before. I have two M7s; both have had the problem. That makes 200%. I call that "most". Seriously: when this happened, it must have been 7 or 8 years ago, I heard of several similar cases. Both cameras needed to be sent to Solms which was a good thing. The two of them are early production run models, and when they came back from Solms they had new MP viewfinders and optical film speed readers fitted - all under the 5 year guarantee. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted September 7, 2011 Share #15 Posted September 7, 2011 There must have been some "goodwill" in there, as the MP finder upgrade is not a warranty item. When my DX reader was changed (f.o.c.) a couple of years ago, they did not upgrade the finder. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alun Posted September 7, 2011 Share #16 Posted September 7, 2011 Andy Barton said: When my DX reader was changed (f.o.c.) a couple of years ago, they did not upgrade the finder. When my DX reader was replaced -- probably three or four years ago now -- the finder was upgraded, also without charge. Seems to have been the luck of the draw and perhaps the goodwill of individual engineers and/or managers.... Whatever the reason, I was mighty grateful. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted September 7, 2011 Share #17 Posted September 7, 2011 Let me re-phrase my comment When my DX reader was replaced a couple of years ago, IF they replaced the finder, they didn't tell me and if they did, I haven't noticed any difference They did give it a CLA, though and I got a year's warranty too. So, I am not complaining. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alun Posted September 7, 2011 Share #18 Posted September 7, 2011 In which case, Andy, it *may* have been replaced, you know. Interestingly, Leica did not itemise the work carried out until I asked them to, and then the list included the finder upgrade. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick De Marco Posted September 7, 2011 Author Share #19 Posted September 7, 2011 Problem Solved It was not the fault of Leica or the M7. If i can blame anyone other than myself, it was those horrible expensive new batteries I bought from 'Maplin' When I took the camera to the shop (Red Dot) they tried some other batteries in it and it worked fine. Then we looked at the new batteries from Maplin. They were incased in some unnecessary blue plastic casing, the effect of which prevented proper contact between them and the camera when inserted in the M7. The good people of Red Dot then cut the plastic away and those batteries worked also, as does the M7 now. A happy and free story I only share so as to negate any criticism of the M7 I caused or implied. And another happy story today - I had my Epson 2880 printer fixed (in warranty) and can now print again - and for the first time accepted the attraction of an extended warranty (usually a waste of money). A special price of £44 gives me 2 years full warranty on top of the nearly expired original year. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted September 7, 2011 Share #20 Posted September 7, 2011 LOL often these problems are the simplest things. Imagine how much Solms would have charged you to remove that plastic! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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