M8 Shutter. Shattered to pieces!!!

[Cyril Jayant]

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Has someone experienced this already?

 

When I bought my pre-owned camera just about one year ago, it was immaculate and mint plus condition. I opened it at home, took it out from the box. when I was going through the manuel and while trying it all of a sudden the shutter got blocked and I had to return it back and send to Germany. so it came back after repair. Again last week when I was in Paris on a visit for the second time the shutter was broken to pieces. This time problem seems to be severe, a heavy damage. this happened when the camera was on a tri-pod and on a long exposure. Can't understand what caused such a damage to a shutter. Anybody have any idea any kind of experience to share .I have read some similar cases on some threads . Thanks for sharing?:

 

confused:

[jaapv]

It has happened before. The most common cause is a piece of grit between the blades. Bummer. If it was about a year ago, you may be able to claim guaranty.

[Cyril Jayant]

It has happened before. The most common cause is a piece of grit between the blades. Bummer. If it was about a year ago, you may be able to claim guaranty.

 

Thanks Japp. I bought it from Richard Caplan . Unfortunately the One year guaranty is passed by four months and He promised me to have a negotiation with Solms and tomorrow I am going to hear what is going to happen. I Don't hope for much but hope the cost won't be much.....

[Shade]

Usually dirt or grit causes the problem causing the blades to jam and hit one against another or hit some other parts inside. I hope you get an easy solution..

[wstotler]

Cyril,

 

Yours looks a bit worse than mine was. You can read about what happened and how it was handled on this thread from May of 2010:

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-m8-forum/124482-my-turn-shutter.html

 

You should certainly call and work with Leica service on this issue.

 

Sorry for your misfortune and good luck.

Will

[Cyril Jayant]

Cyril,

 

Yours looks a bit worse than mine was. You can read about what happened and how it was handled on this thread from May of 2010:

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-m8-forum/124482-my-turn-shutter.html

 

You should certainly call and work with Leica service on this issue.

 

Sorry for your misfortune and good luck.

Will

 

Yes Will, It looks a big damage . Thanks for your link to the old thread . It was very useful and I learned a lot from that. I have send my camera to Solums through the dealer and he is going to see if he can do something as the previous guaranty repair given by the Leica is just passed by. I am hoping for a better news.

 

Thanks again and Regards,

Cyril.

[Shade]

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Leica is quite lenient with these kind of services, and cross your fingers as rhey usually come back with good news..

[p8nt magnet]

Hi All,

 

I'm a new member on the forum and unfortunately my M8 had the same shutter problem (does not look as bad but the shutter is stuck and I can see some damage on it). I was taking some pics and it decide to quit on me. I bought the camera last July from a friend and manage to shot around 3,000 pics before the shutter quit.

 

Did the original poster received an estimate yet for the shutter replacement? On the older thread I think someone mentioned that the shutter will. Cost around $500.

 

Problem is I live in Indonesia and the place that I went last week told me that repair would cost me $1,000 not including labor. I'm thinking of upgrading the shutter and get the 1 year warranty if the cost is almost the same and people here tend to over charge here in Indonesia when they know that there's not many shop that can do the repair.

 

I'm still waiting for a reply from both Leica Singapore and Germany on this. Does a shutter repalcement need to go to Solm or can the regional Leica shop like the one in Singapore can di the repair? Any input is deeply appreciated.

 

I have a Nikon for back up but I rather use my M8 =)

 

Thanks.

[ho_co]

magnet, any M8-authorized Leica repair facility can change out the shutter, but to my knowledge there are only two such shops, Solms and New Jersey. (I'll be happy to be corrected on that.)

 

Leica bills a single amount, breaking it down on the invoice into what was done. I would be leery of anyone quoting parts + labor on Leica factory work. My recommendation is to send the camera directly to Leica, without middleman.

 

Leica can't quote a price on a repair without seeing the camera. That's a good thing because they'll try to determine if this was a shutter that self-destructed or one that was damaged by external cause. In other words, they might do the job under warranty, but they need to see the camera to decide.

 

If they charge for the work--whether you have the shutter upgraded or whether you have them replace it with the original shutter--you will get a year's guarantee on the camera.

 

By the way, welcome to the forum! Sorry that your first post is about such a depressing topic.

[marknorton]

The problem with replacing the shutter is that it sits between the lens throat and the sensor so that the sensor board has to come out. It is fixed at three points and at each point there are shims which set the alignment to +/- 0.005mm. This ideally needs to be reset using the correct alignment equipment and therefore Solms is the best place to have it done outside the US.

[jaapv]

I think 1000 $ would be nearer the mark than 500.Although the shutter itself costs less than 200 $ on itself, as Mark explains replacing it is a major operation. It might be a good idea to have the camera upgraded instead of repaired. Afaik Leica still offers that service for the M8. I would not consoder sending the camera any where but directly to Solms. Why not? With UPS and Fedex the world has shrunk to 24 hours anyway.

[p8nt magnet]

Thanks ho_co, Mark and Jaapv for the quick and clear reply.

 

I have not receive any reply from Leica yet and will call them on Monday.

 

I hope that they can fix the camera quickly.

 

Wish you all a great week end.

[Guest Holy Moly]

Usually dirt or grit causes the problem causing the blades to jam and hit one against another or hit some other parts inside. I hope you get an easy solution..

 

i don't thinks so. Since years we have learned that the M8 with the fast shutter shows this behavior. Leica reduced the stress by limiting the speed to 1/4000.

 

And the story continues with the M9. The quantity might be smaller but is still there.

[ho_co]

Are you sure about that? Leica has certainly never said that an advantage of the later shutter is less likelihood of shutter damage.

 

And the original M8 shutter is the same as that in the R8 and R9, which aren't known for self-destruction.

[jaapv]

i don't thinks so. Since years we have learned that the M8 with the fast shutter shows this behavior. Leica reduced the stress by limiting the speed to 1/4000.

 

And the story continues with the M9. The quantity might be smaller but is still there.

 

 

Unlikely. The shutter for Leica is built by Copal, like the shutters for all major brands, so the propensity for self-destruction should be about equal for Leica, Nikon,Canon etc. Leica shutters seem to be a mite more vulnerable than DSLRs because they are not "protected" against grit by a mirror.

[WestMichigan]

I hadn't thought of that angle on things!

Kudos, Sir.

Unlikely. The shutter for Leica is built by Copal, like the shutters for all major brands, so the propensity for self-destruction should be about equal for Leica, Nikon,Canon etc. Leica shutters seem to be a mite more vulnerable than DSLRs because they are not "protected" against grit by a mirror.

[Guest Holy Moly]

Leica, Nikon and Canon SLRs don't have different shutterblade colours from white to dark grey as Ms have. The sun rays will heat up the blades in different temperatures. The SLRs shutter blades don't get light because they are hidden by the mirror.

 

The manufacturer is Copal, but the shutters are different.

[jaapv]

Heating up? An interesting idea. I think it is on par with holes burnt into cloth shutters - exceedingly rare. Simple sand grains seem more likely imho. Of course the shutter is a different model.Copal builds dozens of different models. One for each camera type. All built to their quality standards.

[Cyril Jayant]

Leica is quite lenient with these kind of services, and cross your fingers as rhey usually come back with good news..

 

Hi All,

 

I'm a new member on the forum and unfortunately my M8 had the same shutter problem (does not look as bad but the shutter is stuck and I can see some damage on it). I was taking some pics and it decide to quit on me. I bought the camera last July from a friend and manage to shot around 3,000 pics before the shutter quit.

 

Did the original poster received an estimate yet for the shutter replacement? On the older thread I think someone mentioned that the shutter will. Cost around $500.

 

Problem is I live in Indonesia and the place that I went last week told me that repair would cost me $1,000 not including labor. I'm thinking of upgrading the shutter and get the 1 year warranty if the cost is almost the same and people here tend to over charge here in Indonesia when they know that there's not many shop that can do the repair.

 

I'm still waiting for a reply from both Leica Singapore and Germany on this. Does a shutter repalcement need to go to Solm or can the regional Leica shop like the one in Singapore can di the repair? Any input is deeply appreciated.

 

I have a Nikon for back up but I rather use my M8 =)

 

Thanks.

 

I think 1000 $ would be nearer the mark than 500.Although the shutter itself costs less than 200 $ on itself, as Mark explains replacing it is a major operation. It might be a good idea to have the camera upgraded instead of repaired. Afaik Leica still offers that service for the M8. I would not consoder sending the camera any where but directly to Solms. Why not? With UPS and Fedex the world has shrunk to 24 hours anyway.

 

Thanks jappv and everyone, and Magnet... I got the quoting from the Solms yesterday, dealer's negotiation seems to have failed. It is about £800 for repair or £1000 for upgrading M8.2 new shutter. But I still wonder is it still worth cuntinuing to keep the Leica or dump it. I know according to the Leica's philosophy I can't go on and keep a preowned M digital as it it going to be an expensive deal for the long run.what is next and where am I going to stand next. I must have more savings reserved for the sensor or some other issues that shows up soon next.

 

So according to my experience, the survival going for a refurbish or preowned Leica M8 is 2 or 3 for out of ten and in between there can be very rare cases of without any incidents and with more LUCKS AS YOU SAY.

 

So for once I have taken out my M6 After one year and I have loaded my Hasselblad with a film which actually had been expired in the fridge. I think this is some thing happened to bring me down to earth in one way to break my block or some kind. But frankly I missed my M8 and I think I feel naked without it.

 

Thanks everyone for the concerns

Regards and with lot of hopes!!!:D:D

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[Cyril Jayant]

Leica is quite lenient with these kind of services, and cross your fingers as rhey usually come back with good news..

 

Shade : your prediction was pin point and what I got from them was exactly the same what you said. Did you have any experience like this one yourself?

 

regards

Cyril