Question regarding a D1

[ehecatl]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Some of you may remember that I joined these forums years ago when I got my Digilux 1. Then when the Digilux 2 came out, I jumped on-board and passed the D1 to a friend of mine. I didn't move up to a Digilux 3, however, choosing instead to move to an Epson R-D1, while eyeing, with a certain amount of lust, a black M8.

In the last few months a couple of weird things have happened to my former Digiluxes. I lent the Digilux 2 to my brother and he happily snapped away with it for a bit until he let it sit a few months (an audio engineer, he got really busy and was unable to continue shooting). When I was out visiting him in January, we pulled out the D2 and I noticed that the photos were coming out wrong. The colors were off, and it appeared as if an ir filter had been installed (blacks were purplish, reds were muted, etc), kind of like the original issues with the M8, only more drastic. I was in contact with Leic in New Jersey and I told my brother to send in the camera. I'm not sure if he has yet.

Now to the D1. My friend, who was happily shooting away with it for more than a year, recently told me that it wasn't working: it wouldn't turn on, even with a fully charged battery. I suggested she pull out the batter and the sd card for a couple of days, and then charge it again. Nothing.

I've come to visit her, and so I took a look at the camera. When the camera is turned on, a green light (next to the viefinder) turns on briefly before turning off. Then nothing. I plugged in the camera without the battery and it did the same thing: brief green light, then nothing.

It's a shame to have both of my former Digiluxes fail in the last couple of months. The D2, especiallly. As for the D1, I'm unsure as to what course to follow. I purchased the camera in late 2002, and so it's definitely out of warranty. Would it be worth it to fix? Is there perhaps something I might have missed for reviving it? What would you suggest?

 

And since I'm inquiring, any thoughts on the weird behavior of the D2?

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Santiago

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[lct]

...Now to the D1. My friend, who was happily shooting away with it for more than a year, recently told me that it wasn't working: it wouldn't turn on, even with a fully charged battery. I suggested she pull out the batter and the sd card for a couple of days...

2 days are not enough in my experience.

If your friend takes the battery out of the camera for 5-6 days, the built-in battery keeping the time settings should be drained normally and inserting then a full battery could reset possibly the camera which would ask to set the date and time again...

It did work a couple of times here already and there is nothing to lose anyway.

[dugby]

From the limited information you have provided on the D2 issue, I would suggest the D2 has experienced the sensor failure that seems to have befallen a significant number of D2's in Q4 of last year.

 

In my D2, I described the image failure to Leica Service, as being "Melted", or a physical phase shift of the colour planes.

 

There is a lot of discussion on this and we have been greatly assisted by Leica extending the Warranty on all D2's..... see this Leica News Item:

Leica Camera AG - Extended customer service for LEICA DIGILUX 2

 

As for the D1 issue, I support LCT's suggestion.

[ehecatl]

Thanks LCT and Dugby! I'll take LCT's suggestion for the D1. As for the D2, I'll ask my brother if he's sent it in yet.