philipoz Posted January 4, 2013 Share #1 Posted January 4, 2013 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hi, I have just bought a leica M4P and there some issues with the slow speeds (1/8 and below) that appear to be not accurate. Sometimes they seem to be accurate and sometimes they are very fast (like 1/500). However more I fire with the slow speed, more the issues seem to disappear. Is it because the camera haven't been used for a long time or is there a deeper problem? Should I sent it back to the seller? Thank you, Philippe Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 4, 2013 Posted January 4, 2013 Hi philipoz, Take a look here Leica m4p - Shutter speed problem. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Michael Geschlecht Posted January 4, 2013 Share #2 Posted January 4, 2013 Hello Philippe, Welcome to the Forum. Mechanical Leica M's are machines that are desined to work. Part of the design of such types of machines is that they are like Samoyeds. They don't mind being occasional couch potatos but they are @ their best when they are working. Try excercising ALL of the shutter speeds. Including "B". Try 6 times each going up & down the range 4 or 5 times skipping speeds alternatively. Take the base plate off @ each 40 or so releases to reset & excersise the frame counter. It would be good to do pretty much the same w/ your lenses. Best Regards, Michael Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted January 4, 2013 Share #3 Posted January 4, 2013 You say you just bought the camera? If it was from a dealer you should return it and let them repair it. If you bought privately then you have less come-back but it would be worth speaking to the vendor about a contribution to the cost of a CLA or a refund for return. It sounds like it is a simple matter of a service, not too costly from an independent repairer (don't ask Leica, they will charge you a fortune!). Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thrid Posted January 4, 2013 Share #4 Posted January 4, 2013 (edited) The camera is more than 20 years old and probably hasn't been serviced since it left the factory. If it's not a mechanical failure (shutter brake?) then the lubricants are probably all gummed up or have evaporated at this point. Almost no dealers sell cameras that have been serviced. When you purchase a used Leica of this age it's almost a given that it's going to need a full CLA (clean, lubricate and adjust) if you expect it to function properly. Sorry that I don't have better news. You need to figure in the cost of getting it overhauled when you buy. Some people will tell you it doesn't need a CLA, but like all things mechanical, even a Leica sometimes needs a little love. Running a Leica 'dry' is about as smart as not changing the oil in your car. You will be surprised how much better the camera runs after a CLA by a good technician and it will last another few decades. If you ask the dealer to have it serviced they will almost certainly send it to some cheap fly by night operation that may butcher it, not a reputable service technician. A full CLA costs about $250-300, depending on whom you go to and no dealer is going to eat that cost. Their profit margin is razor thin. Take a look here: LHSA Repair Services This fellow also seems to do good work. A lot of people on RFF use him and he's a lot cheaper than a lot of the other places. I think he charges $150 for a CLA YYeCAMERA Edited January 4, 2013 by thrid Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
philipoz Posted January 5, 2013 Author Share #5 Posted January 5, 2013 I have exerciced all of the shutter speeds but it is still not consistent. I bought it from a dealer so I am going to return it. He said it was serviced a year ago. If he can't fix it I will just get my money back and buy another Leica M. Thank you for your help. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
payasam Posted January 5, 2013 Share #6 Posted January 5, 2013 I agree with those who said that exercise can make shutters free up and run correctly. However, a Leica shutter should not misbehave just a year after being serviced. My experience is that if the slow speeds go bad, the faster ones soon follow. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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