M8 "Attention Shutter Fault" error...

[spaabeck]

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Hi,

 

This is my first post. I wish it was a cheerier one. Yesterday I received an M8 via EBAY from 1080Photography that had about 8000 clicks on it. It came with all accessories and had almost no brassing. Looked great. With the glee of a child I put my 35/2 ASPH on it and began exploring it's glory.

 

I let it warm up from shipping but after all too few exposures I got an "Attention: Drive Blocked" error. If I turned it off it would be OK for a few clicks then I would get the error again. This morning I got a more ominous "Attention Shutter Fault" error. Oddly, this afternoon I am getting no errors???

 

Basically I need an informed opinion about whether I should just press the seller to just take it back. It seems to me that this is a very bad start and that even if it seems OK now it will eventually need to go back for repair to Leica$$$.

 

As I type I guess that I can see the answer for myself however I am wondering if other s have been down this road. A brief search via Google did come up with a few similar posts. Most ended up sending their M8 back to Leica for a shutter replacement.

 

Not a good way to start my Leica romance but I still really like the camera...

 

Best,

 

Paul

[gbealnz]

Hi Paul,

A warm welcome to the forum, a very cheery place it is too, with many many knowledgeable people ready to help.

 

I have had a couple of M8's and love them, fortunately without issues. I contemplated another recently, but elected to get an X Vario instead, for no other reason than I did. I still pine for the M8. It would co-exist nicely with my M6 etc.

 

In your case, and I am sorry to hear of it, I would simply start again, send it back and start again, either with another M8 or an M9.

 

Others will have answers, I know of at least one forum member who returned his faulty shutter M8 to Leica to the tune of about 600 quid I believe. Having said that, once rectified it should be a very good unit.

 

Gary

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[Jeff S]

Sorry to hear. Suggest that you buy from a reputable Leica dealer, with warranty. And get personal insurance for things the warranty doesn't cover. Then you can concentrate on pics.

 

A search will bring up various threads on your issue, as here.

 

Jeff

[spaabeck]

Sorry to hear. Suggest that you buy from a reputable Leica dealer, with warranty. And get personal insurance for things the warranty doesn't cover. Then you can concentrate on pics.

 

A search will bring up various threads on your issue, as here.

 

Jeff

 

Thanks for the welcome and the replies. Searching here did come up with a lot of similar threads but left me feeling that I should press 1080Photography to accept the return. The good news bad news is that tonight when I tried to get a photo of the error on the LCD screen of course it did not appear.

 

Hopefully they can accept the return and I can move on to a better unit.

 

Best,

 

Paul

Washington DC

[spaabeck]

Well it gets worse... I contacted 1080Photography via EBAY and they asked me if I could take it to a camera shop to be checked out. Not a good sign.

 

Turned the camera on this morning and tried to take a photo. Shutter cycled multiple times(was set to “S”) and then camera went dead. Could not even read the menu. When I first turned it on the battery still showed 25%.

 

Turned camera off and back on. Shutter cycled a couple of times but cannot show menu still. The camera seems to be dead. I am going to charge the battery and try again but it is my plan to mail the camera back tomorrow.

 

Thank God for feedback on EBAY! I am hoping that 1080Camera will do the right thing...

[wda]

What a sad start to Leica ownership. My commiserations. Seriously, I would take every possible step to reject this camera as not meeting its advertised condition. No amount of tinkering will remove doubt from your mind, other than a Leica overhaul - but not at your expense. I wish you well and, like others, recommend that you deal with an authorised Leica dealer.

[spaabeck]

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I finally got a reply from the vendor via EBAY. He accepted my return so things are looking better. I agree that even if the shutter went into remission I would always wonder when it would decide to give up. Not a good start to an enduring relationship :-)

 

I am now looking on EBAY for M8's that are offered from authorized Leica dealers.

 

Is there any reason to pay extra for an 8.2? So far I had not seen a compelling reason...

 

Thanks again for the encouragement!

 

Best,

 

Paul

[Guest]

...Is there any reason to pay extra for an 8.2? ...

 

Not, if you want to avoid possible shutter faults.

My M8.2 went to Leica several times because of these mistakes.

They told me of problems like misunderstandings between the mechanical and electronic parts.

[Jeff S]

Is there any reason to pay extra for an 8.2? So far I had not seen a compelling reason...

 

I have owned 2 M8.2s, each problem-free (still retain one for back-up to my M240). Despite the above comment, the M8.2 has been the most reliable digital M that I know, which doesn't mean some users haven't had issues, but less certainly than early M8s, or M9s and its derivatives….too early to tell on the M240.

 

The M8.2 differs from the stock M8 in 3 basic respects….sapphire screen, quieter shutter (with corresponding loss of 1/8000 speed) and frame lines optimized for 2m (instead of .7m). You may also find 'upgraded' M8s that have one, two or all three of these changes. The fully upgraded M8 still differs from the M8.2, however, in covering and finishes….and the black M8.2 has a black logo.

 

Personally, I think the revised frame lines, optimized for 2m (the same as on the M240), are alone worth the price. And, without proof, I think it's generally a better sorted camera than the M8. But that's just me. With warranty and insurance, though, one can feel comfortable with either model. The 'coffee stain' LCD issue, if that's a concern, retains the same risk.

 

Pics will be the same, regardless, so it really comes down to personal preference.

 

Jeff

[lct]

+1. Beware that the "coffee stain" problem has been reported on several M8.2 bodies, including mine. My stain has totally disappeared fortunately but i would check or ask the seller to confirm that the sample you're interested in is not affected.

[jaapv]

I would say a stain is mainly a haggling argument.

[lct]

I would say a stain is mainly a haggling argument.

Would you be happy to discover than your LCD has such a stain and you can do nothing to fix it?

[jaapv]

If the price were right, why not? It does not impact the usability of the camera.

[spaabeck]

Things are looking up. I was able to get a snapshot of the shutter error and the seller has accepted the camera back. Just waiting for the refund now.

 

In the meantime I found a really mint M8.2 for almost the same(good) price with a recent CLA. Hope to get it in the next couple of days.

 

I really liked the feel of the M8 for the brief time I had it!

 

Thanks for the suggestions and enjoy the holidays.

[farnz]

… Others will have answers, I know of at least one forum member who returned his faulty shutter M8 to Leica to the tune of about 600 quid I believe. Having said that, once rectified it should be a very good unit.

Yes, that was me and Gary's right it's a very good unit now.

 

The 'report' from Wetzlar said that they had repaired the shutter (rather than replacing it) but nothing else and my M8 has retained its 1/8000th shutter speed. The repair came to a little over £500 (including VAT) and my M8 was back in my hands within 4 weeks without any cajoling.

 

I've had a M240 for more than a year now and I love it's quiet shutter so when I returned to the M8 to continue shooting handheld infrared I was surprised at my 'new' M8's loud and 'sproingy' shutter noise compared to my M240. Since it has been repaired though, my M8's shutter is difficult to tell from my M240 and the shutter release is as smooth as silk so I think I made the right choice in having it repaired.

 

 

Spaabeck, I'm glad the seller accepted your M8 back.

 

Pete.

[Everywhen]

Either get your money back or send it to Leica, they repair shutters FOC and give the camera a CLA as well.