Problems with new m240

[michaelbrenner]

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I took my new M 240 for a spin in Death Valley but found three deal-breaking problems. First, the frame lines failed to resize for the lens. I attached uncoded lenses and entered the lens (or in the case of the R lens, its closest equivalent) manually using the camera menu. Then mysteriously after three days of continuous use the problem went away and the frame lines started resizing properly.

 

Second problem, much more severe in my view, was when using uncoded lenses, intermittently when manually set via menu the camera would produce a fully black image (as if the lens cap had been removed except the shutter sounded normal and not delayed as it would if the lens cap had been left on). As I only infrequently chimp many time I would lose a whole series of shots from this phenomenon. Live view would also be black. I could work around the problem by setting the lens to none. Then by setting the lens to manual and back to none several times and by cycling power I could finally get the capture to properly function for while before it again malfunctioned. This occurred with uncoded lenses being set manually.

 

Finally, I intermittently encounter vertical banding on the left 1/3 of the image worse leftmost then graduating to the normal image as one progresses to the right. Again an intermittent problem with different lenses, occurring during the daytime ISO200 various shutter speeds, F/1.4-11. Banding occurs in a series of pictures. Then stops for awhile. Then starts up again.

 

Am I doing something wrong or did I just get a lemon? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Has anyone else run into this?

Edited January 11, 2015 by michaelbrenner
clarify

[Jeff S]

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-m-type-240/356791-pitch-black-photos.html

 

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-m-type-240/330860-0-0-viewfinder-wrong-framelines.html?langid=2

 

Might not be same as your issue(s), but perhaps some ideas.

 

Banding issues are more commonly related to high ISO/underexposed pics.

 

Jeff

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[michaelbrenner]

black photos - definitely similar, but not the same as I could alleviate the problem by switching to "none" for lens.

 

Here's a link to the black DNG: https://www.dropbox.com/s/5efswa0jp30l3uo/L1000017.DNG?dl=0

[jaapv]

Exchange it for another one at your dealer. This is not as it should be. It sounds like a power management problem, except for the framelines. Those are mechanical, and that was not really worriome as the problem resolved itself.

[michaelbrenner]

frame lines - thanks for the referral to the thread. That thread appears to relate to "auto" lens detection whereas in this case I'm letting the camera know which lens is attached by using "manual". Still - perhaps it's a mount issue. Possibly the framelines "default" to the widest possible (almost takes up the entire view finder) when the lens is not firmly attached, even though the lens type has been set manually. Not sure about that one. But thank you again for the reference.

[michaelbrenner]

Perhaps "vertical banding" is misleading. It appears to be vertical banding to my eye, but possibly a more knowledgeable eye might interpret it differently. Look on the left side of the pic, and you can't miss it. I have many other pics / situations where this occurred. If more are necessary, let me know and I can post additional links.

 

The link to the DNG is https://www.dropbox.com/s/asd5r4u7uzz1mhi/L1000733.DNG?dl=0

 

If anyone knows what this is or what causes it, your insights would be most appreciated - thanks.

[jaapv]

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That is very likely an electronic failure of the sensor motherboard. As I said return it for another one.

[jaapv]

frame lines - thanks for the referral to the thread. That thread appears to relate to "auto" lens detection whereas in this case I'm letting the camera know which lens is attached by using "manual". Still - perhaps it's a mount issue. Possibly the framelines "default" to the widest possible (almost takes up the entire view finder) when the lens is not firmly attached, even though the lens type has been set manually. Not sure about that one. But thank you again for the reference.

The framelines have no connection with lens detection, they are fully mechanical, but no matter, as you won't be keeping the camera anyway

[michaelbrenner]

I'm sending it back. Glad to hear it wasn't me. Many thanks for the quick responses.