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Shutter release not working all of a sudden...HELP!


Soapmaker

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Dear Members,

                          I am a newbie to the forum and would much appreciate your help on this topic. I have been a Leica user for 3-4 years. I was shooting with my M9 today (on 'S' mode) and the shutter release button stopped working all of a sudden and without provocation! The battery had enough juice in it. The camera was not buffering at that instant. Now, I have had the camera freeze up on me in the past. So, as in the past, I tried taking out the battery and SD card and putting it back again, without any success. Changing the battery and SD card also did not help. I tried using my bulb air blower to get rid of any dust or debris, but it did not seem to help. I tried putting the camera on C and timer mode, and they did not work either. I typically use 'Soft' release mode. So, I changed it to 'Standard' mode, but that also did not help. It looks like all the other buttons on the camera work, except the shutter release.

 

To add, the humidity was not high, the temperature was moderate, and there were no signs of camera, battery or SD card heating up. The shutter sound (before it stopped working) was usual.

 

Firmware is 1.196. I have also reset the camera to factory settings, without any success.

 

The camera is in good condition, and I have handled it pretty carefully. So, needless to say this issue is quite concerning!

 

Is there anything else I can do to make the shutter button work? Or is my only option to send it to a service center? If I have to send it to a service center, what is the best place to send it to - New Jersey or Solms or 3rd party?

 

Please HELP!!!

 

 

 

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Welcome, sorry to hear you had to find us with a problem.

It is of course impossible to tell through a computer screen what is wrong with the camera. It may be as simple as a loose connection, it may be an electronic component that failed or the shutter itself may have a fault. Send it to Leica, either directly to NJ, or through your dealer. A third party cannot help, unless this is indeed the flex come loose under the switch(unlikely)

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Dear Members,

                          I am a newbie to the forum and would much appreciate your help on this topic. I have been a Leica user for 3-4 years. I was shooting with my M9 today (on 'S' mode) and the shutter release button stopped working all of a sudden and without provocation! The battery had enough juice in it. The camera was not buffering at that instant. Now, I have had the camera freeze up on me in the past. So, as in the past, I tried taking out the battery and SD card and putting it back again, without any success. Changing the battery and SD card also did not help. I tried using my bulb air blower to get rid of any dust or debris, but it did not seem to help. I tried putting the camera on C and timer mode, and they did not work either. I typically use 'Soft' release mode. So, I changed it to 'Standard' mode, but that also did not help. It looks like all the other buttons on the camera work, except the shutter release.

 

To add, the humidity was not high, the temperature was moderate, and there were no signs of camera, battery or SD card heating up. The shutter sound (before it stopped working) was usual.

 

Firmware is 1.196. I have also reset the camera to factory settings, without any success.

 

The camera is in good condition, and I have handled it pretty carefully. So, needless to say this issue is quite concerning!

 

Is there anything else I can do to make the shutter button work? Or is my only option to send it to a service center? If I have to send it to a service center, what is the best place to send it to - New Jersey or Solms or 3rd party?

 

Please HELP!!!

Yes Jaap is dead right - no one can say through t'internet. I had the same condition with the same camera mid-holiday in Venice in January. It did cost a bit for Leica Wetzlar to fix and they took a couple of months to do it (but completed the repair within the timeline they offered at the beginning). The positive side is they exchanged the sensor while they had it for free - and you are still in the time range for free sensor replacement. The camera returned in perfect condition.

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Thank you so much, for your response. Turn out, my camera started working normally after I left it overnight to "cool off." Not sure what is going on. Any way, next time it happens, the camera will be going to NJ. Again, much appreciate your quick response.

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I had a rather similar problem with my M9 before. The shutter just suddenly stopped recocking after a shot was taken. And unlike in your case, mine didn't start working again after being left overnight. At that time the shutter had already clocked around 30K actuations so I just sent the camera to Leica Wetzlar. They repaired the shutter mechanism free of charge for me, with a turnaround time of around 3 weeks. 

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  • 1 month later...

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Things like this happen all the time ...  it's part of the routine !

 

There seems to be this persistent myth that Leica cameras are holding up better

then other brands - I do not know where this comes from ???

I shoot mechanical Ms for 41 years and digital Ms for 11 - Nothing has changed !

One camera is always out and at one repair service or the other.

As a pro the repair service is what keeps you really going !

Even 3 camera bodies will keep you only somewhat in the green -

having 4 bodies is much safer ( no matter what brand ).

Edited by Mark Ebert
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Things like this happen all the time ...  it's part of the routine !

 

There seems to be this persistent myth that Leica cameras are holding up better

then other brands - I do not know where this comes from ???

I shoot mechanical Ms for 41 years and digital Ms for 11 - Nothing has changed !

One camera is always out and at one repair service or the other.

As a pro the repair service is what keeps you really going !

Even 3 camera bodies will keep you only somewhat in the green -

having 4 bodies is much safer ( no matter what brand ).

 

I agree with everything except your last four words ("...no matter what brand."). I had two Canon 5D bodies and multiple Canon L lenses for 12 years before switching to Leica. Canon was rock solid and I think I only had one temporary issue in all those years, and that too because of high humidity. From online reading, I always knew Leica would be nowhere as reliable as a Canon. If you ask me, Leica is a BAD BAD value for your hard-earned $$. However, the appeal for me to switch to Leica was the small size combined with full frame sensor and superior image quality. I was sick of carrying the heavy Canon gear. If Canon (or Nikon or Olympus) would have come up with a digital rangefinder with much smaller form factor, I would have switched to that, and not to Leica.

 

Anyway, just wanted to update - My Leica M9 again went belly up. This time I sent it to Leica Service Center in New Jersey on July 14th. When contacted them by phone, they told me it would take 4 wks for fixing the issue. They also emailed me the right paperwork. In exactly one week after sending the camera, I received an email from them. There seemed to be two distinct issues - one to do with the printed circuit board malfunction, and second to do with sensor cover glass coating separation. The total bill was going to be $430. I have requested them to fix the sensor issue for free, based on everything I have read online. I have not heard anything from them, in response. If they follow their timing, I should have my camera back in 2 wks. I will provide an update when I get my camera back, and have tested it.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I agree with everything except your last four words ("...no matter what brand."). I had two Canon 5D bodies and multiple Canon L lenses for 12 years before switching to Leica. Canon was rock solid and I think I only had one temporary issue in all those years, and that too because of high humidity. From online reading, I always knew Leica would be nowhere as reliable as a Canon. If you ask me, Leica is a BAD BAD value for your hard-earned $$. However, the appeal for me to switch to Leica was the small size combined with full frame sensor and superior image quality. I was sick of carrying the heavy Canon gear. If Canon (or Nikon or Olympus) would have come up with a digital rangefinder with much smaller form factor, I would have switched to that, and not to Leica. 

No matter what brand is almost correct, I once had two Canon 5Dmk2, first one is a fresh one week old, it froze up on me on photoshot at remote island, its fine after half an hour. Second Canon 5Dmk2 froze in the F1 event at Singapore, after few burst shot, this time I brought to Canon rep Singapore, cost me around $500.

Now I have and had total 6 Leica cameras from Dlux typ 109, Q, MM1, MP240, M10 and SL, none of them ever had an issues, not one.

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No matter what brand is almost correct, I once had two Canon 5Dmk2, first one is a fresh one week old, it froze up on me on photoshot at remote island, its fine after half an hour. Second Canon 5Dmk2 froze in the F1 event at Singapore, after few burst shot, this time I brought to Canon rep Singapore, cost me around $500.

Now I have and had total 6 Leica cameras from Dlux typ 109, Q, MM1, MP240, M10 and SL, none of them ever had an issues, not one.

 

Thanks for sharing the data points. I had no idea. I stand corrected.

 

Update on my Leica M9 - At this point Leica NJ is 1 wk late and still no news about my M9. I sent them an email last Fri....let's see if I hear back anything.

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Update - After not hearing from Leica after 2 wks past due, I decided to call them. They first did not have any information on me giving the go-ahead on the service. Then, they tell me it's going to take 1-2 months more since they are waiting for the part to come. And they volunteer this information only when I tried to probe deeper. What an appalling customer service!!

 

I am planing to write to their corporate customer service about this experience. As far as I am concerned, 2-3 month wait for getting consumer electronic good serviced is unacceptable. My projects are suffering because of their inferior quality control.

 

Any words of wisdom from you folks?

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If you have project, have backup.

 

I had M8 as backup for M-E. Lovely camera and shares same battery.

Nikon and Canon have more sufficient service comparing to Leica NJ. Usually, if these cameras works from new, they will for years. 

Film Leica is as good as digital one, if not better, IMO. No Leica NJ is needed to service it.

BH has A7 for 800$ new. FF and works with many Leica lenses. 

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