M10 sticky frame selector

[Stein K S]

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Hi

Just got my new M10. And wow... I am immeditaly so impressed, so far particularly with the logic of the entire handling!

 

But there is one ¨quirk¨ and that is the ¨sticky¨ frame selector. It does rarely follow the lens mounted. Had the same issue when my M9 was brand new and I sent it in. But I would hate having to do this with the M10 as well. So I wondered if this will losen up with use? Any experiences on this issue with the M10 yet?

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[digitalfx]

make sure your lens is fully seated and clicks locked. Ive noticed on a few occasions the lens wasn't fully locked. The lens mount on the M10 has very tight tolerances.

[bocaburger]

Hard to say. There could possibly be a bit of something that will work its way loose, or perhaps a bur that may wear off, but my experience over the years is the frame selector either works or it doesn't, and if it's sticky it's defective and needs service. 

[adan]

It can happen with any M back to the M3. But it is a mechancial fault, not the way it is supposed to work.

 

It should be understood that the actual frameline mechanism in the finder is very delicate, and delicately balanced, with very thin sliding metal stencils with slits to form/hide the lines, and very thin (think "hairlike") wire springs that do the actual moving of the stencils. Applying much less force you apply to the lever on the front, or in mounting a lens (either of which really act more as a "release" to allow the springs to do their job in one direction or the other). Thus the tiniest speck of dust or oil on the masks can jam or glue together the stencils.

 

http://www.angelfire.com/biz/Leica/page10.html

 

It may well be possible to sit for a few minutes working the lever back and forth, which lets the springs alternately apply their delicate pressure in each direction, and eventually "unstick" whatever is causing the problem.

 

or not - in which case it will require a trip to the nearest Leica repair service for disassembly to clear whatever the problem is.

[Stein K S]

It can happen with any M back to the M3. But it is a mechancial fault, not the way it is supposed to work.

 

It should be understood that the actual frameline mechanism in the finder is very delicate, and delicately balanced, with very thin sliding metal stencils with slits to form/hide the lines, and very thin (think "hairlike") wire springs that do the actual moving of the stencils. Applying much less force you apply to the lever on the front, or in mounting a lens (either of which really act more as a "release" to allow the springs to do their job in one direction or the other). Thus the tiniest speck of dust or oil on the masks can jam or glue together the stencils.

 

http://www.angelfire.com/biz/Leica/page10.html

 

It may well be possible to sit for a few minutes working the lever back and forth, which lets the springs alternately apply their delicate pressure in each direction, and eventually "unstick" whatever is causing the problem.

 

or not - in which case it will require a trip to the nearest Leica repair service for disassembly to clear whatever the problem is.

 

 

 

Hi and thanks!

 

It now seem to ¨adjust¨ to the right lens frames when lens is mounted. However, when using the finger to push the lever either way, it seems that the resistanse... and the degree of the lever actually getting ¨stuck¨and not moving back to correct position by itself... varies from try to try. The camera is brand new (one battery life old ;-) So I will do as you propose; hang on a bit and give it some exercise.

[jant]

 

Ah, my M10 was working fine for two months. But this evening I noticed the sticky frame selector too ... I just put on a 50 Summilix (replacing the 35mm Summicron) and while shooting I noticed the larger than expected field of view. I can manually change the frame selector to the correct position so the camera is still usable.

 

Btw, it happens both with and without a lens attached.

Jan

[Stein K S]

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Ah, my M10 was working fine for two months. But this evening I noticed the sticky frame selector too ... I just put on a 50 Summilix (replacing the 35mm Summicron) and while shooting I noticed the larger than expected field of view. I can manually change the frame selector to the correct position so the camera is still usable.

 

Btw, it happens both with and without a lens attached.

Jan

 

Hi and thanks. Exactly like mine. However, mine now seemingly improving with ¨ exercise¨. Good luck!

[acolite]

I noticed this on mine, and its only a couple of weeks old, but after fiddling around with it, appears to be fine.

[Likaleica]

Just got mine in time for a much anticipated trip to New Zealand from US.  Mine is sticking exactly as described above.  I hope that it will work loose with time.

[helohe]

Mine is sticky as well, it became better a bit but now it became more sticky again, may have to do with the summer heat or something. May have to send it in sometime while still in warranty, but am lazy to do so because it does not have any other problems.

[Jeff S]

Per adan’s post, Mark’s legendary tear down shows the M8 mechanism...

 

https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/66999-anatomy-of-the-leica-m8-framelines/

 

They work the same way in the M10, although now illuminated electronically (since M240) rather than by external window.

 

Jeff

[trequartista]

Got a new M10 and same occurs to me. I use a Voigtlander 50mm 1.5. It is quite stiff and sticky swapping from 35 to 50 and vice versa. Without a lens mounted it works flawless.

Is there anybody with some long-term experiences? Will it get better or worse? Is it a reason to order a replacement?

[onasj]

I have observed this problem with two M10s (one replaced by the Leica store for this issue!).  I believe the problem can arise if there is any downward pressure placed on the frame selection lever, for example, if you store the camera lens down in a camera bag with dividers surrounding the lens (which causes the camera's weight to push down on the frame selection lever since the divider immediately left of the lens will usually be sitting just under the lever.

 

One solution that worked for me to fix the sticky frame selection lever problem is to occasionally fold a small rectangle of black construction paper (I use Neenah black cardstock) into two layers, then slide the 2-layer piece under the lever.  Having a little bit of thickness under the frame lever helps to de-stick it, and after a day or two the lever moves normally again, at least for my M10.  Of course, this fix may not work for all M10s, so your mileage may vary.

[brill64]

Could it be that the leather underneath is in contact with the lever & making it stick?

[onasj]

Could it be that the leather underneath is in contact with the lever & making it stick?

No, the sticky frame lever on my M10s was not caused by friction with the vulcanite underneath, as in both cases I could freely slide a sheet of paper underneath with no resistance. Instead, there is an aspect to the mechanism inside that is vulnerable to acquiring resistance, especially when the lever is pushed towards the back of the camera.

[PCPix]

Mine was sticking too then the lever came loose, so I took the lever off and found there was friction between the inner shaft and the bushing where it goes into the body. I put some ACF50 lubricant on a wooden toothpick and applied a tiny amount before putting the lever back on. Done about 6 months ago - and 10,000 images later no further problems.

[6bit]

Hi

Just got my new M10. And wow... I am immeditaly so impressed, so far particularly with the logic of the entire handling!

 

But there is one ¨quirk¨ and that is the ¨sticky¨ frame selector. It does rarely follow the lens mounted. Had the same issue when my M9 was brand new and I sent it in. But I would hate having to do this with the M10 as well. So I wondered if this will losen up with use? Any experiences on this issue with the M10 yet?

 

 

I picked up my second M10 two months ago. The frame selector was stick. Work it back and forth with your finger ten or so times and that should do the trick. At least it did for mine. 

[250swb]

I picked up my second M10 two months ago. The frame selector was stick. Work it back and forth with your finger ten or so times and that should do the trick. At least it did for mine. 

 

I have never even tried the frame selector lever of my M10, what a useless feature, and has been equally useless on Leica M cameras for decades. But on reading this thread thought I'd give it a try and yes, it did stick! Waggling it around a bit and it unstuck, so panic over, something that never bothered me anyway now works and all is well with the world. 

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[Gobert]

I have to agree. Completely useless.

[M11 for me]

Considering the Claim "Reduce to the max" you might think that this lever could be omitted. And then at the same time the button in front that I never use either.