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M7 shooting blanks


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Hi guys,

 

My M7 is shooting 2-3 blank frames per roll. I suspect the blanks to be in the vertical orientation. A CLA at the local Leica technician cured another issue I was having (dark borders at higher shutter speeds) but not the blanks issue. I read online that batteries could be causing the problem so I replaced the batteries and still got the same problem. Any ideas?

 

Thank you in advance for your comments.

 

Edward

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Is it at one specific shutter speed? I had blank frames from my M2, investigation showed it was only at 1/1000 where the shutter curtains were not always opening.

I'm not really sure but the missing frames were most probably shot at around 1/60 to 1/250. What they have in common is the vertical orientation if I remember correctly. May I ask how did you finally solve the problem?

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I would suggest you run a test film through yours checking every shutter speed, also fire the shutter at various speeds while looking through the back, you'll be able to see if the shutter doesn't open.

 

I sent mine for repair, a CLA and shutter adjustment cured it.

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I'm not really sure but the missing frames were most probably shot at around 1/60 to 1/250. What they have in common is the vertical orientation if I remember correctly. May I ask how did you finally solve the problem?

 

 

Could they perhaps be frames shot at 1/60 and 1/125, the two mechanically timed speeds on the M7? Maybe something about the combination of portrait orientation and those mechanically timed speeds is the culprit. It should be possible to check what might be happening by firing the camera without a film in it and the back open.

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Update: I am unable to reproduce the problem without film. My feeling is that the slight additional resistance on the film advance gears may be causing the problem. I shot a test roll and noted shutter speeds and orientation.

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Update: I am unable to reproduce the problem without film. My feeling is that the slight additional resistance on the film advance gears may be causing the problem. I shot a test roll and noted shutter speeds and orientation.

 

Hopefully the film will give you an answer, my problem was intermittent and it took 2 months of testing to narrow it down.

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Thank you Mike!

 

I got my film back today from the lab. Seven shots missing, randomly, high and low shutter speeds, both horizontal and vertical. A couple of shots show some very faint details, like underexposed by 5-6 stops. Most are completely blank. Very confusing.

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I know it's different but the shutter on my original R3 started playing up, firing but not always exposing the frame, basically an intermittent fault causing the shutter curtains to fail to open.

 

Seems like your camera has the same issue. Fortunately the cloth shutter can be serviced, the shutter 'module' in my R3 can't!

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I got my film back today from the lab. Seven shots missing, randomly, high and low shutter speeds, both horizontal and vertical. A couple of shots show some very faint details, like underexposed by 5-6 stops. Most are completely blank. Very confusing.

 

Focal plane shutters operate by either fully opening and exposing the whole frame at once (slower speeds) or creating a slit as first one curtain/blade system operates followed by the other. If you are getting blank frames it sounds very much like the second shutter curtain/blade system is being triggered and operating prematurely (this would also account for extremely underexposed frames too). Either way a shutter repair/service should sort it

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