Unreliable flash port on Leica m4 (issue using flash with camera)

[michaeltmonaco]

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Hey my name is mike and i've had my m4 since june and absolutely love the camera.  I got it cla'd by yye camera and it works great.  Only issue is I love to shoot with flash and when I try doing so with this camera it is extremely unreliable..  I have never used the leica brand pc sync cord's and was curious if that could be the issue, but have tested the cords I have on all of the other film cameras I own and they work no problem at all.  I have the vivitar 285hv and that comes with a sync cable already attached to the flash then put the other end on the socket of the camera and it works about 10 percent of the time.  My other method was buying a hot shoe adapter and then putting my metz flash atop / and or my small nikon this again only worked rarely and with intense fidgeting of the cable.  If anyone has any advice I would really appreciate it.  Thanks a lot.

 

Best,

Mike

 

 

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[spydrxx]

I used various flash units on my M4 for over 40 years and never had a problem. It sounds like there may some corrosion within your camera body. Since Youxin did a CLA, I'd contact him to see if he noticed anything.

[earleygallery]

Yes, return it to the guy who CLA'd it as there's obviously some issue with the flash socket connections. 

[tommonego@gmail.com]

I'd email Youxin especially if he did a CLA, he is very good at returning emails. Also a intermittent flash failure seems weird, there isn't anything electronic with the M4, if it is a broken wire the flash should either work or not work. Perhaps give the male PC plug tip a squeeze could be a bad connection there, PC cords can work on some cameras and not others. also the M4 has a max flash synch speed of 1/60 of a second.

[TomB_tx]

The flash is fired by mechanical contacts in the body. Likely dirty, corroded, of greasy.