Zos3000 Posted July 1, 2020 Share #1 Posted July 1, 2020 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hello everybody Two weeks ago I lost my M sync flash socket.The thread inside the „Flash Block“ is worn out and cracked (see picture). I own the camera about 3 months now (bought at a well known seller, still with warranty). Was the socket glued in? What wold you do? Leave it be, cover it with tape? Replace it with original parts? (Parts at DAG about 100€). Or 3D Print with better materials? I am afraid if I leave it, small parts of the block can fall in...who had the same problem? Thanks for yor Help! Zoran Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/311028-m4-p-lost-flash-socket/?do=findComment&comment=4002430'>More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted July 1, 2020 Posted July 1, 2020 Hi Zos3000, Take a look here M4-P lost flash socket. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
earleygallery Posted July 1, 2020 Share #2 Posted July 1, 2020 How long was the warranty for? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zos3000 Posted July 1, 2020 Author Share #3 Posted July 1, 2020 Warranty for 6 months Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
250swb Posted July 1, 2020 Share #4 Posted July 1, 2020 Send it back for repair or an agreed replacement. The actual repair is straightforward but you don't want to pay for it. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
midnightcamerarepair Posted February 3, 2022 Share #5 Posted February 3, 2022 An update to this post from 2020: I spent the past 6 months creating a new version of the M4-2 / M4-P Flash Block after running into the same issue as Zoran with my M4-2 in April 2021. Zoran and I ran into each other in the Facebook Learn Camera Repair group and I have since sent him two of these new flash blocks for his M4-P last month (Jan 2022). The attached photos are of the actual flash blocks sent to Zoran, and the one fitted to my M4-2 (the hot shoe is installed only to demonstrate how it fits). This new version is precisely modelled after the Leitz part (I bought an NOS one from DAG, which became my research sample), so it fits straight into the camera without any modifications. The block itself is 3D printed from engineering grade nylon-12, and the threads are cut into brass inserts so it is stronger and more resilient than the original. I also recreated the central hot shoe contact post in stainless steel, and the other copper contact plates from the original block and be removed and reused with this new version. I have a few flash blocks left from the initial run of ten pieces. If any fellow M4-2 or M4-P owners need this part I will be happy to ship from Hong Kong to overseas for USD40 plus p&p. I can be contacted here on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/invites/contact/?i=l54givym9t7o&utm_content=nm0a92x Kindest Albert Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/311028-m4-p-lost-flash-socket/?do=findComment&comment=4375509'>More sharing options...
Gadfly21 Posted February 4, 2022 Share #6 Posted February 4, 2022 The Leica community is so awesome! I love that folks will be able to keep these old cameras alive like this. Great find! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huss Posted February 7, 2022 Share #7 Posted February 7, 2022 Advertisement (gone after registration) On 7/1/2020 at 12:49 PM, Zos3000 said: Hello everybody Two weeks ago I lost my M sync flash socket.The thread inside the „Flash Block“ is worn out and cracked (see picture). I own the camera about 3 months now (bought at a well known seller, still with warranty). Was the socket glued in? What wold you do? Leave it be, cover it with tape? Replace it with original parts? (Parts at DAG about 100€). Or 3D Print with better materials? I am afraid if I leave it, small parts of the block can fall in...who had the same problem? Thanks for yor Help! Zoran Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Same thing happened to my M4-2. I had the socket caps on them, one snagged on my jacket and ripped it out because it is just attached in to plastic. Another one of Leica's cost cutting moves because all the Ms before the M4-2 (and later) had this as a metal part. I glued mine back in, and removed the socket caps as I don't want them to snap and rip out again. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisberg Posted February 8, 2022 Share #8 Posted February 8, 2022 20 hours ago, Huss said: Same thing happened to my M4-2. I had the socket caps on them, one snagged on my jacket and ripped it out because it is just attached in to plastic. Another one of Leica's cost cutting moves because all the Ms before the M4-2 (and later) had this as a metal part. I glued mine back in, and removed the socket caps as I don't want them to snap and rip out again. Been there done that 😁. Although now my M4-2 needs some new light seals and I might send it to DAG to see if it is worth having the flash sockets replaced at the same time. -Thomas Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpygit Posted February 2, 2023 Share #9 Posted February 2, 2023 Hi, would it be possible for me to buy one of midnightcamerarepair m4-p hot shoes please. Both my sync ports have dropped out. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
madNbad Posted February 2, 2023 Share #10 Posted February 2, 2023 On 2/6/2022 at 8:48 PM, Huss said: Same thing happened to my M4-2. I had the socket caps on them, one snagged on my jacket and ripped it out because it is just attached in to plastic. Another one of Leica's cost cutting moves because all the Ms before the M4-2 (and later) had this as a metal part. I glued mine back in, and removed the socket caps as I don't want them to snap and rip out again. Thanks for the tip. I just pulled the plugs out. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huss Posted February 2, 2023 Share #11 Posted February 2, 2023 1 minute ago, madNbad said: Thanks for the tip. I just pulled the plugs out. I'm pretty sure I shipped the camera w/o plug caps! My bad for not saying why. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
madNbad Posted February 2, 2023 Share #12 Posted February 2, 2023 4 minutes ago, Huss said: I'm pretty sure I shipped the camera w/o plug caps! My bad for not saying why. You did. I had a about a half dozen extras sitting around ad used a couple. I know the block is fragile but didn't think about a plug catching on something. Got rid of the soft release, too. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin T-M Posted February 3, 2023 Share #13 Posted February 3, 2023 Proud owner and user of two M4P's since 1984...never used with a flash 🙂 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
midnightcamerarepair Posted February 3, 2023 Share #14 Posted February 3, 2023 With the new discussion above, I thought it would be timely to post an update about the M4-2 / M4-P Flash Block project. The first batch of ten Flash Blocks, made January 2022, had sold out in less than six months. That was encouraging so I decided to not only make a larger second batch of Flash Blocks, but also to expand the project to reproduce the flash sockets which are often lost as a result of the Flash Blocks failing. The design and prototyping took about 5 months, and in November 2022 the first production run of twenty sockets had been completed. The socket very closely matches the original in design, materiality, look and feel. To date, around 25 flash blocks and 5 sockets have been sold to owners, camera dealers and repair technicians and pleased to say that so far everyone has been happy with the quality. I can be found on this forum, or on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/midnightcamerarepair/ Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/311028-m4-p-lost-flash-socket/?do=findComment&comment=4669622'>More sharing options...
midnightcamerarepair Posted February 4, 2023 Share #15 Posted February 4, 2023 (edited) On 2/7/2022 at 12:48 PM, Huss said: Same thing happened to my M4-2. I had the socket caps on them, one snagged on my jacket and ripped it out because it is just attached in to plastic. Another one of Leica's cost cutting moves because all the Ms before the M4-2 (and later) had this as a metal part. I glued mine back in, and removed the socket caps as I don't want them to snap and rip out again. From having designed the new replacement part, Leica’s choice to use plastic on the M4-2 and onwards flash block was likely to do with the electrical insulation it provided for the then-new hot shoe. The older metal flash block wouldn’t have worked. The M4-2 has a reputation of having gone through a cost cutting exercise, but having disassembled the M4-2 for CLA, it is still all metal inside, and the parts are to a similar quality as the earlier M cameras. The cost saving for Leica might have come from the Canadian workforce (which probably costed less than the German one) and a different assembly philosophy where parts were allowed larger tolerances so less time had to be spent on picking and fettling them for a perfect fit. These were perhaps influences from Minolta. The design changes that reduced the M camera’s complexity happened much earlier, when the M3 evolved to the single stroke model. The series of revisions made the rangefinder construction simpler and the individual shutter brakes for the opening and closing curtains was combined into a single unit. The M2, M4 and later models were based on this less complex construction. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Edited February 4, 2023 by midnightcamerarepair 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/311028-m4-p-lost-flash-socket/?do=findComment&comment=4670769'>More sharing options...
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