Jump to content

Help please


D44

Recommended Posts

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Any ideas please as regards the following issue.

My M8 was in my backpack in a protective leather case. A water pouch in my backpack leaked (not anything major) making the backpack damp. I noticed it within 10 minutes or so of the leak (I know this as I had been using the camera and had taken a drink from the water pouch before putting them both back into the then still dry backpack and beginning my return hike). As soon as I felt my backpack damp I immediately removed the camera from the backpack/case and checked it. The case felt a little damp (not soaked) but the camera felt dry.

Concerned because the case had gotten damp I tried to use the camera. It made an odd whirring/mechanical sound and wouldn’t respond so I removed the battery and carried it back to my hotel around my neck; I didn’t put it back into the backpack nor back into its case.

When back in the hotel, I left it out in a warm dry environment for a few days with the battery out. After a few days it began responding again, apparently taking images but whatever setting I use all I get is a blank white image that sometimes then turns black. I am also noticing that the information panel (shutter speed) viewed through the view finder is incomplete. The range finder is fine and I can view previous images without issue. I can also alter the cameras settings etc. I have changed my SD card in case that is the issue but nothing changes.

For the sake of completeness,  the weather was sunny, hot and dry when it happened.

Anyone have any idea of what might be going on. I have passed by a few Leica shops but it being August (in Europe) they’ve all gone swimming….

D

Link to post
Share on other sites

Welcome to the forum. Sorry that your first post has to be one like this.

I'm not technically qualified enough to give you a definitive answer but it would be worth having your M8 checked by a professional.

I hope you manage to get it sorted. Let us know?

Ernst

Link to post
Share on other sites

D44,  Welcome to the forum.  Your M8 circuit board more than likely has water damage.  Yes, drying it out might have helped, but most likely, you might consider taking it to a Leica shop for a better look.  The age of the model will be the main issue.  When it comes to water damage, one usually needs to plan for the worst and hope for the best. I once had an assistant that dropped my Leica M9 in a stream.  I knew it was DOA and didn't even bother sending it in.  Just wrote it off as a loss.  Other photographers on the forum might be able to give you advice.  Best of luck.  r/ Mark

Edited by LeicaR10
Link to post
Share on other sites

I suspect it will take more than a short visit to a Leica shop to sort this out. In your shoes I would (a) buy another camera for the rest of your trip (plenty of those at a good price if you avoid Leica) (b) when you get home contact Leica either directly or via your local dealer to get the camera checked out (c) look out your insurance policy (d) be prepared for the worst: unrepairable M8 and a new camera needed.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Worth a try to to put it in a bag of rice for a day or two and see if that dries it out enough for you to continue using. Beyond that, repairing water damage in a Leica as old as an M8 is just not economical. If you really love the M8, buy another one used in decent condition. You can probably get $500 on eBay for the dead camera sold as-is for parts. You can find a used M8 for less than $1500.

Good luck!

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi all. Thanks for the welcome. 

It is precisely as I thought having seen (among other things including Leica’s upgrades since) the various previous posts about the M8 and it’s aversion to any level (it seems) of moisture. 

Looks like I have been lucky to have had it survive this long; it’s been a good companion on many excursions/trips in all sorts of weather. It was just unlucky this time.

All the suggestions made are great, with thanks. I have already initiated an insurance claim but ultimately it depends on cost; the excess I will pay may make it uneconomical. Next step is likely to be (insurance dependant; i.e. what they require) getting Leica to have a look and report back.

My greatest challenge in all this is that I hate to see something that has still some life potential having to be disposed of because of economics. Such a waste and burden on our already burdened world. Put it this way, our dishwasher is 20 years old and still going strong (What’s that dear? Water is flooding out from where…?)

Thanks again to all.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Actually the age of the camera is irrelevant. Normally Leica won't touch a camera with moisture damage as the basic problem is short circuits by corrosion. Corrosion damage is progressive, and even if they replace and clean the places they can see are affected, it is fairly certain that the problem will reoccur elsewhere over time. The light metal frame will be affected too, the currents flowing everywhere will promote electrolytic corrosion. A water-damaged camera is nearly always a write-off, regardless of age and value.

Link to post
Share on other sites

It’s not economics, either.  It’s electronics!

My first Nikon FE took a swim, and the camera shop said my mistake was to bend down and pick it up.  It’s a write-off, and an insurance claim.

To give you an example, a month or so ago I knocked a glass of fresh water over the keyboard of my MacBook Pro.  I immediately tipped it over, unscrewed the back, cleaned up what water I could see and dried it out following the instructions on the Apple Support website.  It worked for a month or two, then died.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...