M11 does not detect lens (intermittent fault)

[TonyT]

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I’m experiencing an intermittent fault with my M11 where the camera does not detect the attached lens (I have a 50 Summilux and a 75 Summicron, both brand new). When this happens the camera is able to take a photo however the shutter sounds as though it is firing twice for each individual image taken. I’ve found that the only way to correct this fault is to switch off and remove the battery for a few seconds. I have also updated to the new firmware version 1.3.0. This has not corrected the problem (in fact it may be occurring more often). 
Is this a known fault?  Is anyone else experiencing a similar problem?

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[LEGEND]

Lenses, do they have 6-bit coding?
Have you set lens recognition in camera menu to Auto?
Is the 6-bit sensor on a camera clean? Also the 6-bit markings on lens?

Perhaps you use continues shutter mode or have set the bracketing in 
camera menu. When you review photos in the camera and you take one picture 
but the shutter firing twice, do you see 2 photographs taken or just one? 
If yes then it could be one of two thing above, continues mode or bracketing.
Perhaps you think the sound that shutter make is from 2 times firing but in fact 
the shutter from M11 sound little bit different than in other M cameras.
It is always open and to work he must first close, than first curtain open, 
then the second one close and then both open again. It is really weird sound but
not very loud. You get use to it... Also when you first power up the camera you hear
the sound shutter and also when you when you shut her off. It is not the same sound 
when you take a photo. The shutter is closed all the time when the camera is off.
This is sound of the first shutter curtain that she closes when you power off the camera.
Also she make a sound when you turn her on. 

That is how my M11 works and the sound that she makes when I take a photo.
If noting that I wrote above applies to your M11 then I don't know...
This is only my analysis, perhaps someone else can help you more....

Nikola


 

[Tailwagger]

12 hours ago, TonyT said:

I’m experiencing an intermittent fault with my M11 where the camera does not detect the attached lens (I have a 50 Summilux and a 75 Summicron, both brand new)...
Is this a known fault?  Is anyone else experiencing a similar problem?

Not sure this is the problem, but I have in the past experienced this issue with new Ms. There is a bit of a bedding in process with the mount, I would imagine exacerbated by a pair of new lenses, where some finer particles get shed off the mount and dirty the sensor. Solution is simple, just wipe down the mount if it looks a little dirty.  

[TonyT]

On 3/31/2022 at 2:32 PM, Tailwagger said:

Not sure this is the problem, but I have in the past experienced this issue with new Ms. There is a bit of a bedding in process with the mount, I would imagine exacerbated by a pair of new lenses, where some finer particles get shed off the mount and dirty the sensor. Solution is simple, just wipe down the mount if it looks a little dirty.  

Thanks. I’ll try this.

[Fetchmycamera]

I have an additional problem. My body is not reading the lens consistently.  On playback it will go from correctly reading the 2/50 and then just switch to 2.8/21 as an example. Only 1 new M11 and 1 new 50 2.0 apo summicron. Posts in thread M11 bug with uncoded lens....

 

Edited April 3, 2022 by Fetchmycamera

[Segal]

Started having a similar problem recently - my 35mm Summilux is detected as a 35mm Summicron (which isn’t a big deal at all) and my 50mm Summilux is sometimes detected as 75mm Summilux which messes up the rangefinder. Tried cleaning the contacts with no luck.

[jdlaing]

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12 hours ago, Segal said:

Started having a similar problem recently - my 35mm Summilux is detected as a 35mm Summicron (which isn’t a big deal at all) and my 50mm Summilux is sometimes detected as 75mm Summilux which messes up the rangefinder. Tried cleaning the contacts with no luck.

Why would detecting the lens as 75mm mess up the rangefinder?

[Tailwagger]

On 7/30/2022 at 9:15 PM, Segal said:

 Tried cleaning the contacts with no luck.

When you say cleaning the contacts... there are no contacts per se, it's an optical interface... do you mean the markings on the lens or the strip of metal on the camera mount itself. If the former, try the latter. 

[Photoworks]

On 3/31/2022 at 9:22 AM, LEGEND said:

This is sound of the first shutter curtain that she closes when you power off the camera.

did the camera identify as a She/Her?

[Segal]

On 7/31/2022 at 10:34 PM, jdlaing said:

Why would detecting the lens as 75mm mess up the rangefinder?

Harder to frame images because the 50 mm lines aren’t displayed. No issues with EVF or Live View, but I don’t use them much when shooting 50 mm and wider.

[jdlaing]

1 hour ago, Segal said:

Harder to frame images because the 50 mm lines aren’t displayed. No issues with EVF or Live View, but I don’t use them much when shooting 50 mm and wider.

If you mount a 50 or a 75mm lens the 50 and 75mm framelines show. The framelines are not selected by 6 bit codes. If only one frameline of the paint shows you have other problems. Probably with the cam lever.

[TonyT]

As an update to my original posting [M11 does not detect lens (intermittent fault)], I contacted Leica Customer Care described the problem and sent a video of the problem as it presented itself.  They were very helpful and diagnosed the camera as being DOA.  They arranged a brand new replacement camera immediately.  The replacement M11 has worked perfectly.

I highly recommend contacting Leica for assistance with any issues you are experiencing.  I have found them to be very helpful.

[Segal]

On 8/3/2022 at 2:27 PM, jdlaing said:

If you mount a 50 or a 75mm lens the 50 and 75mm framelines show. The framelines are not selected by 6 bit codes. If only one frameline of the paint shows you have other problems. Probably with the cam lever.

Huh, indeed! Thank you

[Segal]

So, I took a closer look at the optical interface, and it seems there is either a damage or condensation right below the glass above one of the optical sensors. That'd explain why the lens detection is acting weird.

Should I send it to Leica for repairs or wait and hope that it's condensation and it'll go away at some point? 

I'll be traveling to Germany in two weeks, maybe  I should just drop by  

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[jakontil]

18 hours ago, Segal said:

So, I took a closer look at the optical interface, and it seems there is either a damage or condensation right below the glass above one of the optical sensors. That'd explain why the lens detection is acting weird.

Should I send it to Leica for repairs or wait and hope that it's condensation and it'll go away at some point? 

I'll be traveling to Germany in two weeks, maybe  I should just drop by  

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the question is. how did that happen? one of the first case i see

just drop by and pay a visit, would be a great tour as well... 

[Segal]

49 minutes ago, jakontil said:

the question is. how did that happen? one of the first case i see

just drop by and pay a visit, would be a great tour as well... 

I was in Tokyo last week, and it was extremely humid there. Still, you’d expect the rangefinder get fogged before the optical sensor. 

I’ll try putting the camera in a box with Silica gel packets for a couple of days and see if it’ll work. 

[jakontil]

6 hours ago, Segal said:

I was in Tokyo last week, and it was extremely humid there. Still, you’d expect the rangefinder get fogged before the optical sensor. 

I’ll try putting the camera in a box with Silica gel packets for a couple of days and see if it’ll work. 

Hope it worked out for you segal, yeah usually either the rangefinder and the lens that fogged out easily 

[Segal]

Well, leaving the camera in a box with Silica gel packets for 72 hours didn't help. The spot got marginally smaller, but that was it  I've sent an email to Leica Customer Care, let's see what they advise. 

It was extremely humid in Tokyo during that week, so I still believe it’s a sort of condensation that just got stuck under the glass surface. I think it was bigger too, because it used to affect my Summilux 50mm detection as well as my Summilux 35 mm detection. Now it only affects the 35 mm lens (it gets recognized as APO-Summicron 35 mm - I wish!).

I was looking through my pictures from Japan, and I can pinpoint the exact minute it happened - I have two pictures taken one minute apart and the first one has the right lens, while the second one shows the incorrect one.

Here they are - the one with sake brands is the first one, and the one with the gate is the second one.

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Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[250swb]

The fundamental user fault that can happen with lens detection is to keep your finger on the lens release button as you put the new lens on, people think they are being kind to the camera doing so. You should keep your finger off the lens release and just let the lens snap into place, otherwise the lens can rotate over centre a tiny fraction and bring up a bogus frameline and code. It's just a thought, I appreciate you've probably used a Leica M before. But if it has gone over centre when mounting it focusing the lens can then make it settle into it's correct position,  resulting in seemingly random behaviour.

Edited August 9, 2022 by 250swb

[ravinj]

12 hours ago, Segal said:

Well, leaving the camera in a box with Silica gel packets for 72 hours didn't help. The spot got marginally smaller, but that was it  I've sent an email to Leica Customer Care, let's see what they advise. 

It was extremely humid in Tokyo during that week, so I still believe it’s a sort of condensation that just got stuck under the glass surface. I think it was bigger too, because it used to affect my Summilux 50mm detection as well as my Summilux 35 mm detection. Now it only affects the 35 mm lens (it gets recognized as APO-Summicron 35 mm - I wish!).

I was looking through my pictures from Japan, and I can pinpoint the exact minute it happened - I have two pictures taken one minute apart and the first one has the right lens, while the second one shows the incorrect one.

Here they are - the one with sake brands is the first one, and the one with the gate is the second one.

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Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

I sold my M10 two years ago and the buyer took it to Mexico, extremely humid weather and it cost a fortune to repair. Here is the verbatim report:

"So , I said I would get back to you 

I drove out to Leica NJ and luckily they took the camera from me , that was a struggle but head of customer relations was sweet 

The camera is not able to tolerate heavy humidity , it was damaged internally and replacing the sensor Will run me $2,350

Ouch 

But better than saying goodbye which is what would have happened had I not drove out there , another few days and it would have been totaled"