My M8 resuscitates

[dem331]

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I last used it in 2017. It had suffered from the sticky shutter bug for some time, and had progressively got worse until one day no amount of fiddling around with the battery or tapping or jerking motions would get the shutter to cock. 
 

I know it was 2017 because I have a WhatsApp I wrote to a Leica repair person in Madrid (Pedro Sanchez Garcia) who had previously done some work for me saying that I was going to take it to him. However, between one thing and another, work, the M240-P which I had had for a few years, later the SL2, I never got round to it. 
 

Yesterday, for some reason I wrote to Pedro and asked him if I could take it in. He replied that he had retired. Anyway, since I had charged up the battery in the expectation of having the camera looked at, I put it in, and incredibly it started to work. I have spent all day taking pictures with it- about 50 shutter actuations (all pretty crappy IR photos I have to say) and not once has it faltered. 
 

The only thing I can think of that might have affected its behaviour, and not for any logical reason, is that the camera internal memory had totally discharged since there has been no battery in it for a few years- I know because I had to set up the date and time. 
 

Anyway, it will probably stop working soon, but until then I am going to use va it occasionally. 

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[Borna]

Interesting story! Glad ot works 🙂

[Lux50]

Happy for you that your M8 is working again.!👍 Was just taking some photos with mine today. Still a great camera.

[84bravo]

I have an M8.2 that exhibited that behavior of sticky shutter. A fresh, new, fully charged battery makes it run fine. An older battery that works in other cameras will cause those faults in My M8 with the errant shutter. A cold battery as well.

I seldom use the camera in cold weather because if it.

[dem331]

41 minutes ago, 84bravo said:

I have an M8.2 that exhibited that behavior of sticky shutter. A fresh, new, fully charged battery makes it run fine. An older battery that works in other cameras will cause those faults in My M8 with the errant shutter. A cold battery as well.

I seldom use the camera in cold weather because if it.

Thanks, very interesting. Do you use any  non-original batteries? I don’t think I can find new Leica ones anymore. 

[dem331]

Thinking about this.

Maybe the M8 battery drained totally and “recovered” to a greater capacity as  mentioned for SL2 battery  in the very interesting post #23 by @Wurlitzer-1015 of the thread linked below . This at least would be a logical explanation. 

 

 

[84bravo]

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18 hours ago, dem331 said:

Thanks, very interesting. Do you use any  non-original batteries? I don’t think I can find new Leica ones anymore. 

I use Leica original batteries. I have one generic battery that seems to work just fine.

Original batteries are still available in the US from BH or Adorama. Sometimes they go out of stock, but they seem to reappear again. New ones are about $150 ea.