M11 suddenly doesn’t turn on

[Mat Kubik]

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Hi!

 

I own Leica M11 for 3 years now. It’s been mostly flawless period besides some quirks with FW and SD cards last year.

 

Now the problem is much bigger - everything was fine until I wasn’t. I landed in Svalbard went to my place and today when I tried to switch on the camera (inside 18 degrees, average humidity) it did not start. I took out battery, change it to other (one was at 80% l, other below - I charge them now) , took SD card, switch to another one, change lens from APO Summicron 50 to Elmarit 28 nothing. At some point it began displaying light upon inserting battery but still no luck with turning on. When I tried to use USB-C in camera slot it sometimes blinks (bottom) green and the orange led on the back switches on at the beginning. Few times at this point live view display switched on for a brief second (it showed pretty much at the same time both full and empty battery sign - both batteries (Leica charger shows 80%) but it doesn’t always happen. So I don’t know. Some things above happen intermittently but basically camera is not operational. It looks like without any power. But batteries were fine 2 weeks ago. Along with camera. No I put fully charged battery - no luck.  Also there is no shutter sound at the beginning because there is also no beginning. Any hints? 
 

cheers 

Mateusz Kubik

[Mat Kubik]

2 minutes ago, Al Brown said:

I have said this a million times and will say it again and again - always bring another backup body. Sadly I travel two digital Ms, two Sony FXs, two Hasselblads. Because not only is it convenient not to change lenses, it is also this exact use case.

Hope you solve this mess on this bucket list trip. I really feel your pain.

Thanks Al!

 

You’re of course right. The reason I didn’t is that I still collecting cash for M11 Mono. But I have M6 with me. Fortunately it’s not bucket trip for me - it’s my other job - running boats. But nevertheless I had some plans regarding these photos. I’ll be back here soon but the conditions now are unique. 
 

Cheers!

 

 

[Mat Kubik]

Also another thing - charging using usb - c doesn’t work right now. It was present before. And with battery inserted when I press shutter I can see blinking symbols in rangefinder for a second. 

[pedaes]

2 hours ago, Mat Kubik said:

I own Leica M11

From a previous thread 

"customer service Leica suggested a hard reset which means keeping the thumb wheel and the function button pressed for 30 seconds. Initially the camera did not respond, but after three times and also removing and inserting the battery the camera turned on again."

[lct]

I would do a camera reset to begin with but you did it already i guess.

[Mat Kubik]

1 hour ago, lct said:

I would do a camera reset to begin with but you did it already i guess.

By reset you mean keeping the thumb wheel pressed and left FN button for 30 seconds? 

[lct]

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16 minutes ago, Mat Kubik said:

By reset you mean keeping the thumb wheel pressed and left FN button for 30 seconds? 

Just the quick one to begin with (main menu page 5).

[pgh]

4 hours ago, Al Brown said:

I have said this a million times and will say it again and again - always bring another backup body. Sadly I travel two digital Ms, two Sony FXs, two Hasselblads. Because not only is it convenient not to change lenses, it is also this exact use case.

Hope you solve this mess on this bucket list trip. I really feel your pain.

This is gets to the fatal flaw with Leica.

Assuming a second exorbitantly expensive body is a reasonable or attainable thing. Totally misses the financial stretch the first Leica is for most serious photographers. The one thing I agree with is that it is indeed sad to have to travel with 2 (!!) digital M’s. 

While a backup body is good for a professional no one in their right mind is bringing a second Nikon or Canon body for trip solely out of fear of breakage.  

[LocalHero1953]

3 minutes ago, pgh said:

While a backup body is good for a professional no one in their right mind is bringing a second Nikon or Canon body for trip solely out of fear of breakage.  

I guess I wasn't in my right mind when I took a Leica TL2 to India as back up for my CL and lenses on holiday.🤷‍♂️

But I'm a total amateur - I can be out of my mind and take photographs.

Edited April 28 by LocalHero1953

[pgh]

1 minute ago, Al Brown said:

They do not know how cool it is not having to change lenses.
(I am a professional as well, but still...)

This is why I said “solely out of fear of breakage” 

[pgh]

1 minute ago, LocalHero1953 said:

I guess I wasn't in my right mind when I took a Leica TL2 to India as back up for my CL and lenses on holiday.🤷‍♂️

But I'm a total amateur - I can be out of my mind and take photographs.

You misunderstand me. If you’d brought a Japanese camera that won’t break you’d be out of your mind. 

Bringing a second Leica is about as rational as the already out of one’s mind Leica photographer can be. It’s justified in a practical sense just a damn shame that’s the case - especially given the cost. 

[geoffc60]

5 minutes ago, pgh said:

This is gets to the fatal flaw with Leica.

Assuming a second exorbitantly expensive body is a reasonable or attainable thing. Totally misses the financial stretch the first Leica is for most serious photographers. The one thing I agree with is that it is indeed sad to have to travel with 2 (!!) digital M’s. 

While a backup body is good for a professional no one in their right mind is bringing a second Nikon or Canon body for trip solely out of fear of breakage.  

Plenty of people I know (myself included) always pack a second body - and yes EVEN when I was still shooting Canon/Nikon. Nothing unusual in that. No technology is immune to faults or failures unfortunately.

[LBJ2]

59 minutes ago, Mat Kubik said:

By reset you mean keeping the thumb wheel pressed and left FN button for 30 seconds? 

Did you get a chance to try the "hard reset" @pedaes quoted above? 

"customer service Leica suggested a hard reset which means keeping the thumb wheel and the function button pressed for 30 seconds. Initially the camera did not respond, but after three times and also removing and inserting the battery the camera turned on again."

 

Edited April 28 by LBJ2

[Mat Kubik]

47 minutes ago, lct said:

Just the quick one to begin with (main menu page 5).

That be cool to have it working. No. It doesn’t turn on. 

[Mat Kubik]

10 minutes ago, LBJ2 said:

Did you get a chance to try the "hard reset" @pedaes quoted above? 

"customer service Leica suggested a hard reset which means keeping the thumb wheel and the function button pressed for 30 seconds. Initially the camera did not respond, but after three times and also removing and inserting the battery the camera turned on again."

 

That’s tricky. Is it performed when the camera is on? Mine does not turn on. Once pr twice I got a glimpse of something on screen for second. And when I plug usb c I see eed diode for a while and rangefinder marks and sometimes symbols in bottom line. For a second or two. 

[lct]

1 minute ago, Mat Kubik said:

That be cool to have it working. No. It doesn’t turn on. 

Sorry for that. I would try a hard reset then, see @pedaes's post above.

[pgh]

13 minutes ago, geoffc60 said:

Plenty of people I know (myself included) always pack a second body - and yes EVEN when I was still shooting Canon/Nikon. Nothing unusual in that. No technology is immune to faults or failures unfortunately.

Sure, nothing is perfect. 

But in over twenty years as a working photographer I have never once - not once! - needed my second Japanese made body due to a failure from the first. Despite many, many thousands of shutter actuations and many many more hours of use.

Very different with my German made camera(s) - and I’m not alone here.

There are a lot of reasons to carry a second camera that can be practical, but bringing a second one because your Nikon might break is what I think would reasonably be referred to as an extreme abundance of caution. Bringing a second camera when one is traveling, especially a compact “travel friendly” sort of body like an M, but then reasonably considering a second one - do you see what I’m getting at here? It’s just sort of self-defeating. 

[LBJ2]

19 minutes ago, Mat Kubik said:

That’s tricky. Is it performed when the camera is on? Mine does not turn on. Once pr twice I got a glimpse of something on screen for second. And when I plug usb c I see eed diode for a while and rangefinder marks and sometimes symbols in bottom line. For a second or two. 

Yes. I understand/understood your camera does not turn-on. Try this:

With the camera in the OFF position...

#1 Press the thumb wheel and the FN button simultaneously for 30 seconds, then turn on the camera...you may have to repeat this process two or three times. If this does not work,

#2 Take out the battery, then press the thumb wheel and the FN button simultaneously for 30 seconds, then replace the battery and see if the camera will turn on.

Good Luck! 

Edited April 28 by LBJ2

[JNK100]

36 minutes ago, pgh said:

Sure, nothing is perfect. 

But in over twenty years as a working photographer I have never once - not once! - needed my second Japanese made body due to a failure from the first. Despite many, many thousands of shutter actuations and many many more hours of use.

Very different with my German made camera(s) - and I’m not alone here.

There are a lot of reasons to carry a second camera that can be practical, but bringing a second one because your Nikon might break is what I think would reasonably be referred to as an extreme abundance of caution. Bringing a second camera when one is traveling, especially a compact “travel friendly” sort of body like an M, but then reasonably considering a second one - do you see what I’m getting at here? It’s just sort of self-defeating. 

I have had five German cameras and a number of Japanese. The only issues I had were with a Nikon WA zoom and a Canon 70/200.

 

 

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[pedaes]

1 hour ago, Mat Kubik said:

That’s tricky. Is it performed when the camera is on?

It is a procedure for when the camera will not turn on!