M11 suddenly doesn’t turn on

[Mat Kubik]

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1 hour ago, LBJ2 said:

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! 

Unfortunately no joy. Whatever I’ll do it is still the same. The only thing when it works a little bit (light being present for 20-30 seconds) and rangefinder lines is when I plug usb-c cable into camera with battery in. But it does not start charging battery. But these are full. I kept them in the charger. I guess it has to go to Germany.  

[LBJ2]

4 minutes ago, Mat Kubik said:

Unfortunately no joy. Whatever I’ll do it is still the same. The only thing when it works a little bit (light being present for 20-30 seconds) and rangefinder lines is when I plug usb-c cable into camera with battery in. But it does not start charging battery. But these are full. I kept them in the charger. I guess it has to go to Germany.  

I was hoping better news for you. Sorry to hear the hard reset didn't work. Maybe someone else reading this thread has some other last minute advice that might help before you ship the camera off to Germany.

[Siriusone59]

Do the battery contacts in the camera look clean and in the proper alignment? 

[Mat Kubik]

28 minutes ago, Siriusone59 said:

Do the battery contacts in the camera look clean and in the proper alignment? 

Yes. They look like new. I was thinking about this - that for some reason there is no connection between battery and camera but it looks the same. Right now the only sign of life is when (with one of the batteries inside) I plug USB-C to the camera, then red led goes on for 20 seconds approximately. And then when I hit shutter rangefinder lines are displayed in white in rangefinder window for a second. And that’s it. Completely dead. Leica service technician ask me to remove lens, SD card and then do the factory reset. But no luck with that also. 

[pgh]

7 hours ago, Al Brown said:

But surely as an experienced world traveler and a pro you know you can’t judge situations lived by others by your statistical experience alone, Japanese or German…
Or to paraphrase: if it has not happened to you it does not mean it has not happened to others.

No, of course not. But I know a pretty large sample size. It’s a small industry, really (what’s left of it) - but a relatively well connected one. 

Anyways.

Given the plethora of firmware issues documented on this forum for the latest model, and all of the issues in previous models, you’re saying you think Leicas are as just as reliable in function as the Japanese brands? If so, okay. 

Sure there is a negativity bias in forums. No one complains about working cameras, etc. But - and it’s not just me - although I’ve had a laundry list of issues with my M’s I find myself in shared company quite easily (off of the forums, I have no idea who is on them really). People keep their Japanese kits because they need to make sure they can get a job done, in the end, in a pinch, etc. 

So yea, I think you’re wrong, but I understand your opinion. I just don’t know anyone in my admittedly limited industry circles who would agree. 

Edited April 29 by pgh

[LeicaR10]

Mat Kubik,  I feel your pain.  My former M11 did the same a few years back.  I had to send to Leica which replaced the camera.  No explanation given.  In the meantime, ask Leica Customer Service for a loaner M11 for your trip until your camera is either repaired or replaced.  r/ Mark

Edited April 29 by LeicaR10

[Derbyshire Man]

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One thing which worked for me in the past was usb plugged in, turn camera on, remove battery, remove cable.

I think your camera is dead however!

 

[Mat Kubik]

1 hour ago, Derbyshire Man said:

One thing which worked for me in the past was usb plugged in, turn camera on, remove battery, remove cable.

I think your camera is dead however!

 

Thank you. 
I’ve tried this just now. But no luck  
I was hoping that it will come back but no  

Thank you all for help. I’ll keep you posted what Leica will do. 

[username]

20 hours ago, Al Brown said:

I travel two digital Ms, two Sony FXs, two Hasselblads

lol

 

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[Smudgerer]

16 hours 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.  

pgh, some real sense here in your post, this one and the subsequent one too...........I like using Leicas a lot, they have been a favourite tool for decades in my personal and professional photographic life, but perhaps baring the M2's I have never had complete confidence in them on jobs that took me far from Home Base so yes as Al Brown "recommends" my M's normally traveled in pairs on work shoots, even more so with the digital M's, unreasonable as that advice may be considering the cost of the Leica's these days for "normal" users..........However I completely trusted my main work-horse cameras that were Nikon F's, film F's of all generations up to the F5, and they never never let me down including some really harsh, tough, assignments. I still have three F2 bodies from the late 1960's that continue to work flawlessly, ( except for the prism's meter which never worked well anyway ), with many hundreds of rolls of film passing through each body without a hiccup with perhaps two CLA's in 5+ decades, I wouldn't trust any of my M's to match that.

[jaapv]

11 hours ago, pgh said:

No, of course not. But I know a pretty large sample size. It’s a small industry, really (what’s left of it) - but a relatively well connected one. 

Anyways.

Given the plethora of firmware issues documented on this forum for the latest model, and all of the issues in previous models, you’re saying you think Leicas are as just as reliable in function as the Japanese brands? If so, okay. 

Sure there is a negativity bias in forums. No one complains about working cameras, etc. But - and it’s not just me - although I’ve had a laundry list of issues with my M’s I find myself in shared company quite easily (off of the forums, I have no idea who is on them really). People keep their Japanese kits because they need to make sure they can get a job done, in the end, in a pinch, etc. 

So yea, I think you’re wrong, but I understand your opinion. I just don’t know anyone in my admittedly limited industry circles who would agree. 

Nikon even  settled a class action and made the affected owners sign an NDA

[Derbyshire Man]

7 hours ago, Smudgerer said:

pgh, some real sense here in your post, this one and the subsequent one too...........I like using Leicas a lot, they have been a favourite tool for decades in my personal and professional photographic life, but perhaps baring the M2's I have never had complete confidence in them on jobs that took me far from Home Base so yes as Al Brown "recommends" my M's normally traveled in pairs on work shoots, even more so with the digital M's, unreasonable as that advice may be considering the cost of the Leica's these days for "normal" users..........However I completely trusted my main work-horse cameras that were Nikon F's, film F's of all generations up to the F5, and they never never let me down including some really harsh, tough, assignments. I still have three F2 bodies from the late 1960's that continue to work flawlessly, ( except for the prism's meter which never worked well anyway ), with many hundreds of rolls of film passing through each body without a hiccup with perhaps two CLA's in 5+ decades, I wouldn't trust any of my M's to match that.

Overall I agree but I've got two dead canon t90's, working canon 1n and 1v, canon 1ds mk1 working, canon 1ds mk2 broken shutter, canon 5dm2 and mk4 working.

As I say though, in their prime I'd have happily relied on a single body for any of those.

[Smudgerer]

13 hours ago, Derbyshire Man said:

Overall I agree but I've got two dead canon t90's, working canon 1n and 1v, canon 1ds mk1 working, canon 1ds mk2 broken shutter, canon 5dm2 and mk4 working.

As I say though, in their prime I'd have happily relied on a single body for any of those.

I've always been a Nikon / Leica user in 35mm format, never familiar with Canon or any other marque but the question I guess is how long did your Canons work well before conking out?

[Tseg]

And to think I got my first Leica as a backup camera, a Q3 43, because Sony forums were posting that my Sony RX1 lens focus motor was prone to failure, and Sony charges $1K to clean the sensors on that fixed lens camera.   

I guess I may have to start looking at Kodak and get a good ‘Merican Made camera that will last.

Edited April 30 by Tseg

[IMAGEPOWER]

Am 29.4.2025 um 13:48 schrieb Al Brown:

It is either/or 😊 but I do meet folks like this guy.

To be clear this a very old photo and at the time all his colleagues loaded their gear on this guy just to make this fun shot...see dpreview forum. This photo has become very often published on the Internet...;-)

[Mahesh]

On 4/28/2025 at 1:28 PM, 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.

probably better to leave all camera gear at home and just carry one's mobile. Mobile phones are more reliable than cameras despite the abuse they go through when we carry everyday, drop sometimes, etc. 

Surprising,, that

[Tseg]

23 hours ago, IMAGEPOWER said:

To be clear this a very old photo and at the time all his colleagues loaded their gear on this guy just to make this fun shot...see dpreview forum. This photo has become very often published on the Internet...;-)

Good to know that now one just needs an M11 with an APO lens to produce better results.

[brickftl]

Please accept my condolences. I had the same problem with my M11P which went back to Leica repair who had to order a new board from Wetzlar. They sent it back to me in brand new copndition, and I promptly sold it for what I paid because I completely lost faith in it, especially after my original Q3 did the same thing just months before and had to be replaced by Leica (again which I sold when I got the replacement, recouping my original purchase price).

When I sold the M11P, I bought a mint used CL with pancake 18TL lens for an excellent price. And I also bought the 23 TL to go with it, as well as a M-L adapter with which to use my M lenses. It's a delightful camera, takes truly excellent pictures. But I've been missing shooting full frame digital color, not having a crop factor applied to my M lenses, which is why I was thinking of diving back into the M11/M11P pool based on my assumption that the latest M11 firmware had finally solved the freeze issue.

So thank you for posting your experience which has firmly stomped out my misguided assumption on the latest firmware.

I still have my M11M, and knock wood I only had once incident of a freeze which resolved as soon as I took out the battery and put it back in. 

Now and then when the mood strikes, I shoot color (in addition to b/w) on my 2 film cameras - MP and M6 classic.

Also, 1 month ago I bought a mint used Q3 which is working flawlessly and produces perfect images.

But I miss being able to shoot full frame digital color and will probably (foolishly?) jump on the M11V if/when it's released provided it implements manual focus as well as the Q3 does - and I know this is heresy, but I prefer EVF with focus peeking over rangefinder focus. Yes I know there's no guaranty that this camera won't also suffer from freeze issues, but common sense tells me that with this new release Leica will be sure to make sure it doesn't.

Anyway, after that long rant, unfortunately it seems you have no choice but to send your M11P into repair. 

 

Edited May 4 by brickftl

[Velo-city]

On 4/29/2025 at 1:40 AM, pgh said:

Sure there is a negativity bias in forums. No one complains about working cameras, etc. But - and it’s not just me - although I’ve had a laundry list of issues with my M’s I find myself in shared company quite easily (off of the forums, I have no idea who is on them really). People keep their Japanese kits because they need to make sure they can get a job done, in the end, in a pinch, etc. 

I’m with you @pgh. 
My Leica M11 stood out as the least reliable camera I’ve ever owned or ‘been around’.  And I’ve owned a fair few and been around a lot. Many here will disagree of course, but there are fundamental issues with one or many of its design/build/QA. 
 

Glad to be rid of it. Sorry for the OP. 

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[Mat Kubik]

So it took some time (5 weeks in total from sending my camera and receiving it back) but everything is sorted out. It was thoroughly cleaned, adjusted and repaired. There was failed circuit in the top board which was repaired and then board was reprogrammed. All was done free of charge under Goodwill. Contact and whole process was excellent. So I have to say - Good Job Leica!