albertknappmd Posted July 3, 2006 Share #1 Posted July 3, 2006 Advertisement (gone after registration) As many of you know, I recently started working with my R9-DMR and I love the brave new world of digital photography. I have noticed one interesting phenomenon that I cannot explain and hope that the learned ones will figure it out and obviate a trip back to Northvale for my DMR. I have found that after every forty or fifty photographs the R9-DMR freezes. I compose and take the photograph, the shutter goes off and the DMR red light flashes.... but NO PICTURE APPEARS IN THE LED! The battery is fully charged, the SD card has plenty of memory left and it seems to have happened with several SD cards (although upon further reflection I am not 100% sure about this last point.) I did not shoot 7 pictures in rapid succession prior to the failure so that I don't think that the memory is full. I would then try to take another shot... the R9 worked fine and the DMR red light went off... again no picture. The solution: I turned the DMR off using the OK/OFF button and then restarted the DMR and voila... works perfectly again at least for another 40 or 50 or 60 pictures... Any ideas? Thanks as always... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted July 3, 2006 Posted July 3, 2006 Hi albertknappmd, Take a look here DMR mishap?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
graeme_clarke Posted July 3, 2006 Share #2 Posted July 3, 2006 Albert, Take the battery unit off, open the back, put the cover on the sensor, and carefully clean all the contacts between the camera body and back. Remove the sensor cover and close the back. Now carefully clean all the contacts between the body and battery unit. Reassemble the battery unit and push it onto the body hard, hold it there when you tighten up the screw. I'm sorry to say, if the problem happens again it should go back to the dealer you bought it from and maybe back to Leica. Graeme Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rubidium Posted July 3, 2006 Share #3 Posted July 3, 2006 The same happened to me yesterday, for the first time. I was in the middle of shooting, and everything went dead. I turned the R9 off and then on again, but still nothing. Removing the DMR's battery pack and then putting it back in corrected matters. I haven't had a problem since. Jim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
albertknappmd Posted July 3, 2006 Author Share #4 Posted July 3, 2006 If it were due to dirty or defective contacts, tehn why would turning the DMR off for two seconds and tehn restarting it solve the problem??? I have a feeling something more fundamental is going on and my DMR will go back to Leica for treatment..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
albertknappmd Posted July 3, 2006 Author Share #5 Posted July 3, 2006 The same happened to me yesterday, for the first time. I was in the middle of shooting, and everything went dead. I turned the R9 off and then on again, but still nothing. Removing the DMR's battery pack and then putting it back in corrected matters. I haven't had a problem since.Jim You did not experience the same thing... in my case the R9 worked, the shutter moved and the DMR light went on...but NO photo. Suspect yours was a faulty contact but mine a bit more serious. We will see.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guy_mancuso Posted July 3, 2006 Share #6 Posted July 3, 2006 Albert first try a different SD card Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guy_mancuso Posted July 3, 2006 Share #7 Posted July 3, 2006 Advertisement (gone after registration) from another post: Albert there are several possibilties one is the battery is losing contact or the DMR itself to the body , so make sure that is clean and locked down on all contact points. Rewind switch is set to off, don't play around with this. The other given that it sounds like it shoots is the part that has me baffled and if it is not the buffer, which BTW if you hit it you simply can't shoot until some of it clears. The one area that maybe the potential problem could be your SD card because if you are not getting anything and the shutter goes than this is the area that seems most likely because it is not writing to the card. Remember always format the card in camera and not the computer. Also what firmware is in this camera , if it is the newest 1.2 take it off the camera and reload 1.1 firmware 1.2 was released with a lot of bugs. 2 things you could answer me is what firmware and what SD cards are you using. I am leaning towards the SD cards Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
albertknappmd Posted July 3, 2006 Author Share #8 Posted July 3, 2006 Your thought about the SD card being the cause is most intriguing... First of all, I use only Firmware 1.1 as I have heeded all the words of warning regarding 1.2. Second, I have been formatting solely in the camera. The idea of the SD card as the culprit is intriguing but I believe that the three episodes over the weekend occurred on two or possibly three different SD cards but I CANNOT BE ENTIRELY SURE...... I plan to switch to another card and if it doesn't happen again, then the point is made. If it does happen with another card, then the DMR goes back to NJ.. Any other ideas? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guy_mancuso Posted July 4, 2006 Share #9 Posted July 4, 2006 I am a little baffled on his one. I would call tech support on wednesday and describe this to them . It is one I have not heard yet about yet and running out of thoughts . The shutter going and nothing there is really baffiling Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgcd Posted July 4, 2006 Share #10 Posted July 4, 2006 I haven't heard of this one either before. I too am baffled, although I'm still thinking that a faulty card may be the root of the problem. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
albertknappmd Posted July 4, 2006 Author Share #11 Posted July 4, 2006 I guess all is pointing to the SD card. I will try other cards and if I no longer have the probelm, the answer is proven. If the new SD card also has the problem, then the fault lies with the DMR. I will keep you all posted. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
starwatcher Posted July 4, 2006 Share #12 Posted July 4, 2006 Albert, your problem sounds very familiar to me. I ran through the same issues and it turned out being the R9 with a defect in the electronic. I received my camera back last week after the CS had it for a two week testing. So it must not necessarily be the DMR. Now I am struggling with the next issue. Trying to delete pictures the DMR occasionally shows "Data transfer" on its display and deletes pictures but not the ones I want to have deleted. Exchanging SD cards did not help. I rang CS yesterday and they were quite baffled. I will continue testing during the week trying to identify a pattern but the Camera will go back again. best - Klaus Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
albertknappmd Posted July 5, 2006 Author Share #13 Posted July 5, 2006 spoke to Dave at Leica in NJ and they are mystified... The camera will go back to the Leica spa for a cure tomorrow..... Otherwise, I reviewed the photos from the weekend and am very very pleased... Thanks again, Albert Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Healy Posted February 8, 2008 Share #14 Posted February 8, 2008 More DMR Mysteries. I have been using Leica lenses and equipment for about 40 years. A great majority of my subjects have been photographed at half life size to about twice life size. The equipment I used for this purpose was the Leica Macro-Elmarit 60mm F2.8, the short mount F2.8 90mm Elmarit lens on a Bellows II and the Leica 25 mm Photar lens with bellows. The light tight box attached to these lenses have been the M1 & M2 & R3 bodies. With the release of the Leica DMR I decided it was time to move to digital photography and obtained an R9 and the DMR. I was assured all my accessories would fit the new camera and digital back. That didn't turn out to be exactly true as the new curved body on the R9 would not let the Bellow II attach to the body. This had to be remedied by using an extension tube to move the connection away from the body to allow the bellows to rotate into the lock. Eight months after purchase the DMR shut down in the middle of a shoot and refused to start up. This resulted in 3 months away to be repaired. The service docket gave no explanation of why the unit shut down. Now when I try to take close-up shots of things like butterfly scales and such in my opinion the images are soft. In the case of the scales you can see the scales but they have no crisp edges to them. Even using the 60mm Macro Elmar for much larger subjects when the resultant image is opened at 100% on my computer the images appear similarly soft. Now while shooting a series using the bellows and short mount lens suddenly three successive frames were almost completely blank white, grossly over exposed. The next frame returned to normal. To say I am disappointed with the latest Leica technology is a gross understatement. The local agents are no help at all in determining what the problem is nor being able to compare what I consider soft pictures to another unit which has not been through a repair service . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robsteve Posted February 8, 2008 Share #15 Posted February 8, 2008 Anthony: You might want to try remounting the DMR and checking the focusing screen is in correctly. The only time I have heard a complaint about soft images with the DMR has been when the focusing screen wasn't in correctly or the back door/DMR was not fully latched shut. Robert Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulmoore Posted February 8, 2008 Share #16 Posted February 8, 2008 spoke to Dave at Leica in NJ and they are mystified... The camera will go back to the Leica spa for a cure tomorrow..... Otherwise, I reviewed the photos from the weekend and am very very pleased... Thanks again,Albert I used to have some freezing issues using 1.1.. but with 1.3 firmware I have had none. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhsimmonds Posted February 8, 2008 Share #17 Posted February 8, 2008 and such in my opinion the images are soft. In the case of the scales you can see the scales but they have no crisp edges to them. Even using the 60mm Macro Elmar for much larger subjects when the resultant image is opened at 100% on my computer the images appear similarly soft. . Anthony, I have been shooting with my DMR for two years and with a good lens, good focusing, corect DOF etc.,your images should be the sharpest you have ever seen! It has abviously got the digital gremlins and may need another holiday back in Solms/Wetzlar or wherever these days. The DMR is a quirky instrument but it does produce fantastic images. Incidentally the 60mm is not strictly a macro lens according to Erwin Puts....it is a close up lens! The 100mm F2.8 is a macro lens. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Healy Posted February 8, 2008 Share #18 Posted February 8, 2008 Anthony: You might want to try remounting the DMR and checking the focusing screen is in correctly. The only time I have heard a complaint about soft images with the DMR has been when the focusing screen wasn't in correctly or the back door/DMR was not fully latched shut. Robert Thanks for that I'll check it out. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Healy Posted February 8, 2008 Share #19 Posted February 8, 2008 Anthony, I have been shooting with my DMR for two years and with a good lens, good focusing, corect DOF etc.,your images should be the sharpest you have ever seen! It has abviously got the digital gremlins and may need another holiday back in Solms/Wetzlar or wherever these days. The DMR is a quirky instrument but it does produce fantastic images. Incidentally the 60mm is not strictly a macro lens according to Erwin Puts....it is a close up lens! The 100mm F2.8 is a macro lens. Your experience was my expectation but it hasn't happened. Leica use the term "Macro" on the lens but its closest focusing distance on the camera gives a reproduction of half life size (1:2). The Photar is the best for really close work (on film anyway), Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Healy Posted February 14, 2008 Share #20 Posted February 14, 2008 Anthony, I have been shooting with my DMR for two years and with a good lens, good focusing, corect DOF etc.,your images should be the sharpest you have ever seen! It has abviously got the digital gremlins and may need another holiday back in Solms/Wetzlar or wherever these days. The DMR is a quirky instrument but it does produce fantastic images. Incidentally the 60mm is not strictly a macro lens according to Erwin Puts....it is a close up lens! The 100mm F2.8 is a macro lens. Dave are your pictures very close up such as shooting subjects life size or larger. If so are you saying when you look at the images in Adobe Camera RAW at 100% they are very sharp ? Cheers, Anthony Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.