Big Problems Continues....

[felix_erazo]

Thanks for your feedback guy�s. I just got back from Leica and they

told me that one of the M�s is so badly jammed that they couldn�t un-

jam it quickly to see what the problem is. David said that he would

have to open the body to see what the problem is.

 

The other M, needs a new film transport and a overall CLA.

 

Overall damage is $750.00

 

The puzzling thing is that both cameras were working fine till the

hour before leaving Puerto Rico. I even prematurely rewound one of

the rolls because I didn�t want the film going thru the x-ray

machine. I packed The M�s in my bag. With body caps and all.

 

The other thing that might have possibly done it, and again this is a

long shot... Both M�s had soft-releases on, and maybe with a little

pressure in the carry bag, the soft-release pressuring the shutter,

the shutter�s might have gotten jammed. Other than that? Who

knows?

[jongraham1]

A long shot, but perhaps the soft release had something to do with it. For the hell of it, I removed my soft release the other day and immediately had problems with the shutter release: it would not press smoothly and made a slight grinding sound. After about 20-30 presses, it was back to normal. No more soft releases for me.

[jay_.]

Felix, you weren't shooting near the beach (or staying someplace near the beach, with open windows) in Puerto Rico were you? Other than long years of hard use or impact, the only other things that really jam up and waste the film transport are sand and salt. The only way the soft release could cause real damage is if the camera were dropped or hit on the soft release.

[stephane_park]

Sorry to hear of your problems...

I remember, I knew someone that dropped their camera bag (actually it more or less rolled - the height was that of one stair step or so), got the softrelease jammed all the way in and had to get major repairs done...

I was also using the softreleases (I really did like to feel better) but upon seeing that incident, they are now off permanently.. I guess I am just a coward...

[ronald_wills]

Ouch. Boy, that's tough luck Felix. I suffered a shutter jam about a year ago

with an M-6 classic and had to have an otherwise unneeded CLA. I can't

remember if I was using a soft release at the time but you guys have got me a

little worried about using it now . After the CLA, my shutter was adjusted so

sweet that I feel I can take or leave the soft release now, although I do think it

helps on the really slows shutter speeds. Anywho, let us know if you solve the

mystery. Good luck.

[a._j._valys]

Come on now folks, there is no way that the soft release can interfere with the operation of the shutter release bitton. The soft release is pushing on the same part that your finger would be pressing on were the soft release not there. If you feel grinding or whatever, you would feel it without the soft release. The only way that the soft release could become an aid to damage to the button would be, like the man said, for the camera to fall directly on the softie. And that would take some extreme bad luck.

 

Regards, Tony

[scott squire nonfiction]

Tony,

I beg to differ. While I've not had Felix's bad luck, it's clear to me

that the Softie's diameter allows a user to put a side load on the

shutter release that would be tough to do with your finger alone.

 

If one consistently uses one edge, the release is probably riding

up and down against one side of its channel, no? Who knows,

maybe gunk can build up on the opposite side of the channel,

then get wiggled loose enough to jam up in the course of the

flight.

 

Now, I'm not intimitely familiar with the mechanism, but it seems

that with general (if not specific) regard to this discussion, the

soft release clearly can do stuff a finger by itself cannot.

 

Incidentally I just had a discussion with Sherry K about

airplane-frequency vibrations and their effect on

cameras--seems she's pretty convinced that they make trouble

for M users routinely. I'm inclined to err on the side of caution.

 

 

Cheers,

[sandy.]

Scott and Felix,

 

Now isn't that interesting!?!? So it doesn't seem like I pull a fast one on you guys, ha? Well, next time, don't shoot the messenger so quickly.

[kevin m.]

No offense, but you have to take what Sherry says with a grain of salt. If you listen to her, no Leica after the M5 is worth owning. Amazing any pictures have been successfully taken with the damned things.