M2 jammed - Any simple fix?

[joachim_hildebrand]

My M2 worked like a charm when I put it in my closet. Two weeks

later: No shutter release and no film wind possible. Any help?

 

Thanks in advance

[steve_lehuray1]

We probably need more information than that to try and be helpful.

[leicamshooter]

Is there film in the M2? If There is, I suggest you rewind the film and then try the shutter. Good luck.

[joachim_hildebrand]

That was really qick!!!

 

No film inside the camera but I used the rewind pin and "rewound" the "film" which didn´t help. Maybe I should add that I used my M2 with TA-Rapidwinder. Again, everything worked fine when I stored the camera!

[bert_keuken2]

Did the 2nd shutter curtain close all the way?

[joachim_hildebrand]

I don´t know. How can You tell?

[shambrick007]

open it up

[shambrick007]

This happend to my first m2. One of the shutter curtain straps jammed. A CLA fixed it. Don't force anything.

[al_kaplan1]

Remove the lens and open or remove the camera back. With one finger through the lens opening and another finger through the back opening gently grip the shutter curtain and try (very gently!) to move it back and forth. It may free itself. It may even give no additional problem. At any rate it should probably be looked at by a repair person.

[joachim_hildebrand]

Al,

 

Thank You very much. I just tried the "finger thing" very gently. It did not work. Maybe I was too gentle but a broken shutter curtain is not what I am looking for and if at any rate the camera should be looked at by a repair person I leave it to him/her.

[david_doyle2]

Simply drop it in the post to one of the respected repair persons...

[jay_.]

Are you sure it's an M2, not an M6? I thought the M2 is unbreakable and works forever ;>)

[charlesk]

Try the cable release. It's a longshot, but it works sometimes.

<br>Make sure the self-timer is released, too. It can stick 99% through its travel and jam the shutter.

<br>Many of these problems have to do with the ST.

<br>Make sure shutter speed is set to one of the higher settings.

<br>Move rewind lever back and forth a few times.

[gary e]

If you've tried the shutter curtain pinch and that didn't work, you may have tripped the shutter release cam from it's non-cocked position to the tripped position. I've had that happen to my M3 when I accidentally jarred it with the back cover while changing film (now I know why you're supposed to have it upside down with the door open), but it can happen with any sharp jarring to the camera. Once this happens, you cannot advance the winding lever. Are you sure it didn't fall in the closet from someone else's doing? If you send it in, it'll cost you around a bill to take it apart to reset the shutter release cam.

[charlesk]

Is it a black model?

<br>The paint might have flaked off and jammed something inside.

[steve_barnett2]

Another idea would be to put it on a warm radiator for a few hours them try the shutter again. If old hard grease had clogged the works up some warmth may soften it. If this works a CLA is in order, but nothing is badly wrong.

[kevin m.]

My M2 did the same thing once. If memory serves, the second shutter has a U-shaped metal band that goes over the flat metal band of the first shutter. In my case, the 2nd shutter hung up on the edge of the first for some reason. I simply wiggled it to the right a bit (as you look at the back of the camera) and it clicked right back into place. It's spring loaded, so it's under a bit of pressure.

 

It worked fine after that.

[eric_calderwood1]

I had the same thing happen on an M3.

One pf the light traps had come adrift and dropped down just enough to completely jam the camera solid.

Do not force anything, box it up and send it off for a service.

 

Eric

[kevin m.]

I'm really surprised at all the "box it up and send it for service" advice. What ever happened to DIY? You are the best judge of your own mechanical skills, of course, but as long as you're not jabbing the camera with a screwdriver like Homer Simpson, it's worth taking a look, since the camera is already inoperative anyway.

[charlesk]

Good advice from Kevin.

<br>This is not a highly sophisticated piece of mechanical engineering. The shutter assembly is easily accessible and the fix is probably easy in this case. Give it a go.

[joachim_hildebrand]

Thanks to You all,

 

Jay,

it is an M2 and this never happend to one of my M6´s!

 

Charles,

I tried the cable release and the self-timer, moves rewind lever back and forth, did not help. It is not a black model, I wish I had one. I am quite sure that nobody else touched my M2: The closet is actually a safe.

 

Steve,

good idea but because the camera worked so smooth before jamming, I think it is no lubrication problem.

 

Kevin,

even wiggling did not help.

 

After all (I am not a great mechanic) I will send the camera off for a service.

 

I will let You know how it worked out finally.

[kevin m.]

Good luck with the repair. I hope your M2 is back in service soon.

[joachim_hildebrand]

It was an truely expensive jam: Leica will charge over 600 Euro for the repair and a general CLA, ooooh, but they will give a full guarantee for 1 year (could be 2 years, I have to check that again). The honorable dealer I bought the camera from offered to take the camera back with full refund of payment or to pay 50 % of thew repair costs. I think I will decide for his second offer ...

 

Thanks for Your help!