Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/06/11

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Help! Flaky M6 electrics
From: Christer Almqvist <chris@almqvist.net>
Date: Fri, 11 Jun 1999 09:22:41 +0000

Today's international LUG meeting at Hamburg (with attendants from Canada
and Sweden) discussed the subject problem in great detail. It suggests you
make sure that the speed dial at the back of the camera body is not set
between values; turn it  a few times to ensure that these contacts are not
a problem. Also open the camera and check the contacts between the camera
back and the main body, and finally check the contacts in the  battery
compartments and clean again. Then there is the contact in the shutter
release and the one actuated in the shutter, but these are for the
professionals...


>With impeccable timing my less than one year old M6HM has chosen the moment
>we arrive in Provence in the south of France on holiday to go all
>temperamental and unreliable. The electrics are working intermittently -
>sometimes the LEDs light when the shutter release is touched, sometimes they
>don't. And when they do light, they sometimes stay on for the usual period,
>and sometimes for only a couple of seconds. I've changed the batteries, so
>that's not the problem.
>
>I imagine that this is a well-known M6 problem - can anybody enlighten me?
>I'm sure the only answer is a trip to Leica when I'm back in London, but
>just in case - does anybody know of a simple do it yourself solution to this
>glitch?
>
>It's not the end of the world because I've got an M2 with me as well and am
>hand-held metering anyway. I'm just interested to know why my German
>high-precision instrument has decided to go all hot-headed and unreliable.
>
>Otherwise, it's just another day in paradise down here, in a villa we found
>for rent at the last moment and at a knockdown price. Though clean and well
>tended it has the feeling that nobody has been here since it's heyday in the
>early 1970's, when it must have been the last word in glamour. It's a huge
>place, with the most extravagant 1970's decor - you half-expect to find Abba
>having a party round the next corner, or for Tony Curtis and Roger Moore to
>come crunching up the gravel driveway for an episode of the Persuaders.
>
>So the dodgy M6 is nothing to cry over - I'd just be interested to know what
>the story is.


- --
christer almqvist
eichenstrasse 57, d-20255 hamburg, fon +49-40-407111 fax +49-40-4908440
14 rue de la hauteur, f-50590 regnéville-sur-mer, fon+fax +33-233 45 35 58