My M3 and it's shutter release are giving me some sleepless nights. I bought this CLA'd, beautiful DS M3 just some weeks back along with a 6 months warranty. Everything was perfect until recently when the shutter release just got erratic. It stays blocked most of the time. The only way to get it reworking is using the self-timer or leaving the camera alone for some hours. Works for 5 or 6 frames before getting jammed again. Has anyone encountered this thing before ? Is this a repair needing a highly qualified technician ? The Leica service here in France though worth is just too expensive for me right now. Any advice or informations will be highly appreciated. One more thing the framelines and the rectangle in the viewfinder shows some dust. Can this be cleaned ? Thank you all.

-- Hem Gurung (hgurung@libertysurf.fr), September 09, 2001

Answers

Seven months a go I bought a new Bessa-R and everything was going perfect until April. The shutter began to stay blocked and the only way to get the camera reworking was hitting the lower part of the camera several times against the palm of my hand. During this summer I hadnīt any problem, but yesterday it began to stay blocked again

-- Iņigo Uriz (iso25000@yahoo.es), September 09, 2001.

It sounds like it is still under warranty so send it back right away. Do not wait.

Cheers,

-- John Collier (jbcollier@powersurfr.com), September 09, 2001.

No question--get it repaired with the 6 months warranty or get your money back.

-- Andrew Schank (aschank@flash.net), September 09, 2001.

Iņigo - re the Bessa - DO NOT wind the camera until just before taking the picture, and it will be less likely to jam. I had the same problem with a Bessa-L body, and this worked.

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), September 09, 2001.

The dust can be cleaned from inside the finder. I wonder if there could be a film chip floating around in there to occasionally jam the shutter?

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), September 09, 2001.

My suggestion is to take the camera back to the person from whom it was purchased. If your six month warranty is expired, you need to show the camera to a qualified repair person. I stand firmly behind Leica. I do not think it a good idea to trust your camera to anyone else. Save your money and do it right. Better to have the camera evaluated by the experts than to trust someone else with it. Good luck.

-- John Alfred Tropiano (jat18@psu.edu), September 10, 2001.

Thank you all for your opinions and advices. I sent the camera back for repair using the guarantee. The shop's an official leica dealer and this assures me a bit. I am not too keen on getting my money back coz the camera's just too beautiful, a mint M3 with no scratches or marks of any kind, something rather rare here in France. But I'll not hesitate if something goes wrong again. Will do some intensive shooting to check the work done. Merci beaucoup.

-- Hem gurung (hgurung@libertysurf.fr), September 10, 2001.