My M6 is 3 months old bought new.

I noticed recently it has a tiny dust speck inside the viewfinder. Is this a quality control problem or is there a way dust makes its way into the innards of the viewfinder. I was hoping it might make its way out again ! At least do not multiply.

Anybody has the same problem ?

While no way affecting picture quality, it is irritating.

-- Yip (koklok@krdl.org.sg), September 10, 2001

Answers

Yip:

It is a challenge from the ghost of Herr Oscar, just to give us Leica freaks something to ask forum members about, LAH.

Cheers

-- RICHARD ILOMAKI (richardjx@hotmail.com), September 10, 2001.

M cameras are not particularly well sealed and dust does build up in the viewfinder over time. If the dust is under the eyepiece, it is fairly easy to clean but you do have to get some special tools. If it is inside the front window, then you have to remove the top plate to clean it, not something I would recommend on the TTl cameras as the electronics are somewhat sensitive. Here is a site where you can get tools for the M camera:

http://www.micro-tools.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=SF NT&Store_Code=MT

Cheers,

-- John Collier (jbcollier@powersurfr.com), September 10, 2001.

Yip-

I suppose if its tiny and doesn't bother you then just live with it. However, I bought a ttl in March '99 and within two weeks several specks appeared inside the front glass of the viewfinder. Of course I couldn't see them when looking through the eyepiece, but two of them were huge by "dust speck standards". They were about the size of pinheads, very noticable. All told there were about a dozen or so very white specks.

Back then the ttl bodies were going for $2195 with no rebate. Needless to say I was more than a little annoyed...I returned the camera to Leica in New Jersey. It was returned in about 2 weeks. No problems since. You might want to take advantage of your Passport Warranty.

If you bought your camera from your local camera shop, they may ship to Leica at no charge to you.

Good luck.

-- jeff voorhees (debontekou@yahoo.com), September 10, 2001.

Hi,

My brand new Contax G2 has the similar white particle when I received it. I returned the camera to the shop for another one. I don't think it's going to affect the picture quality. The problem is you paid so much to buy the most expensive camera in thew world, everything should be right.

Chris

-- Chris (Rangefinders@yahoo.com), September 10, 2001.

Mine had a couple of dust specs in it when brand new, out of the box. I can't see them at all when looking through the viewfinder so why fight it? Unless it affects your picture taking, I wouldn't worry about it. Your Leica will eventually accumulate more specs and you can have it cleaned every time without being obsessive about it.

-- tristan tom (tristan@tristantom.com), September 10, 2001.

sorry I meant;

You can't have it cleaned every single time you get a new dust spec. so don't worry about it.

-- tristan tom (tristan@tristantom.com), September 10, 2001.

I've had vertical rangefinder misalignment, a grungy feel to the rapidwinders and a sticky shutter release at various times, but I find that when I'm actually taking pictures I don't notice any of these "defects". I'm just too involved to notice tiny details like that. Then when I'm cleaning the camera afterwards I notice them again and they piss me off.

Moral of the story? Possibly.

-- rob (rob@robertappleby.com), September 11, 2001.