Is my shutter jamed?

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I own a Leica M2 and have a little problem with the shutter right now. I was out shooting in the field. When I got to about the 31st or 32nd frame on a 36exp. roll I wasn't able to depress the shutter release butten. I thought the film roll was full and rewound the film back in the casette. After doing that I just wanted to check that the shutter is still working but I couldn't move the advance lever. I tried to force it a little. The lever moves now but the shutter doen't move. Did I completly mess up my camera? (I feel like such a moron for having treated my Leica like that)

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Jan Balster

-- Jan Balster (Jan.Balster@epost.de), September 04, 2001

Answers

I would immediately stop forcing and working it, and have it serviced by a trained Leica technician.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), September 04, 2001.

Try leaving it on Bulb overnight.Try again next morning.

-- mg (mg_a@excite.com), September 04, 2001.

When you opened the camera, was the shutter open or closed? My M2, (which sat for a year unused while I was out of the country), had a problem with the shutter sticking open on the slower speeds. It required a tune-up, and all is well.

There is something that I am wondering about your situation. I hope you didn't rewind your roll of film past a stuck open shutter. If this is so, then you might have some interesting streaked blurs on the whole roll depending on the speed and consistency of your rewinding action.

Good luck.

-- Al Smith (smith58@msn.com), September 04, 2001.


If the advance-lever moved and the shutter didn't, it sounds like something is very wrong inside. Take Jay's advice and have a pro look at it before you do any more with it.

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), September 04, 2001.

I know that it is after the fact but in the future don't force anything mechanical. Your only alternative now is to send your camera off to Leica for a probable repair. I forced the lid of my Rolleiflex once and did real damage to the camera. Now, after practically destroying the camera, I realize I made a mistake but still had to pay the price for being foolish.

-- John Alfred Tropiano (jat18@psu.edu), September 04, 2001.


I bet your M2 only needs some lub, and much better if done by some specialiced technitian, donīt worry it is quite hard to wear down such a camera, send it to some one knows about it, and good luck.

-- r watson (al1231234@hotmail.com), September 04, 2001.

Al's got a good point. If the shutter's stuck open, try spinning the speed dial up beyond 1/60, and see if the shutter closes. If it is and if it does, report back. :-)

-- Michael Darnton (mdarnton@hotmail.com), September 04, 2001.

Did it work?leaving on bulb overnite?a friend had the same problem.was advised by an experience tecnician.I'm quite baffled myself understanding his theory but it works for him.since you not realy forcing any mechanism it just might do it. cheers!

-- mg (mg_a@excite.com), September 05, 2001.

I didn't try to leave it on bulb overnight but I took the camera to a shop and they send it off to a Leica technican to look at. I'll keep everybody posted on my progress.

-- Jan Balster (Jan.Balster@epost.de), September 05, 2001.

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