M8 'Attention drive blocked, shutter fault'

I assume the answer is no but, Did it work after you took the bettery out?
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A signature? A signature! Oh, man, the pressure ...

I bet you had some agita over this
Leica's Ms have funkadelic electronics, don't they?
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pbase & dpreview supporter
DPR forum member since 5/2001
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"Avoid making a commotion, just as you wouldn’t stir up the water before fishing. Don’t use a flash out of respect for the natural lighting, even when there isn’t any. If these rules aren’t followed, the photographer becomes unbearably obtrusive" -- attributed to HCB

Hello Harold,

Sorry but that is a common problem with Leica M8 (M 9) shutter.
It informs: "Atttention – Shutter blocked; Attention– Shutter fault"

The reason is solenoid in the shutter.

If somebody can reach the shutter (take out the compelt), one solution is to clean
the possible micro dust and to magnetize again the solenoid.
DON'T DO IT AT HOME YOURSELF.
Another First Aid might be to give electric shock for the shutter,
so it may be released.
Better to send it to Solms Germany
for repair. ünfortuantely it will cost about 500,- EUR
and the best solution is to change it to a new shutter M 8.2,
but you will loose 1/8000 sec and 800 EUR money.
(I do not need 1/8000 and rather have working shutter)

On the other hand there will be the same problem sooner or later
with the solenoid in Leica. Epson RD1 (Cosina Voiglander) has a good solution
becasue it has manual shutter cocking. Epson is working always and
everywhere. Unfortunately 6MP sensor do not give details enough,
but you can get some images anyway.

Traditionally Leica has had poor electronics according to my experience like

R 3 MOT Electroinic (Portugal) und R4 (Germany). Therefore I have bought R 6.2 and also M6, but M3 has been the best ever on Leica cameras.

Folks are complaining about Leica service to be slo–oow und expensive,
but for me they have been very helpful in Solms and reasonable priced.
OK: there are some basic mistakes in quality und design which they cannot help,
but generally speaking the attitude is good and people are polite und helpful.

Hopefully you will survive,

Shutter regards,
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Rainer K. Lampinen
http://www.panoramicimages.fi
http://www.panhorama.net

Hi,

Yes I think they will do so.

There are a lot of rumors about bad und slow service at Herr Leica,
but I think you can count on it and bettter to do so.
If they will change the shutter, you can ask the old shutter back,
clean the solenoid and remagnetize it again so you will have one
extra spare part for next time although I strongly believe the new
shutter is better in many ways unless they may make
third version.

It is unbelievable why they continue to produce solenoid drive shutter,
although we we old school photographers prefer manual shutter cocking
like it was film advance on M6 and was on Epson RD1.
M8 und M9 users also buyes sometimes "Thumbs up" acessory
to hold the body like it was with film rapid advance und shutter cock.

Anyway you should live with the problem that M8 – M9 shutter life is about
16 000 actions max, while in RD1 it will last forever.

Gooood Luck!
Rainer von FineLand
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Rainer K. Lampinen
http://www.panoramicimages.fi
http://www.panhorama.net

Hmm... My M9 had the sensor remapped twice, but no shutter problems yet. Overall, however, M8 feels more solid, I am not even sure why. Definitely, finish has something to do with it, but it is not the only thing...
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Irakly Shanidze
http://www.shanidze.com/en

I am sorry to hear that my friend! Sounds like you have to use your Germany visit as an opportunity to visit Solms. I've been there in June, and it was in many ways an eye-opening trip
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Irakly Shanidze
http://www.shanidze.com/en