[Leica] flash connections problems M4-P and M3

[pieter@world.std.com (Pieter Bras)]

Andreas Frijdal wrote:
>a) M4-P:  after a few shots my camera stopped to give impulses to the strobe.
>Does not seem to be dirty contacts otherwise I should have done nothing from
>the start.  Any idea how I can solve this or am I obliged to go a prof.
>repair job.

I had an M4-P that would not fire the flash from the hotshoe, but worked OK
when the flash was connected to the PC socket via a cable.  I didn't consider
it to be a big deal, as I hardly ever used flash with the camera.
Nevertheless, I got it fixed when I had the camera CLA'd by Sherry K. last
year.  The sync block (what the flash connects to) is made of plastic and
apparently can crack and stop functioning, if stressed by (for instance) a
heavy flashgun that exerts a lot of torque on the hot shoe.

>b) M3 do you know if there are any adapter cables because of the old type of
>jacks?

There are adapter plugs that plug into the M3 and convert the socket to a
standard PC socket.  KEH (www.keh.com) sells these for a few dollars.  Also
you can have the M3 body modified to an M4-type PC socket, but that will cost
a lot more.

- -- 
Pieter Bras