Got an M9! ...oh, it's sensor has fungus...

[CrisR]

So I finally got an M9. So chuffed.

It all seemed fine, apart from some dust in the corners, but I'd get that cleaned at some point.

Only the dust got worse? No problem, I had a paying gig so I'll get Leica Mayfair to clean it. Got a call ack within an hour, the sensor was riddled with fungus, worse they'd seen and had been there since I got it. The fix? A whole new sensor :/

I haven't been able to return it, or get anything towards the repair, I didn't even get the battery and charger that was meant to be sent on afterwards.

Sooo it's been sitting around gathering dust as I was told the repair could be around £1k, which I just don't have.

Anyone here had similar experiences or the repair done?

Good job I kept my M8 too...

 

[thompsonks]

I'd never heard of sensor fungus before. Too bad it's not a crack, Leica fixes cracked M9 sensors for free.

(Not suggesting anything violent!)

 

[swoop]

Any camera sold without a charger is usually a red light that it's stolen.

 

[Mongo Park]

Where did you acquire the M9?

 

[raid]

This is very bad. Why is there fungus on a sensor?

 

[peterm1]

Stored in damp conditions I would have to surmise. Ouch. Unfortunately with evidence of dampness in the camera you never know what else could arise as a problem and a good service could be on the cards as well. Just to make sure.

 

[raid]

This will make me stop taking such a camera to the beach.

 

[gustavoAvila]

Thanks for sharing your unfortunate experience.

Though I have been tempted many times to purchase a "bargain" M9, stories such as yours reinforce the evidence that a warranty is non-optional for digital M's.

Let us know if you achieve a satisfactory resolution to your problem.

 

[jaapv]

Raid: Taking it to the beach won't do any harm, as long as you don't drop it into the sea or get sand in the shutter. Fungus on optical surfaces, irrespective of them being lenses or sensors comes from storing a camera in warm humid conditions without circulating air.
Many users in the tropics store their cameras and lenses in a dry box or with Silicagel.

 

[Richard G]

CrisR, I love your photographs and am very sorry to hear of this. So we can be glad you kept the M8 too.

 

[CrisR]

The M9 came from Indonesia, so yes, hot, humid conditions cause fungus to grow under the glass. It wasn't stolen, was boxed and from a Leicaphile that sells oil drilling machines, who had upgraded to a Monochrom.

Its very possible he was not aware of the issue, it was very slight when it arrived, just in the corners, but obviously it kept growing until it was across the whole frame. I asked Leica Mayfair if i could have stopped it had I brought it earlier, but no, infected is infected.

Even with the repair, I still have a great deal, but between finding it very hard to find a grand, only having 1 battery and charger between 2 digital Ms and not hearing back from the guy anymore, it's sad to see my dream camera just sitting there... :/

Apparently it needs to go to a centre for tropical diseases when they repair it!

And no, I'm not cracking anything. I'll just save up slowly and buy my M9 back sometime in the future.

Oh and thanks Richard G, I still have that M8!

 

[EdwardKaraa]

Fungus growth can be stopped if stored at RH 60% or below, preferably between 55% and 40%. Too low RH will cause the internal oils and lubes to dry. Fungus grows when the equipment is stored, never when it's being used. The previous owner obviously didn't use the camera enough.

I personally would keep on using the camera, making sure to keep it in a dry place when not in use. A few wet cleanings with eclipse liquid will help by removing the food of the fungus. I certainly wouldn't advise to change the sensor, especially not for this price.

 

[CrisR]

Edward, the photos are unusable and the fungus is under the glass, cleaning swabs do nothing

 

[EdwardKaraa]

Edward, the photos are unusable and the fungus is under the glass, cleaning swabs do nothing

That's really terrible, Cris. It sounds a bit odd though that fungus is growing on the inside as there is no "food" for it to feed on. I would try sending it to Solms and see if Leica will do it for free. Otherwise, I hope you can return it to the seller, as this is obviously his responsibility.

 

[jaapv]

I would try if Solms has pity on you.

 

[willie_901]

This will make me stop taking such a camera to the beach.

Raid,

It's Ok. Your M8 will survive the beach.

Fungus does not grow overnight from a trip to the beach. Have you ever gotten fungus on your rear lens elements after trips to the beach?

People in humid environments (like the Florida Gulf Coast) sometimes use camera storage boxes that use silica gel to create a low humidity environment. But an air-conditioned home usually is sufficient to avoid fungus problems. If you want to err on the side of caution, buy an inexpensive, air-tight plastic box, put fresh rice in the bottom and place your M8 body in it overnight after beach visits.

 

[Mackinaw]

This will make me stop taking such a camera to the beach.

Raid, another reason to buy that Nikonos.

Jim B.

 

[rfaspen]

Fungus is one of my greatest enemies. All the advice about storing gear in <60% relative humidity is to be taken seriously. For a while, I kept my gear in lower humidity than that (I lived in central New Mexico, RH was quite below 50% nearly all the time). Today its a "display case" with silica gel packs tucked into unobtrusive spots.

As for the beach. Fungus is the *least* of your worries. I have taken gear to the beach and pampered it from "the elements" like it was a delicate baby. I still had sand grit in the lens focus, in the body, salt spray on the lens, etc. Wind, tiny sand grains, and sea-salt spray are all around you and impacting your camera. You simply cannot avoid these dangers, even if you leave the camera in your bag. I am very particular about maintaining gear and have yet to suffer a loss. But, there is usually very fine sand inside the camera and/or focus helical after nearly every trip to the beach. Sand will find its way. You can't stop it (easily). Sand is the worst part, I can carefully clean off salt spray. Today I prefer to take my cheapo digital P+S to the beach. Its starting to show the abuse, but keeps on working (Olympus brand if you're curious).

Also, I personally liked the National Geographic idea. It was clearly a joke, but very creative. Isn't creativity one of the primary reasons we're all here?

 

[rich_]

Where I live the RH goes up into the 90s quite regularly. I haven't had a problem with fungus on my cameras as yet, The AC in my apartment keeps things manageable and presumably i use the cameras enough to keep the fungus at bay when i take them out and about!

 

[EdwardKaraa]

Fungus spores need certain conditions to start growing, namely 3 consecutive days of RH higher than 60% and temperatures between 20 and 30 degrees celcius, preferably in darkness. In humid climates, keeping the gear in the camera bag unused for 3 days is enough to start the process. That is why it's better to keep the lenses in a well ventilated bright area like on a shelf, if no means to lower the RH are available. I keep my gear in a dry cabinet at around RH 45%, and when I'm traveling I keep the gear bag open or remove the gear out in the night time.