How many is too many? (shutter actuations on M9)

[rfaspen]

RFFers,

So I'm casually cruising for a used M9. I find a few at prices I can fit into my budget. One in particular seems good, but......

.....36,000 clicks on it.

I find a number of other bodies out there with much fewer clicks, say in the range of 1500 to 10,000. Not much of a jump in asking price, but not as local, etc.

So, a body that checks out as not abused, decent guy selling it, but 36k actuations. Should I walk away? I'm looking for a body I can use much like my old M8u, casual shooting about 2000-3000 shots a year. Aww, who knows. I might love shooting the M9 so much I click away at a higher rate 😀. But, can I expect to get a couple/few years (at least?) with a body that's already got 36k?

Your thoughts...

 

[Godfrey]

The shutter should be good for 100K to 150K actuations MTBF as a minimum.

I would worry less about number of actuations than about overall condition and signs of abuse. At 3000 exposures per year, you'll not get to 50K actuations until 2020-2021. 100K actuations will come up around 2036 at that rate ...

I wouldn't worry too terribly much about it. ;-)

G

 

[Pioneer]

36000 is about one fifth of the way. Barely getting started.

 

[jarski]

I'd expect shutters also serviceable for longer than sensors for instance.

 

[jaapv]

Expect over 200.000. That is not to say no shutter will fail earlier (or later) than that, but it occurs rarely.

 

[uhoh7]

Shutter costs about 500USD from Leica NJ, FYI, and you get a good inspection, re-calibration, and new leatherette.

Shutter is not the strong point of the M9. 36K is fine, less would be more desirable.

 

[Mike Fish]

36000 is about one fifth of the way. Barely getting started.

Shutter costs about 500USD from Leica NJ, FYI, and you get a good inspection, re-calibration, and new leatherette.

Shutter is not the strong point of the M9. 36K is fine, less would be more desirable.

I've got just over 170,000 on my M8. Most of them from previous owners. I wouldn't necessarily recommend you look for a camera as well-used as that, but I also wouldn't stress out too much over 36,000 on a M9 if everything else (incl price) seemed right.

 

[uhoh7]

I agree 🙂

 

[rfaspen]

Well, overwhelming response on the favorable side. Just might strike the deal and get the camera. As mentioned, no sign of abuse and there's good reason to believe the owner/seller when they say there wasn't. Just a lot of clicking away...

 

[Pioneer]

I will give everyone warning before I put mine up for sale (if I ever do.) In the vernacular "it has been rode hard and put away wet" more than once.

Funny thing though, it came back from New Jersey after its' annual cleaning and check up with a clean bill of health so I guess it must have been built to deal with rough use. At least rougher than I can give it.

 

[Kwesi]

36k is well used. What else comes with it? Extra battery, grip, case? Also check that rangefinder is aligned.

 

[Phil_F_NM]

Sometimes, only 5000 actuations is too much...

Phil Forrest

 

[rscheffler]

Mine is over 140k and still works, knock on wood!

 

[Kwesi]

That's awesome! My concern was that at 36k chances are the original battery could use a back up.

 

[jaapv]

The battery - that is a different matter. It will be getting on in years. Best to get at least one new original one.

 

[rfaspen]

OK, battery. I should check that out. I do have a few batteries from my M8 days, although they too aren't exactly spring chickens. What's more, buying a new battery is no big deal compared to the expenditure for the body.

I suppose its obvious, but the purchase price for even a used M9 is a big decision in my household. I would sure like to have a trouble-free (to the extent that crazy random chance will allow) camera that meets my light-to-medium duty needs. If the camera failed within a year of purchase, my wife would never let me live it down. She is constantly reminding me that my camera habit is substantially more expensive than hers (she has a D90 and a D610, with a few rather nice lenses). So honestly, if anyone here really thinks this is a poor idea (buying a non-abused 36k click camera), I'd rather hear it from y'all (experienced people whose opinion I value) than learn the hard way.

Personally, I treat all my cameras gently and thoughtfully. No abuse, ever. Actually, that's not entirely correct. Back when I used to photograph for money, I had a couple extra Nikon EMs and a few Quantaray (or similar) lenses that were designated "expendable". Funny thing is, those bodies (not so much the lenses) survived much longer than I expected -- I placed one setup in a motocross track during a race. On the edge, but still actually in the trackway. Mud/wet, dust/dirt, and the possibility of being run over - dangerous stuff. That lens got grit into the focus mechanism, and the UV filter scratched to death, but the EM kept working. Even the self-timer, which is how I managed to fire the shutter at the dangerous moment when the racers were whipping by. I probably just cleaned out the mud and dirt grains from the insides with a cloth and blower after every use. But I digress. The M9 will not be placed in mud. The first task would be some portraits of friends.

 

[Kwesi]

The M8 batteries are of a lower capacity than the M9 ones. Usable for sure but remember the m9 shuts down when you are at 25% battery capacity. Regarding wether the M9 is a wise buy or not,
I would say it's an amazing camera BUT I would get one that's had the sensor recently replaced. This way you know the whole camera has been checked by Leica. I assume you are aware of the sensor corrosion issue and the fact that Leica has come up with a solution.
If you still have the m8 I would suggest selling it and putting the extra cash towards a used M240

 

[gunston]

reached 50k clicks with regular send in for simple clean up and maintenance.

 

[jaapv]

What kind maintenance did they do? The camera is supposed to be maintenance-free, as opposed to film Ms which may need a CLA every decade or so.

 

[jaapv]

The M8 batteries are of a lower capacity than the M9 ones. Usable for sure but remember the m9 shuts down when you are at 25% battery capacity. Regarding wether the M9 is a wise buy or not,
I would say it's an amazing camera BUT I would get one that's had the sensor recently replaced. This way you know the whole camera has been checked by Leica. I assume you are aware of the sensor corrosion issue and the fact that Leica has come up with a solution.
If you still have the m8 I would suggest selling it and putting the extra cash towards a used M240

The batteries are identical between the M8 and M9. However, the older a battery gets the more capacity it loses, which explains your observation.