M9 memory card malfunction averted

[Archiver]

Had a scare with my M9 yesterday. It's been relatively unused since getting my SL2-S earlier this year, and I took it out for the first time in some days. When it powered up, it took a photo and then stopped. It displayed the image just taken, but couldn't fire after that.

Checking the Info display showed that the card read empty/0, which wasn't right at all. Playback showed the 20 images in the card, but the Info panel read that there was no space left.

Popped the battery, popped the card, no dice. It seemed to fix itself (not really) by taking one image each time it was turned on, but it didn't record the image to the card.

Back at home, plugging the card into the reader brought up warning that the card contained errors. I let Windows fix the card and downloaded what was there, then did a complete overwrite format using SD Card Formatter. Then I did a quick format for good measure, put the card back in the M9 and took a few test shots. And it worked! Card read as normal, it shot as normal.

That card, a Sandisk Ultra 32GB, has been in the M9 for what must be around seven or eight years, probably more. Perhaps it's time to use a new one.

And maybe this is another thing to add to Life's Little (photo) Lessons: test fire your gear before you leave the house.

 

[boojum]

Had a scare with my M9 yesterday. It's been relatively unused since getting my SL2-S earlier this year, and I took it out for the first time in some days. When it powered up, it took a photo and then stopped. It displayed the image just taken, but couldn't fire after that.

Checking the Info display showed that the card read empty/0, which wasn't right at all. Playback showed the 20 images in the card, but the Info panel read that there was no space left.

Popped the battery, popped the card, no dice. It seemed to fix itself (not really) by taking one image each time it was turned on, but it didn't record the image to the card.

Back at home, plugging the card into the reader brought up warning that the card contained errors. I let Windows fix the card and downloaded what was there, then did a complete overwrite format using SD Card Formatter. Then I did a quick format for good measure, put the card back in the M9 and took a few test shots. And it worked! Card read as normal, it shot as normal.

That card, a Sandisk Ultra 32GB, has been in the M9 for what must be around seven or eight years, probably more. Perhaps it's time to use a new one.

And maybe this is another thing to add to Life's Little (photo) Lessons: test fire your gear before you leave the house.

Two things: 1) I seem to remember that 16GB is the recommended max card for the M9 and a card not too fast. I follow this with old 16GB cards, they are cheap and like all insurance companies I like to expose myself to as little risk as possible. 2) I use the camera to erase and format the card. I erase by format. Even if it was done on a computer. The Trolls of Wetzlar may have some secret sauce they want on the cards. It costs nothing to do it. ;o)

I just checked the internet on SD card size for an M9. Lots of opinions. I have never had a problem with 16GB. That's a very small sampling, yes.

 

[Archiver]

The problems recurred, but have seemingly been solved. My M9 began to produce errors regardless of what card was used. When taking a photo, the shutter fired but the auto review did not show an image. After that, the camera locked and could not take another image, nor would it play back images. The internal display either showed a single shutter speed (the last used) or three flashing horizontal strokes that lit up in sequence. This was only solved by pulling the battery and memory card, but after one images, it went back to that series of errors.

I reset the camera, then the display randomly read 'battery low'. This was odd, because the camera read the battery as being almost full before. I swapped to another battery that was charged, and now my M9 works again. Thank goodness! Either that particular battery is on its way out, or leaving the battery in the camera for longish periods of time causes a drain that isn't registered by the camera. Or maybe the reset helped. Not sure at this point. I'll continue to use it and report back if anything else arises.

 

[Rob-F]

Two things: 1) I seem to remember that 16GB is the recommended max card for the M9 and a card not too fast. I follow this with old 16GB cards, they are cheap and like all insurance companies I like to expose myself to as little risk as possible. 2) I use the camera to erase and format the card. I erase by format. Even if it was done on a computer. The Trolls of Wetzlar may have some secret sauce they want on the cards. It costs nothing to do it. ;o)

I just checked the internet on SD card size for an M9. Lots of opinions. I have never had a problem with 16GB. That's a very small sampling, yes.

Yes I also am under the impression that 16gb is the recommended size. By some coincidence I was just reading, today, Thorsten Overgaard saying that, and, "Stay with old, slow cards."

 

[Richard G]

Since buying my M9 in 2012 I have had to buy two new chargers. I’ve also bought new Leica brand batteries. Of the six I’ve had, one has failed and another looks on the way out. My magic battery still fires when the display is around 25 per cent remaining, which I never saw at all in the early years. Another sees the display telling me battery charge almost full just before it dies. I now have to leave home with a spare battery. My lesson from all this is that my next charger and next new batteries will not be from Leica Camera AG.

The battery charge is the source of trouble and the LCD is not a reliable guide to remaining charge.

Perhaps those who’ve switched to non OEM chargers and batteries are finding more consistency, even with the little camera that could, the old M9, a necessary link in the chain.

 

[boojum]

Since buying my M9 in 2012 I have had to buy two new chargers. I’ve also bought new Leica brand batteries. Of the six I’ve had, one has failed and another looks on the way out. My magic battery still fires when the display is around 25 per cent remaining, which I never saw at all in the early years. Another sees the display telling me battery charge almost full just before it dies. I now have to leave home with a spare battery. My lesson from all this is that my next charger and next new batteries will not be from Leica Camera AG.

The battery charge is the source of trouble and the LCD is not a reliable guide to remaining charge.

Perhaps those who’ve switched to non OEM chargers and batteries are finding more consistency, even with the little camera that could, the old M9, a necessary link in the chain.

I have 10+ non Leica M9 batteries. They work just fine. I charge them with a Leica charger.

 

[Archiver]

I have 10+ non Leica M9 batteries. They work just fine. I charge them with a Leica charger.

Which brand of non-Leica batteries do you have? Mine are now about 15 years old and are probably due for some upgrades.

In the meantime, the battery will be fully charged before going out, and I'll carry a fully charged spare. I've never had to do this with the M9 before.

 

[Freakscene]

Which brand of non-Leica batteries do you have? Mine are now about 15 years old and are probably due for some upgrades.

One of the problems at the moment with buying any third party Leica batteries is that you buy a brand, and when you want to buy kore, even a few months later, that type is no longer available. All the third party BP-SCL1 batteries that I tried that were rated at 1800 mah or more have been ok. Some 1100-1200 mah ones that I bought in 2008-09 and used in my M8 and M9 were problematic. ausbatteries.com has one that works well; the cells apparently are locally checked.

In the meantime, the battery will be fully charged before going out, and I'll carry a fully charged spare. I've never had to do this with the M9 before.

These cameras really do some weird things once the batteries start to get funky, and they are often not things that immediately make you think “my battery has a problem”.

Marty

 

[boojum]

Which brand of non-Leica batteries do you have? Mine are now about 15 years old and are probably due for some upgrades.

In the meantime, the battery will be fully charged before going out, and I'll carry a fully charged spare. I've never had to do this with the M9 before.

eBay. I have no idea what brand they are. There is a logo that says Camera Sino. IIRC these were what were sold on eBay for the most part. They work fine for me. I charge them up every few months to keep them from going dead which the Leica charger does not like.

 

[Coldkennels]

There is a logo that says Camera Sino.

That'll be Cameron Sino, a company that supplies batteries for a lot of unsupported old consumer devices: Cameron Sino

For a lot of older tech, those guys are the only thing keeping them going reliably.

 

[Freakscene]

That'll be Cameron Sino, a company that supplies batteries for a lot of unsupported old consumer devices: Cameron Sino

For a lot of older tech, those guys are the only thing keeping them going reliably.

Their Leica 14464/BP-SCL1 copies are about $20 on Amazon.