M9 problem

[jaapv]

Darn luck, Raid... and this is still in the middle of your trip. Are you in Germany now? Even if you're in the Eastern side, you should be able to send it to Leica and then have it sent home in FL when they're done. And they should be able to give you a loaner too...

I hope. Sending you good vibes...

Haha😀 Don't let a German see this. It is one country nowadays...😉.
But sound advice. Just call Leica Customer Service and have them collect it.
Explain you are in the middle of a trip and ask for a loaner.

Sensors are made in two halves that are read out seperately. If the electronics on one half fail, you get only half an image.

No amount of fiddling with batteries, SD cards, firmware etc. will restore the camera.

 

[Photon42]

Different memory card shows identical problem?

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Jaapv, they may be one country, but there's still a big cultural divide there... Last time I was there, in Leipzig, Ostis were kind of a trend... and you should have seen the camera stores, full of old East German-made cameras (with Japanese sprinkles here and there). 🙂

 

[icebear]

Reunification of east and west Germany was in 1989, so that's roughly a quarter of a century, isn't it ? 😉.
But yes, there are still cultural differences which will take another generation to become unnoticeable.

 

[raid]

Hi Raid.I sent my M9 to Leica SG. Leica replaced the sensor.

Please give me the address and what to write.

 

[robbeiflex]

I had a black band on a photo. Did a factory reset and it went away. Try this from your menu options first.

 

[Eric T]

Raid,
My M8 has a Reset function on the menu. It puts the camera back to factory settings. If the M9 has that, it might be worth a try.

 

[jaapv]

Please give me the address and what to write.

http://en.leica-camera.com/Service-Support/Repair-Maintenance

http://en.leica-camera.com/Contact?country=18004&category[]=Photography


Best to give them a telephone call.

 

[raid]

Thanks for the great tips. We got home last evening, and I will do some checking on my M9 this evening. If all attempts fail, I will call Leica (Thanks, Jaap).
I will try using a newly charged battery and also use the rest button.
I have tried using the jpg format, and it did not work either.

 

[jaapv]

Nothing will work; your sensor (or rather the motherboard with which it is integrated) has departed this world.😱

Even if the condensor or whatever went bust flickers back into life, it will be for a short while only.

 

[raid]

I will call Leica and tell them about the problem.

 

[jaapv]

You're back in the States then? In that case call Leica NJ.


1 Pearl Ct, Unit A
Allendale, New Jersey 07401

Phone: 800 222 0118

 

[raid]

Yes, we got back last evening. Thanks Jaap. I will call them.

The only good thing about the sensor issue is that it happened on the last day of the two week trip.

 

[raid]

I called Leica (NJ) this morning, and I talked with one of the people there for technical support/repair. He wants me to check out the slow speeds first to see if it is the shutter, but it is in need of repair. They have sensors in stock.

 

[raid]

Resetting the M9 did nothing for the problem.
I noticed a green cast in the image halves that show up.
This is so upsetting.

 

[Pioneer]

Is this something Leica repairs for free and, if not, what is the going price for a sensor replacement? Surely someone has gone through a similar repair?

 

[raid]

I had same thoughts today.

Also, could the faulty memory card have triggered something, and would a download of the firmware help?

 

[MCTuomey]

My M9 sensor was repaired for free. While the sensor was being changed, Leica at no charge CLA'd the camera and replaced the covering as well. About 2.5 weeks door-ro-door. Fine service imho.

Raid, my sensor started failing during a trip too. I was upset at the time, but once the camera was back from repairs I forgot about it. Not the first camera whose sensor failed in my hands, won't be the last.

 

[raid]

I sent you a msg, Mike.

 

[willie_901]

If the sensor circuitry failed (as jaapv suggested), this is a failure in the analog sensor section of the data stream. The SDHC card is not connected directly to the analog circuitry. In between the SDHC card contacts and the sensor electronics is the ADC and ISO analog gain components. While static electricity could do strange things when one inserts or removes the SDHC card, it is unlikely a SDHC card issue could damage the sensor circuitry. It would most likely affect the ADC (the last major component before the SDHC card).

The firmware would have to be corrupt in order for a firmware reload to have an effect. So what would corrupt the firmware? If it isn't too much trouble, reloading the firmware is worth it. After all every once and a while someone in a casino wins a slot machine jackpot, so low likelihood events do occur.