Calzone
Gear Whore #1
BTW my turnaround time was only 12 weeks because I used a waiting list so I could continue using my camera. Leica sent me an e-mail and a prepaid shipping label.
Cal
Cal
M9M sensor replacement poll....
- Thread starter james.liam
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james.liam
Well-known
Ditto. I live perhaps blocks from you, Cal, and I drove to Leica NJ, dropped it off and got a rare chrome loaner. Took about 16 weeks. I forget because I had the loaner all the time.
🙂
Dektol Dan
Well-known
Consider This
Consider This
My take on the threads was that it was humidity that broke the chemical bond. It could be my memory is corroded.
Some issues that are wrongly assumed to be corrosion, are not.
If the 'corrosion' that first appears at different f stops and ISO, something commonly described, it is NOT corrosion. The sensor may have a dead pixel that appears as corrosion in the image, but is not.
The dead pixel blocks all the following pixels read linearly. The sensor has to be reprogrammed by Leica in Germany to skip the dead pixel which otherwise kills all the following pixels that are read thereafter. That is often easily mistaken for corrosion.
My camera had this issue from new but not discovered until many months of use later. I did research on this and did sent it back to have it reset. It's fine now.
I did not send it for repair with a complaint about corrosion, but I can easily see why MANY M9 owners would assume that corrosion is what they had!
I posted to a thread addressing the issue I am referring to some 5 years ago.
Just ask yourself, what are the chances of having a single dead pixel on a monitor or TV? I would say the same chances are possible for a camera's sensor. What percentage of sensors replaced are not corrosion? Who knows?
I still wouldn't assume my sensor will fail here in Arizona. Maybe I'm just lucky!
Consider This
My take on the threads was that it was humidity that broke the chemical bond. It could be my memory is corroded.
Some issues that are wrongly assumed to be corrosion, are not.
If the 'corrosion' that first appears at different f stops and ISO, something commonly described, it is NOT corrosion. The sensor may have a dead pixel that appears as corrosion in the image, but is not.
The dead pixel blocks all the following pixels read linearly. The sensor has to be reprogrammed by Leica in Germany to skip the dead pixel which otherwise kills all the following pixels that are read thereafter. That is often easily mistaken for corrosion.
My camera had this issue from new but not discovered until many months of use later. I did research on this and did sent it back to have it reset. It's fine now.
I did not send it for repair with a complaint about corrosion, but I can easily see why MANY M9 owners would assume that corrosion is what they had!
I posted to a thread addressing the issue I am referring to some 5 years ago.
Just ask yourself, what are the chances of having a single dead pixel on a monitor or TV? I would say the same chances are possible for a camera's sensor. What percentage of sensors replaced are not corrosion? Who knows?
I still wouldn't assume my sensor will fail here in Arizona. Maybe I'm just lucky!
james.liam
Well-known
You might very well be, Dan. But Leica examined each camera as they arrived to confirm the corrosion and did not replace those that didn't. On both threads we ar running in excess of 90% replaced. Doesn't bode well for those who still have the old sensor.
Dektol Dan
Well-known
Hoping for the Best
Hoping for the Best
I'm suspect that there is no specific test that could be run to determine where a dead pixel might be as it is something of a crap shoot. Just think of all combinations of ISO and aperture! That would be in the thousands!
It would be easier time wise just to replace the sensor. Mine failed at f8 at 800 ISO. Who remembers their settings from picture to picture? I checked for the settings after I had read about the dead pixel issue. How many on this thread have ever heard of it? I told Leica where to look and they verified it.
Hoping for the Best
I'm suspect that there is no specific test that could be run to determine where a dead pixel might be as it is something of a crap shoot. Just think of all combinations of ISO and aperture! That would be in the thousands!
It would be easier time wise just to replace the sensor. Mine failed at f8 at 800 ISO. Who remembers their settings from picture to picture? I checked for the settings after I had read about the dead pixel issue. How many on this thread have ever heard of it? I told Leica where to look and they verified it.
james.liam
Well-known
It has a particular appearance, that differs greatly from a dead pixel. I've got to dig up the image I found it on back in 2017.
james.liam
Well-known
Day #4, with 24 people reporting we're holding steady at a 92% replacement rate.
Nigel Meaby
Well-known
Sold mine a couple of weeks ago. It already had a replacement sensor ( latest version) when I bought it used.
Dektol Dan
Well-known
So How Many Good Original M9s ?
So How Many Good Original M9s ?
I searched and I could not find any good production run numbers for the M9/M 2009 to 2015. From looking at serial numbers I'm guessing 15 thousand but that could be far off. Using the crazy small polling samples (less than 100) posted here that would be 1200 good original M9 sensor cameras are out there.
I would not be surprised if a quarter or more of production were okay. I bought mine in 2015, it may have been made in 2014 but the sensor issues were well known when I bought it. It could be the last production years had better sensors. Who knows?
So How Many Good Original M9s ?
I searched and I could not find any good production run numbers for the M9/M 2009 to 2015. From looking at serial numbers I'm guessing 15 thousand but that could be far off. Using the crazy small polling samples (less than 100) posted here that would be 1200 good original M9 sensor cameras are out there.
I would not be surprised if a quarter or more of production were okay. I bought mine in 2015, it may have been made in 2014 but the sensor issues were well known when I bought it. It could be the last production years had better sensors. Who knows?
james.liam
Well-known
The Wiki at Leica users forum mentions about 9500 MM v.1's produced from 2012-14, and they're usually pretty accurate.
If so, we have 27 respondents as a sampling of the 9500 made.
Richard G
Veteran
Mine was replaced at almost five years. Subtly affected. Noticed when photographing a vase of flowers against a plain wall on a tripod and using a small aperture. That was in November: the new sensor.
raid
Dad Photographer
There are owners of MM cameras who do not visit RFF and there are RFF members with MM cameras who may not have posted in this thread.
Rob MacKillop
Established
Can anyone supply an image that clearly shows what the corrosion looks like?
I bought my MM second hand, with documented proof of a sensor replacement. 95% of the time the shots are clean, the other 5% show dark spots in the sky.
I bought my MM second hand, with documented proof of a sensor replacement. 95% of the time the shots are clean, the other 5% show dark spots in the sky.
jarski
Veteran
have you ruled out dust on sensor as a cause?
raid
Dad Photographer
Corroded sensors stay corroded while dust can be removed.
Rob MacKillop
Established
I haven't ruled it out - I'm not used to either, so don't know the difference. So far it hasn't been a problem, as on the rare occasions I see something, I can take it out easily enough. If it gets worse, I'll get it seen to.
Derek Leath
dl__images Instagram
My M9 is at Leica NJ now for sensor replacement.
I also developed a crack in the sensor.
Here is a photo.
IMG_6612
by
Derek Leath, on Flickr
I also developed a crack in the sensor.
Here is a photo.
IMG_6612
by
Derek Leath, on Flickr
james.liam
Well-known
My M9 is at Leica NJ now for sensor replacement.
I also developed a crack in the sensor.
Here is a photo.
IMG_6612
by
Derek Leath, on Flickr
Geez! How'd you crack the sensor?
Derek Leath
dl__images Instagram
I didn't, it was a result from the corrosion.
jarski
Veteran
this part in your comment: "...show dark spots in the sky." matches how dust specs usually become visible. smaller the aperture, more pronounced the spot.
try dust blower is first test if you can rid them. there are also more effective ways, depending your comfort level of trying them (some prefer not to touch the sensor at all, and sent camera to service instead).
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