Poll: M9 Reliability - Please share your experience

[spartacus]

Clearly, the M9 is not as reliable as a film M.

Based on a sample of one (1) camera. Ah, Internet statistics.

Funny. In medicine, we have something similar, what we call grandstanding or roundsmanship.

If you've seen something once, you say "In my experience..."

If you've seen something twice, "In my extensive experience..."

If you've seen something three times, "I've seen it again and again and again..."

 

[peter_n]

We have 28 votes in and a 18% failure rate. Close to a statistically significant sample size. This is not exactly world class to say the least. Can you imagine what chaos Nikon or Canon would be under, with their order of magnitude greater sales volume, if their cameras had that kind of failure rates?

Still, I am going to take the plunge and hope for the best.

First, I don't think it's a good idea to take something that's not tried and true on a trip. I've taken film everywhere and never had a problem. Second, you have a one in five failure rate and you're willing to risk it? On a big trip? You're just asking for trouble... I would love to buy an M9 but I've bought into a dSLR system instead, a known and extremely reliable product that has produced as expected with absolutely no problems. So it's a bit more cumbersome than a rangefinder, but it works - reliably.

 

[dseelig]

m9

m9

Well I have two both for a year or more no troubles at all love them. I put up with the m8 love the m9.

 

[Ronald M]

Cloth shutters are made to run 400,000 before needing adjustment (Leica used to furnish that info). I know wedding people who have over a million on them, M2 and M3.

Canon rep told me they get digital pro bodies in with a million clicks on them.

I met a sports pro who said he had 490,000 on his D700. Nikon advised him not to replace it until it fails.

 

[picker77]

Maybe I'm expecting too much of quality control these days, but 22% plus? Dang. That seems a bit much for a $7,000 camera.

 

[RF_Licks]

Bought used but LNIB unregistered will less than 200clicks. Took it to a trip in Asia within a month and at one point when I switched ON-OFF in succession during a photowalk, it hanged and I had to remove batteries. Back home a month and 1/2 later, the monitor gave way and I had to send it back to Leica NJ for warranty repairs. Thumbs up to Leica as they returned the camera to me within 2 weeks. Its definitely more reliable than the M8 but I would recommend a backup camera if its an important photo-shoot.

 

[sepiareverb]

Out the other day in much too cold weather for my walk, brought the M9 along to see what it would do. I was miserable despite dressing for the weather in well below zero °F temperatures plus a little wind. The camera went outside my jacket the whole way, I turned it on and off as I shot, even chimped some to see what would happen. Did fine. Last three times I shot the camera was so cold to the touch my hands hurt through the wool gloves. After the last shot I put it under my outer jacket to ease the transition to the indoors. I brought the camera directly into my cold pantry (40°F) and put it on the counter to acclimate for a while. I didn't return to get it for almost six hours. After the hour or so in -10°F (or colder) temps shooting about 40 frames and then 6 hours in 40°F temps the battery had gone from 75% (before I left for my walk) to about 65%. I don;t want to duplicate this kind of shooting ever again. I think I can live with the battery life.