Sensor Replacement Policy 2017

[cz23]

I guess the question is, at what price would you purchase one, knowing you could face a $1K bill?

Then again, if five years have passed without an issue, can the camera be assumed to be immune? I'm sure Leica has those metrics.

 

[JMQ]

I guess the question is, at what price would you purchase one, knowing you could face a $1K bill?

Then again, if five years has passed without an issue, can the camera be assumed to be immune?

It's also the hassle of having to wait 4-5 months in addition to the cost...I don't know about sensors being immune, I thought it's a matter of "when" and not "if"

 

[cz23]

It's also the hassle of having to wait 4-5 months in addition to the cost...I don't know about sensors being immune, I thought it's a matter of "when" and not "if"

I've never heard that it's inevitable. I sure hope not, for our long-term owners here.

John

 

[jsrockit]

Yeah, but then again LCDs for the M8 are no longer available and people still buy them for around the same price as a few years ago.

 

[Fraser]

Are there any cases of the replacement sensors going bad?

Leica M9s in the UK are now around £2000 so if they drop any further it may be cheaper to buy one with a replaced sensor rather than getting a repair.
I must have got my M9 mid 2010 had the sensor replaced June 2016, so maybe if I get another 5 years out of this sensor I should be doing ok!

 

[Fraser]

Another thought,
Its a weird thing for Leica to announce as surely most of the sensors have been replaced so any that still need to be will be very low numbers I would of thought that the bad press would out weigh the remaining cost of replacements.

 

[Keith]

This will have to create a few M9 bricks unfortunately ... but not too many hopefully.

As someone pointed out the party couldn't last forever.

 

[bayernfan]

John, this will absolutely affect all CCD cameras that are over 5 years old and still have the old sensor. I suppose the price for these cameras will drop by the sensor replacement cost or about USD$1000.

rofl 🙂

industry expert much?

 

[ferider]

The easiest way for Leica to clean out the remaining 240 stock.

 

[pyeh]

Jean Marc, certainly humidity is the thing that will set off the corrosion. You could accelerate it by wet cleaning it with something hygroscopic I guess but don't make it look too rough. Or you could leave it lensless in your bathroom while you shower.
I think you should send yours in for assessment and let them tell you. My MM sensor took about 4 weeks to get replaced by Leica's repairer in Melbourne, and my two M9s about the same amount of time to be done by Leica Japan. All were done earlier this year.
From the stories here, Leica US is also taking about 4 weeks.

 

[icebear]

I have new sensors in my M9 and MM and consequently don't worry.
The replacement of the MM sensor after it was inspected and confirmed it had the corrosion, took 4 business days.😉

 

[damonsong]

I think the good news is they will still replace for $1000.
I suspect that might hurt the used value of the M9/MM that have not been replaced. Might be a good gamble for people who wants one, it's not like the sensor will definitely go bad, right?

 

[icebear]

My rough estimate ... there is a 98.56% chance that the sensor will go bad.
The remaining 1.44% are accounting for shelf queens in a climate controled cabinet with less than 20% humidity.
As I said though, ... a rough estimate😎

 

[Huss]

it's not like the sensor will definitely go bad, right?

No, it will go bad. The majority of people here have had theirs replaced. Some people just don't notice because it doesn't show so much when shooting wide open snaps of cats.

 

[Keith]

No, it will go bad. The majority of people here have had theirs replaced. Some people just don't notice because it doesn't show so much when shooting wide open snaps of cats.

That's a little dismissive Huss... in many ways the cat shooters have kept that company afloat. 😕

 

[Huss]

That's a little dismissive Huss... in many ways the cat shooters have kept that company afloat. 😕

Let's be honest Keith. They've kept the entire digital industry afloat.

😀

(Leicas are actually not so good for cat pics. My D750 is awesome for that!)

 

[damonsong]

All the cat talks reminds me of a funny awkward story.

I once had 3 M3s, bought them in a package deal for lenses and had to sell some.
A Leica collector contacted me to view the M3s. During our meeting we started to talk about different lenses, and he mentioned the noctilux. I said I haven't bought one because of the size, I shoot leica because they are compact and I do carry around my gears, it's not like I'm just at home shooting cats. Then he was quiet, after a few seconds he said "well... I do shoot lots of cats at home...". The situation became very awkward from that point on.

 

[Keith]

Let's be honest Keith. They've kept the entire digital industry afloat.

😀

(Leicas are actually not so good for cat pics. My D750 is awesome for that!)

True Huss yes ... lol 😛

 

[JMQ]

Jean Marc, certainly humidity is the thing that will set off the corrosion. You could accelerate it by wet cleaning it with something hygroscopic I guess but don't make it look too rough. Or you could leave it lensless in your bathroom while you shower.
I think you should send yours in for assessment and let them tell you. My MM sensor took about 4 weeks to get replaced by Leica's repairer in Melbourne, and my two M9s about the same amount of time to be done by Leica Japan. All were done earlier this year.
From the stories here, Leica US is also taking about 4 weeks.

Thanks Pete...funny, I was thinking of doing exactly that....

 

[Rayt]

I have a low mileage CCD MM with no issues so far but understand it is inevitable. So I can choose to "upgrade" to a CMOS MM now or later when the problem is confirmed?