Sensor Replacement Policy 2017

[Rob-F]

1. I need to be prepared that suddenly there is a need to "pause" after taking a few shots. The M9 decides to shut off or to play dead.

2. The battery will die much sooner than the larger battery of the M240.

3. No LiveView option for checking out shimming requirements for some lenses.

4. Smaller screen at back of M9.

So points 1 and 2 make the M240 a better workhorse for high volume, or rapid shooting, then, while the M9 is OK for less intense, more casual or leisurely shooting. I haven't run up against these limitations with my M9, with my shooting style. If I had, I guess I would be scheming for a way to get an M240!

Point 3 would seem important for trying out non-M-mount lenses that have been adapted to M-mount. I can see how it would allow testing the lenses on-camera (your 15mm Hologon comes to mind).

Point 4: The screens on some of my other cameras, like my D700 and X100, do seem better for reviewing my shots. It may be the resolution, and not the size, that I find suboptimal, though. And the M9's histogram sometimes displays as a nearly flat line across the bottom of the graph. I never saw another camera do that, and have no idea what to make of it.

Overall, despite the nuisance of being without the M9 for 7 months, it seems to meet my needs for a digital Leica M. I didn't need it all winter in St. Louis, anyhow! In Florida, that's another story!

I'm sure your M9 will be back by Monday. When Stephanie at Schiller's told me she had received notice mine was on the way, I had it the next day!

 

[Rob-F]

Re-shimming with M9 is easy. All it does is giving you instant negative.

I wish I knew what this wants to say.

Liveview successfully turns you to dead slow digital point-take-your-time-it-is-gone-anyway-shooter.

Sure, but you probably wouldn't use live view for street shooting. That's what the viewfinder is for.

 

[raid]

Thanks, Rob. I am waiting to get back my M9. I will keep it and I will use it. When the M9 needs a rest for a couple of minutes, I use my M8. This has been my set-up.

Ko.Fe. meant to say that we could use the M9 for multiple images while keeping track of the shimming set for each image. Then we use the shimming that is shown to give the best focus.

 

[raid]

So points 1 and 2 make the M240 a better workhorse for high volume, or rapid shooting, then, while the M9 is OK for less intense, more casual or leisurely shooting. I haven't run up against these limitations with my M9, with my shooting style. If I had, I guess I would be scheming for a way to get an M240!

Point 3 would seem important for trying out non-M-mount lenses that have been adapted to M-mount. I can see how it would allow testing the lenses on-camera (your 15mm Hologon comes to mind).

Point 4: The screens on some of my other cameras, like my D700 and X100, do seem better for reviewing my shots. It may be the resolution, and not the size, that I find suboptimal, though. And the M9's histogram sometimes displays as a nearly flat line across the bottom of the graph. I never saw another camera do that, and have no idea what to make of it.

Overall, despite the nuisance of being without the M9 for 7 months, it seems to meet my needs for a digital Leica M. I didn't need it all winter in St. Louis, anyhow! In Florida, that's another story!

I'm sure your M9 will be back by Monday. When Stephanie at Schiller's told me she had received notice mine was on the way, I had it the next day!

There is one more point that I should have spelled out. Having a better battery in the M240 helps with photography in cold settings such as taking photos in the mountains during winter months. It has been reported that the M9 quickly dies (in a few minutes) when exposed to very cold weather. Must have back-up batteries in the pocket or keep the M9 always warm under the coat until taking a photo.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I wish I knew what this wants to say.



Sure, but you probably wouldn't use live view for street shooting. That's what the viewfinder is for.

Put shim in. Take the picture of focus alligment target. Check the picture. It will tell you right away if more or less or spot on.
Just like with film camera, but picture is instant.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

There is one more point that I should have spelled out. Having a better battery in the M240 helps with photography in cold settings such as taking photos in the mountains during winter months. It has been reported that the M9 quickly dies (in a few minutes) when exposed to very cold weather. Must have back-up batteries in the pocket or keep the M9 always warm under the coat until taking a photo.

Any battery will quit fast in freezing temperatures and with camera under cold wind.
Battery grip makes it longer.

This winter someone at LUF took M9 for several days upto mountains. To my surprise no issues were reported.

 

[raid]

Is there an external battery holder for the M9 or a battery grip? I don't think so. If you find a way to hold your m9 under your winter coat most of the time, it may work out well in cold weather.

 

[Huss]

Put shim in. Take the picture of focus alligment target. Check the picture. It will tell you right away if more or less or spot on.
Just like with film camera, but picture is instant.

With Live View, no shimming needed, no wasting time with focus alignment tools, no trial and error trying to get the lens to focus correctly. While you are spending time doing that, missing all those 'it is gone anyway live view shots', live view shooter is outside making those shots.
It also shows actual 100% accurate image coverage, actual real time exposure, and can use any lens with an adapter. Any lens, not just one with RF cam. Try to focus a Minolta 58 1.2 or Petzval Art lens on an M9. You cannot because it does not have live view.
Live View in an M camera is fantastic as it allows you to use any M mount lens with the optical RF, and any other lens with Live View. You get two cameras in one. No other mfg offers that because while they may make LiveView cameras, none also make one with a real RF viewfinder.

I had the M-E. Functionally the M240 and later are far superior. The really really nice thing about the M9 series is the CCD sensor. But Leica's support etc with that has made it a dead end. Once the next batch of sensors fail, you're done.

 

[raid]

"Once the next batch of sensors fail, you're done."

By that time, the M240 may be quite inexpensive.

 

[Rob-F]

Ko.Fe. meant to say that we could use the M9 for multiple images while keeping track of the shimming set for each image. Then we use the shimming that is shown to give the best focus.

Put shim in. Take the picture of focus alligment target. Check the picture. It will tell you right away if more or less or spot on.
Just like with film camera, but picture is instant.

OK now I see. We used to do it that way with telephoto lenses on Mitchell cameras when I worked in Nevada. There was no focusing mount, just shims. We put in a shim, shot a couple of feet of film, put another shim, etc. Then back to the trailer to soup the film, check it with a loup. Been there, done that; but I didn't see that was what you meant.

 

[dof]

My fixed M-Monochrom body arrived home yesterday. It came as a surprise, with no advance notice from Leica that it was on its way. It went out for repair at the end of last July so roughly an 8-month round trip in my case.

 

[raid]

For me, the M9 sensor replacement took from September until April. It arrived back a few days ago.

corrected: since JULY 2017

 

[Huss]

For me, the M9 sensor replacement took from September until April. It arrived back a few days ago.

September 2016?

 

[raid]

No. September 2017. Nice try.

corrected: should have been "JULY 2017"

 

[Huss]

No. September 2017. Nice try.

Oh, that's much better! 7 month turn around is tip top, 18 months would be poor service.

(sorry Raid, can't help myself!)

 

[raid]

It was my error! I meant to write: "since JULY 2017" and not since September. Sorry.
The camera looks as the way it was when I sent it to Leica, with some scratches here and there on the top of the camera.

 

[Emile de Leon]

They should have removed the scratches..lol...

 

[raid]

I never said so! It was actually good to find my camera as I sent it to NJ, except for a new sensor and firmware and camera cover.

 

[Huss]

9 month turn around. Wow. I love my M240 but I bought that used for cheeeep. Never again would I buy a new Leica with this premium service.

Anyone else doubt the fact that Leica HQ in NJ has only one tech?!!! Un-be-lievable.
They obviously do not expect you to actually use the cameras.

 

[raid]

The interesting thing is that I have now seen online posts by several Leica users who say that they also received an M240 loaner camera from Leica NJ. This is not as bad then. You don't miss your M9 then as much.