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I am scared to get m9 with all the problems


JackLu123

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i have owned two m9's- and never ever had a serious issue with either. No cracked sensors... I bought the cheapest memory cards from the post office- and never had a problem with them. Trying to estimate reliability of the camera based on forum posts will not work- it's the same as trying to diagnose an illness on the internet- basically the worst case scenarios get written about- as in the saying 'no news is good news'.

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Just because one person hasn't personally experienced a problem doesn't mean it won't happen. The issue is how prevalent the problems are and whether you should be concerned.

 

When you lose pictures because of a digital meltdown of whatever description it is extremely annoying and pictures cannot be repeated. Carrying a second camera is always a good idea. If one fails you can use the other. But you can't be expected to always take duplicate shots of everything with two cameras. A backup camera may not help in the case of SD card failure since you may only realize pictures are missing later on.

 

My M9 locked up, I had to remove battery and card, then all looked fine. I only discovered pictures were not on the card after I tried to play them back a second time and upload. All data had disappeared. It appears the problem may be to do with the SanDisk SD card which I shall replace. Luckily I did take a few extra pics with the D-Lux 5 which are fine.

 

See also the thread about the photographer who lost pictures of a trip to Antarctica -- not a place that's easy to return to. His other Leica branded compacts worked fine.

 

The only time I lost pictures with film was when the lab mistakenly developed E6 as C41 -- human error, not technical error.

 

Last year, before getting my M9, members of this forum kindly shared their experiences on reliability of the M9 in a poll. (You can search for this thread on the forum but I decided it's too old to reactivate.) There were very few reports of problems. Now, I'd invite potential buyers to read the reports in the SD card issue sub forum -- all from mid 2011 onwards -- and decide whether this is a significant issue or not. Maybe it isn't. It appears SD card failure is largely, but not exclusively, limited to cards made by SanDisk. But it is still unclear whether SanDisk or Leica is at fault.

 

I am disappointed that Leica has not issued an update on this issue. They should.

 

Cracked sensors are another issue, also worrying.

 

Leica has built its reputation on reliability and performance, but these instances are hardly confidence inspiring. I love Leica, but it does neither photographers or the company any favors to downplay these problems.

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I would guess that a lot of folks like me have been Leica users for many years. Personally I have for over 30 years. Others probably more. Yes I have had problems but mine have not been from my M8, M8.2 or M9. I had issue with my M6 years ago and that was a mechanical camera. Bottom line is that most of us have grown up with Leica and we know what it is capable of regardless of its perceived issues. What ever they may be the end results far out weigh any issues. If you are not comfortable do not buy. Personally I wish had back every Leica camera body and lens I have ever owned and sold.

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David, I totally sympathize with your recent experience. I know what it is like to lose images that cannot be retrieved, albeit for different reasons.

 

A bad part for you is not knowing the real cause. I have about 10 Sandisk SD cards of varying size and all have had extensive use without failure. Of course all that means is that mine have not failed. Same for my M9.

 

I understand your loss of confidence, the worst part is not knowing what the source of the problem is. Unfortunately, I believe all digital cameras and all cards can be prone to such problems. IMO there is more risk with anything digital compared to mechanical, but I can assure you mechanical is not perfect either.

 

It would seem all you can do is 'move on', at first with some caution, till you have confidence in yourself and your gear.

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one small thing: I always thought Leica should have put dual card slots into the M9 (not that I have had a significant card failure). I think in a (top end) digital camera this is an excellent way of insuring against the odd memory card meltdown. The new Nikon d800 has them- and I wonder if the m10 will also...

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...I understand your loss of confidence, the worst part is not knowing what the source of the problem is. Unfortunately, I believe all digital cameras and all cards can be prone to such problems. IMO there is more risk with anything digital compared to mechanical, but I can assure you mechanical is not perfect either.

 

It would seem all you can do is 'move on', at first with some caution, till you have confidence in yourself and your gear.

 

Absolutely right, I think all digital or computer products need to be treated with caution. Reliability is not their strong suit. Because computer technology is still evolving at a fast clip, companies are more interested in new features than reliability. Leica's expertise has been with traditional camera design, not digital technology, which they have had to buy in. I have had good luck with some products, not so much with others. And yes, mechanical products can fail, too, though they tend to be more predictable. I think googling reliability of any new product is a good idea. Other digital cameras have also had their share of problems reported, including the new Fujis, Nikon with backfocusing problems, Canon with lens error codes, and so on. Just google "digital camera errors" and "digital camera reliability" and see what you come up with.

 

I'll keep going with digital Leicas but also give the film Leicas a whirl again for a while.

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I would not have purchased my M9p if I thought I could not have confidence in its performance. I suggest if you can't make the purchase without worrying all the time about what might happen, purchase another brand. I am a first time Leica user and have had my M9 for nine months using it almost everyday with no problems.

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Apart from normal wear and tear (and therefore need of adjustment) I haven't had any problems with my M9 for almost 3 years now. Tens of thousands of shots, and I don't baby it either.

 

So I honestly think fear in picking one up is a little silly. Buy from a good dealer and relax and enjoy it!

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I would suggest you not buy one that would be a mistake to have a camera that could have problems. Even if your first time using the camera you were lucky enough to capture an Iconic image, the future would be plagued with worry knowing eventually your going to have a problem with the M9. So you should buy two not one that way you will always have on that works with you.

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I would suggest you not buy one that would be a mistake to have a camera that could have problems. Even if your first time using the camera you were lucky enough to capture an Iconic image, the future would be plagued with worry knowing eventually your going to have a problem with the M9. So you should buy two not one that way you will always have on that works with you.

 

Extrapolating that theory would have you not buying any camera!

ALL cameras can have problems. A most flawed line of thinking.

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If you're afraid to buy something because of problems you read about on forums then I don't know what you'll ever buy. It's right up there with diagnosing your latest ache or pain on the internet. If you're looking for the best full frame, small carmera and lens combination that holds its value and is backed buy a reputable company that stands behind its products in and out of warranty then you certainly can't find a better choice than the M9. I owned a Canon 1DMKIII that was the subject of scathing reviews about it's focusing system due to early production problems. After that was fixed the supposed pros continued to bash it. It was an incredible camera and when you dug down into the reviews the so called pros didn't bother to take the time to understand an incredibly complex array of options. As others have noted there's no problem viewing photos while they write to the card, if you're worried by sd card issues don't by Sandisk and if you're sensor cracks Leica will replace it.

Edited by 1JB
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Don't worry about the problems. The first thing to remember about news is that it is definitionally unusual. I have precisely the SD cards that were supposed to be worst and had no problems. The person who got a cracked sensor was under warranty.

 

I throw my M9 and summilux 35 in my bag and just carry them.

 

If you want it and can afford it, get it.

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............ As others have noted there's no problem viewing photos while they write to the card, if you're worried by sd card issues don't by Sandisk and if you're sensor cracks Leica will replace it.

 

There have been a number of threads and quite a bit of discussion previously on this too of course. I have never had any problems of any kind but it's worth noting that Leica Camera revoked their interim precaution (during investigation) about Sandisk cards when they found the problem was a firmware bug, not a Sandisk fault.

 

In fact the only cards that they specifically test with and state are compatible are all of the Sandisk ones. (not the counterfeited ones naturally!)

 

..............................................................

"Which types of memory cards will work with my LEICA M9?

In principle, all cards complying with the SD/SDHC specifcations will work. Since this market with its many distributers changes quickly, Leica cannot constantly check the compatibility. As we limit our compatibility testing program to tests with SD memory cards manufactured by SanDisk, we can only guarantee problem-free camera function with these cards".

...................................................................

 

"Fix of a seldom-occurring error when initializing the SD-card.

With that firmware update, we revoke the constrictions made with respect to the compatible cards. Generally speaking, the Leica M9/M9-P is compatible with any SD card that is in accordance with the respective standards. Unfortunately, it is impossible to test the compatibility of every single card of every single supplier.

All cards available from SanDisk have been compatibility-tested and the firmware version 1.1.76 ensures their proper function".

.....................................................................

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Sebastiao Salgado is wise,

he uses Canon since 2008, no more Leicas,

I'm sorry but it's reality,

I was about to buy M9 and the problem of sensor do not buy,

I will buy the day they return to do something worthy to bear the name

 

___

 

To answer the O.P. -- My M9 has been as reliable as any camera that gets as much use as it has had... dropped while hiking in the Tetons... taking pictures at 10 below zero.... etc. So, while the Forum may give you a distorted view, as the hundreds of people who have had some problem or another post here, to get help, while the thousands of people who haven't had problems long ago got tired of simply gushing how much they love their M9, I can attest to a) loving my M9 and M8, and B) their overall reliability.

 

But as to the poster quoted above, Mr. Simplemind, you are incorrect. Salgado switched from his Leica's to a medium format rig, and he did for reasons that had nothing to do with his Leica's reliability. See below:

 

 

"During one of the earlier interchanges, Salgado let it be known that he had switched to digital, which drew an audible gasp from some of the audience. He later on explained that he had used Leica at the beginning (both the legendary Leica M rangefinder and also the R6.2 SLR). When he was working on the previous project, “Africa”, he wanted to print big, so he switched to the medium format camera. He chose Pentax 645 because the low-contrast Pentax lens matched the characteristics of the Leica lens he used (he was probably using the earlier generation Leica lens and not the latest high-contrast sharp-as-tack ASPH generation)."

 

The full link is here: An Evening with Sebastião Salgado

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Actually he does use a Canon. Canon Professional Network - Salgado's Genesis project

 

But as Erl has already pointed out, these sorts of things matter very little. A good artist will use whatever tool is appropriate in any given situation. It does not mean that other tools are inferior. Reasons can be numerous (and sponsorship support can be a big factor, too.) Salgado has used several tools to produce various projects.

 

From his recent talk at the Hammer Museum at UCLA:

 

"On a more technical front, Sebastiao Salgado spoke about film vs. digital. He no longer shoots with film as the reasons to go digital mounted up. The silver in current medium format films, are currently at levels that 35mm was 25 years ago. The 600 rolls of 220 he carried on shoots weighed about 60 lbs. After 9/11 the security checkpoint that he goes through with exposed film (he told us 7 on the last trip) has affected the grain and contrast of the exposed film. Plus there was the inevitable fight at each checkpoint to hand check the film. His assistant almost quit on his last trip from the constant battles.

 

So now it’s a Canon DSLR for him. 21 megapixels strong. But he is also looking at that new LeicaS2 with 37 megapixels. And his “film?" About 1.5 lbs of cards. " Sebastiao Salgado : The Genesis Project | Photoinduced.com

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I fully understand the hesitation to commit such a large amount of money for a camera that might not be perfect, especially when there are excellent cameras available at half the price.

 

Unfortunately, no camera or company is perfect, but---my M8 was very reliable, my M9 has been flawless, and my service from Leica excellent. These two cameras, expensive as both were, may be the best camera purchases I've made.

 

If you feel like it, go ahead and dive in. The water's fine.

 

Later,

 

Clyde

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At the risk of being burned at the stake (such is life) - for me the unreliability of Leica stuff is part of the deal, in fact it is surprisingly reliable considering that Leica is a 1000 FTE operation. How the hell do they survive against all competition? It really is remarkable.

 

To elucidate: it is physically impossible to make a 100% reliable product if the "series size" is so small. It requires economy of scale and a large no. of optimization steps to get things tweaked. Leica can and will not do that for obvious reasons. So what we pay for is being supportive of a nearly artisan like brand. Made by people - warts and all. I can live with that.

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