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I just got a great deal on an M6 Classic, but it has very few bubbles here and there. (nothing major) I'm sure this subject has been written about multiple times on this forum and some of you may be tired of reading the same thing again and again. However, I was wondering if it would be possible to reverse the oxidation by getting it to bare zinc and painting it. Would it need to be treated with some type of chemical? Would it happen again? Sending it to Leica is not an option for me and M6 Classic top plates are hard to find online. So, is there any ways to reverse this zinc plague on the top plate?

So, in May, 2017 I sent my ME to Leica NJ for repair of the corroded sensor. You'll recall, this was well before Leica announced the August 15 deadline for free repairs. After the announcement, I sent my M9M to Wetzlar through Leica Store Miami. At this point, I was willing to place money that the M9M would arrive from Wetzlar before the ME arrived from NJ. Although I was very bummed about not having either of my Leicas I was mostly OK because I still had my trusty M8. I've used the M8 since then without issue until last week. Several of us caravanned down to Key West on a relief mission after Hurricane Irma. I took my M8 along with me for once-in-a-lifetime shots. Well, you can probably guess what happened. I suffered a catastrophic shutter failure at the worst possible time. No photos of the trip. None. Nada. Zero. Zilch. . . . sigh. This also presented another issue. Now I was left without any travel camera. So, yesterday I bought the Canon 40mm f/2.8 pancake lens for my 6D. Today, I mounted the lens, took some test shots and deemed it acceptable. So, I removed the vertical battery grip and the handstrap that I use along with it. This last part is a major issue as it is cumbersome to attach and to detach. Well, you can guess what happened now. Fifteen minutes later (yes, 15!) UPS arrives with my ME. Yup. All I had to do to get the fates to deliver the ME was buy the Canon 40mm! Anyway, I've tested the camera and there does not appear to be any evidence of corrosion. Still, the receipt is very cryptic. How can I be sure that the sensor has actually been properly upgraded? It does bear firmware number 1.210. Does this indicate the proper upgrade? Thanks in advance. RV

My beloved M-E is currently in the hospital in Allendale, NJ, for a corroded sensor replacement. The cost of this, as most of you know, is $1,595 + shipping. I also had the option to upgrade to the CL (body only) for the same price. The CL offers a host of technological upgrades, better low-light performance, blah, blah, blah. And in full disclosure: I told myself this was the right move to make... that lasted for about an hour. The thought of being without this instrument which feels so pure and so aligned with my film photography actually made me nauseous. I passed on the CL. Here's a pic of "my precious" mounted with the beautiful Canon 50mm f/1.8 (Canon Seranar). Carry on.