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Leica M9 - problem with stripes or banding across my images - please help!


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I love my M9!!!

 

but after shooting for about a year I have the last couple of months seen horizontal stripes across my files. Always on low ISO 160 and 320 and only in the left side of the frame.

 

It is seen in about one out of 100 shots. My camera has 35.000 shots.

 

What is this? I have been in contact with Leica but they don´t seem to know:(

 

So please if you have a good guess out there.....HELP as it is impossible to get rid of in photoshop unless you turn the noise up like crazy!

 

I have enclosed a couple of images and 100 % crops from the left upper corner. Strangely it is only here the stripes are. About a third into the frame from the left side - there is nothing to see - no stripes - in the center of the file!

 

Best

 

/thomas

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Here are the files.......

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Are you using DNG or are these JPEGs produced in the camera? M9 JPEGs are really only suitable for proofing and a high contrast situation like this needs careful post processing, just as it would have in the days of film. I think the shadows are under-exposed because the meter has read off the highlights.

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Hi Mark

 

I shoot in DNG only and process in C1 pro. And yes the stripes appear stronger when exposure is lifted - but this is shot in ISO 160 and 320 and I would be normal to lift shadows in post processing.

 

/thomas

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My line was more obvious but before I sent mine in I tried jpg dng compressed not compressed, every iso combo and used several cards to rule out everything. Once in the shop they told me they mapped the pixels on the sensor and the repair reciept said there was a sensor crack. Took a little over 2 weeks but camera came back better than new. All fixed under warranty. I don't know exactly what is causing your prob but I'd send it in if it's under warranty. My .02

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Thomas your two samples are both much darker on the left so any shadow problems will only appear there. Maybe try some controlled tests with more even lighting as part of your analysis of what is going on?

Lightening shadows in developing will exacerbate any noise there too. This can be happening even with automatic settings with high contrast subjects such as you have shown. Very big variations possible in develop settings of course (which makes definitive suggestions more difficult here).

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yeah, that is what I would think too.....

 

.....and it is quite "normal" to dodge/burn in 1 stop steps i PP. At least that is doable with all other brands i Capture One or Camera Raw without banding or stripes.

 

But mostly important of all - these stripes were not present in my M9 files 6 months ago or when the camera was brand new - also...

the stripes only show in the left side of the image - not in other parts of the file even though the whole file is lifted 1 stop!

 

Best

/thomas

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I think there may be an issue - though it may also be linked to the neutral area where the banding shows. I checked a very low key 160 ISO image (part of a set I'd used while messing around with HDR) and when I push the exposure two stops, there's noise, but no banding (red edge, yes - but no banding!).

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Hi Chris

 

Yes, that is acceptable and what we can deal with on our M9. Red edges and noise is no problem in my opinion - this can be easily dealt with in PP. The noise in the M9 is to me part of the signature that this CCD has. If you want clean plastic - go for canon!

 

The stripes are another problem that´s not so easy to remove.

 

Best

 

/thomas

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man when I see photos like this, really discourages me from buying an m9... I am on the outlook for one... so far I got to worry about cracking sensors and now banding? I hear stuff like, noise adds character to the image? if you want clean plastic look go canon? Are you guys all blinded by the red logo and the fact that $7k camera does not produce the image quality that it should deliver? The whole POINT of shooting digital is to produce the cleanest and sharpest images possible. Any "grain" not NOISE should be an option to be added on top of the image after the shot is taken. As I hang around here more I am leaning more towards M10. Shots at ISO 160 should not produce these type of images.

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man when I see photos like this, really discourages me from buying an m9... I am on the outlook for one... so far I got to worry about cracking sensors and now banding? I hear stuff like, noise adds character to the image? if you want clean plastic look go canon? Are you guys all blinded by the red logo and the fact that $7k camera does not produce the image quality that it should deliver? The whole POINT of shooting digital is to produce the cleanest and sharpest images possible. Any "grain" not NOISE should be an option to be added on top of the image after the shot is taken. As I hang around here more I am leaning more towards M10. Shots at ISO 160 should not produce these type of images.

 

I would not worry about image quality of the M9. By one and go take som images instead of worrying.

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Welcome Bentarrow!

Indeed, photo's with problems like in this thread can be off-putting. However, there are many, many photo's in the Photo-Forums without problems :) Do have a look!

And the M10, as far as I know, does not exist.

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Thanks. Trying to find out which serial numbers are not affected by the notorious IR glass cracks... no luck. I see no written statements from Leica about this either. Anyone know what the recent stock serial numbers are?

 

Welcome Bentarrow!

Indeed, photo's with problems like in this thread can be off-putting. However, there are many, many photo's in the Photo-Forums without problems :) Do have a look!

And the M10, as far as I know, does not exist.

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