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Dead pixel? on a week old Leica M


christianpsu

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I work as a cinematographer and we have the same dead pixel issues all the time with motion imaging cameras...perhaps more so because the sensors are warmer being "on" all the time...

 

These days you can usually remap the sensor in the field without returning the camera to service.

 

My understanding is that the jury is still out about them being exclusively caused by cosmic rays, but nonetheless, there is a correlation between sensors flying and getting more dead pixels.

 

You certainly see them more easily based on ambient and sensor temperature. The hotter the sensor the more likely the lurking dead ones will show up...even when they've been re-mapped....

 

I'm here because the M-E i just bought has a vertical black line from an "active pixel" on the very first photo I took with it.

 

Brand new. Out of the box.....dead pixel.....

 

Talk about ruining the new camera experience....

 

I've had the camera about a week now and it shows up every now and then....I still can't bring myself to send the camera in for repair yet...I need to shoot a little more with it....before I can be without it...

 

I bought the body for a very good price from New York and had it shipped to me in Sydney for about half the price I could source one locally.

 

Have to do a warranty claim to get it fixed now...

 

just had to have a little vent here to those that might commiserate...

 

By the way I fly almost bi-weekly with my M8, and have done for the nearly 2 years I've owned it and have not had any dead pixels....

 

JB

 

John Brawley

Cinematographer

Sydney Australia

John Brawley

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Sorry to hear this John. We were on the same boat.

You mentioned remap in the field. How you do that?

 

I recently flew some 25K miles in 3 weeks. I kept my leica wrapped in cloth and bubble wrap in a carry on. It sat in the overhead compartment every time. images at max apertures and long exposures seem ok with the replacement my dealer gave me a month ago. I hope yours turn out the same.

 

a recent image from HK

0.95 at 2 seconds.

 

oNNDPk

 

I work as a cinematographer and we have the same dead pixel issues all the time with motion imaging cameras...perhaps more so because the sensors are warmer being "on" all the time...

 

These days you can usually remap the sensor in the field without returning the camera to service.

 

My understanding is that the jury is still out about them being exclusively caused by cosmic rays, but nonetheless, there is a correlation between sensors flying and getting more dead pixels.

 

You certainly see them more easily based on ambient and sensor temperature. The hotter the sensor the more likely the lurking dead ones will show up...even when they've been re-mapped....

 

I'm here because the M-E i just bought has a vertical black line from an "active pixel" on the very first photo I took with it.

 

Brand new. Out of the box.....dead pixel.....

 

Talk about ruining the new camera experience....

 

I've had the camera about a week now and it shows up every now and then....I still can't bring myself to send the camera in for repair yet...I need to shoot a little more with it....before I can be without it...

 

I bought the body for a very good price from New York and had it shipped to me in Sydney for about half the price I could source one locally.

 

Have to do a warranty claim to get it fixed now...

 

just had to have a little vent here to those that might commiserate...

 

By the way I fly almost bi-weekly with my M8, and have done for the nearly 2 years I've owned it and have not had any dead pixels....

 

JB

 

John Brawley

Cinematographer

Sydney Australia

John Brawley

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Sorry to hear this John. We were on the same boat.

You mentioned remap in the field. How you do that?

 

Most motion cameras re-mamp dead pixels automatically when you do a black balance. Currently I'm using the Sony F55 cameras and I have my assistants turn them on in the morning (we have 3 on set) and have them black balance them after they've been on for 30 mins. It's done in the menu of the camera. It only takes a minute or two, and we rarely are ready to shoot before 30 mins from the call time.

 

This way the camera is at it's operating temperature

 

I don't bother doing anything with my cameras when I travel. Larger motion imaging cameras generally go underneath and my stills cameras go in the overhead locker.

 

I guess it's not normally an issue if you can re-map them anyway right ?

 

It does seem off that Leica don't do this and insist on you sending it in.

 

It is a FACT that as sensors age they WILL develop dead pixels...it's only a matter of when...

 

JB

 

Cinematographer

Sydney Australia

John Brawley

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I can do such a remap on my Sony PMW-EX1R camera but is there a way to do something similar with our Leica M240?

 

Most motion cameras re-mamp dead pixels automatically when you do a black balance. Currently I'm using the Sony F55 cameras and I have my assistants turn them on in the morning (we have 3 on set) and have them black balance them after they've been on for 30 mins. It's done in the menu of the camera. It only takes a minute or two, and we rarely are ready to shoot before 30 mins from the call time.

 

This way the camera is at it's operating temperature

 

I don't bother doing anything with my cameras when I travel. Larger motion imaging cameras generally go underneath and my stills cameras go in the overhead locker.

 

I guess it's not normally an issue if you can re-map them anyway right ?

 

It does seem off that Leica don't do this and insist on you sending it in.

 

It is a FACT that as sensors age they WILL develop dead pixels...it's only a matter of when...

 

JB

 

Cinematographer

Sydney Australia

John Brawley

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oh one last question, an idiotic question really, but I guess it's not safe to take pictures of sunsets? especially when the sun is not totally gone under the horizon.

 

Cosmic rays come from all stars, not just the sun. They bounce around from all directions.

 

Concrete is not a barrier. Very thick lead is required.

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