Strange white spots on M9 sensor?

[edwardkaraa]

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So the "rangefinderexperience" is nothing you want to prolong, Edward?

 

I would keep the M9 for the time being and would recommend this to you as well, if you have interesting lenses.

There are photoopportunities you can only tackle with a r/f, most other cameras can also do things very well,

but the r/f deals with those opportunities where the others will fail.

 

Have a look at the camera following the 240. They seem to be working on it already.

 

 

Best

GEORG

 

Hi Georg,

 

I am a very reasonable person and not difficult to please. But to be realistic, the M9 sensor will always delaminate in the hot climate of Thailand. Changing the sensor now will only be a temporary solution until it happens 2-3 months later (my sensor started delaminating before I even bought the camera but I foolishly believed it was oil).

 

They already have no spare parts anyway and waiting several months for spare parts is not really joyful for such an expensive camera that is still under warranty.

 

What I am mostly upset about is the arrogant attitude. Instead of me being upset, they seem the ones to be upset. And the fact they show that the camera came without body cap and they do not even want to explain why makes even more frustrated. This might sound like a trivial issue, but never before have I left the camera without a lens attached or a body cap fearing to get dust in and now they will leave the camera for several months open for dust.

 

I'm not happy to give up on rangefinders, but I'm rather unwilling to take this kind of bad service from Leica.

[MXpro1]

I think there is a great difference of service quality between Germany and other countries.

My M9 with its delaminating sensor was sent to Singapore instead of Germany, and I received the usual message that there are no spare parts, and repair cannot be done before end of February.

To add insult to injury, I delivered the camera to Leica with a body cap, but it was shipped to Singapore without body cap.

 

Seems so really. I at Solms was directly informed that they have all spare parts available and it would took a maximum of 10 days to do the requested service and the sensor replacement. I left the M9 there without a body cap as a Summicron 50 was attached. Got my M9 (and three lenses) back in a usefull CS-box (and each lens in a seperate box) with a new body cap on it, a new attached base plate free of charge (they kept the ugly old one) and a certificate for each item that was checked. One can not expect more from a service stop I think. I will definitely last with Leica at least for the next decade after this experience.

[edwardkaraa]

Seems so really. I at Solms was directly informed that they have all spare parts available and it would took a maximum of 10 days to do the requested service and the sensor replacement. I left the M9 there without a body cap as a Summicron 50 was attached. Got my M9 (and three lenses) back in a usefull CS-box (and each lens in a seperate box) with a new body cap on it, a new attached base plate free of charge (they kept the ugly old one) and a certificate for each item that was checked. One can not expect more from a service stop I think. I will definitely last with Leica at least for the next decade after this experience.

 

WOW! A true VIP treatment. I will request that my camera be shipped to Germany, but as far as I understand, it is not up to me to decide.

[Guido]

WOW! A true VIP treatment. I will request that my camera be shipped to Germany, but as far as I understand, it is not up to me to decide.

Why? You're free to send it to Solms by yourself. Nobody can prevent you from doing so.

 

Leica Camera AG - Service - headquarters germany

[edwardkaraa]

Why? You're free to send it to Solms by yourself. Nobody can prevent you from doing so.

 

Leica Camera AG - Service - headquarters germany

 

Thanks but that wouldn't be a good option for me. I would have to pay 150$ for shipping to Germany, and about 1000$ tax on the way back. There is a reason why you get a warranty.

[k_g_wolf ✝]

Of course it is up to you do decide where your camera goes, Edward!

 

Your camera ought to be under the ww- LEICA- guarantee and you CAN decide to send the camera

to SOLMS. Esp. if you are not confident in the actions of LEICA Singapore/ HK.

 

As communicated by LEICA the sensorproblem is only related to a small charge within the M9- sensor production,

so once it is changed you can expect it to last. There is no reason why a sensor "living"

under tropic circumstances does deteriorate.

 

Send the camera to SOLMS, you will be pleased what CC (Very modern now: Customer Care)

does for you. In the old days it was CS, Customer Service. With the change to CC the

coffee they offer their visitors became even better ...

 

 

Best

GEORG

_____________________

 

Yes, the cost for postage is one thing to consider, taxes should NOT apply with proper paperwork.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Edited December 18, 2013 by k_g_wolf

[edwardkaraa]

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Of course it is up to you do decide where your camera goes, Edward!

 

Your camera ought to be under the ww- LEICA- guarantee and you CAN decide to send the camera

to SOLMS. Esp. if you are not confident in the actions of LEICA Singapore/ HK.

 

As communicated by LEICA the sensorproblem is only related to a small charge within the M9- sensor production,

so once it is changed you can expect it to last. There is no reason why a sensor "living"

under tropic circumstances does deteriorate.

 

Send the camera to SOLMS, you will be pleased what CC (Very modern now: Customer Care)

does for you. In the old days it was CS, Customer Service. With the change to CC the

coffee they offer their visitors became even better ...

 

 

Best

GEORG

_____________________

 

Yes, the cost for postage is one thing to consider, taxes should NOT apply with proper paperwork.

_____________________________________________________________________________

 

Thank you for the advice Georg. I have sent them a message requesting to send the camera to Germany or return it to me so that I could send it on my own, but my email has been ignored like my other emails. Now I am not sure what they will do with my camera, a strange situation bordering on the comical.

[MXpro1]

Maybe you should inform their headquarter in Germany about the behaviour of LEICA Signapore...

[edwardkaraa]

Maybe you should inform their headquarter in Germany about the behaviour of LEICA Signapore...

 

I did send customer care a copy of my correspondence but I'm not sure what they can really do. I have the impression they are just like a call center operators with no decision making power.

[albertospa]

Had my M9 for other service (lens adjustment) at Solms, they found out that the sensor is cracked (one little white spot as shown from you before). They did the lens service and replaced my sensor within a few days and I have my M9 back now. Sensor replacement was free of charge, camera is years out of warranty. Top service!!!

 

This is bad news for the service Leica. All of us have their Leica stops for months in the lab and your camera is repaired in a few days. It is not a top service.

[nodrog]

Very interesting to read everyone's experiences of customer service from Leica. However, no-one has mentioned the problem that, apparently, is delaying the return of my own M9 from Solms.

 

When I realised I had the dreaded sensor cracks, I took my M9 back to the licensed reseller in Ginza, Tokyo, where I had bought it second-hand, and they sent it on to Germany. This was in mid-September. Currently, the updates I am getting from the shop indicate that, although the sensor has been replaced, the factory is now waiting on replacement leather for the body. As yet they have no definite date set for the camera's return.

 

Am I right in thinking that they strip the body to install a sensor? The original leather was just starting to come away in one corner, near the LCD, but I hadn't worried about it. I was going to dab a spot of glue under there at some point if it got worse.

 

Has anyone else heard about this problem of a lack of replacement leather?

 

Peter

[k_g_wolf ✝]

No, but you could agree they can use another type of covering. There should be several to chose from.

 

Have a look at the >>a la carte menu<< for the LEICA MP, these materials ought to be available

for the M9 as well. Your dealer might be in a position to arrange this for you. If they hear >>GINZA<< in

the german province they will do anything for you and your dealership.

 

 

Best

GEORG

[MXpro1]

It is not a top service.

 

For you it is not, I agree, for me it is.

 

 

Yes, they strip the body and you will get new leather on it. Wheter one can choose what type of leather, I do not know, I was not asked about it. I can not imagine that there is a lack of replacement leather.

[jaapv]

No, but you could agree they can use another type of covering. There should be several to chose from.

 

Have a look at the >>a la carte menu<< for the LEICA MP, these materials ought to be available

for the M9 as well. Your dealer might be in a position to arrange this for you. If they hear >>GINZA<< in

the german province they will do anything for you and your dealership.

 

 

Best

GEORG

 

There are - at a price….

[k_g_wolf ✝]

Should go >>on the house<<.

 

But normally you can choose from standard materials without additional cost.

Just try ...

 

 

Best

GEORG

[Hamad]

After reading this. I have seen strong white spots two or three that appear sometimes on my images. It's like one in 1000 images normally on black objects. Could it be same? Any advice

Thanks

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MXpro1]

After reading this. I have seen strong white spots two or three that appear sometimes on my images. It's like one in 1000 images normally on black objects. Could it be same? Any advice

Thanks

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I think you do not need to worry. My white spot could have been seen on every picture at every aperture always at the same position. That what you describe sounds more like dust. Take a look at your photos and if the spots you see are not permanent and tend to be seen best from f8 upwards it might simply be a kind of dust. If they pass away when cleaning the sensor everything is fine, if not I would contact the dealer.

Edited December 23, 2013 by MXpro1

[Hamad]

Thank you boss

[lenticularis]

My experience is similar, but different!

 

I bought an M8 13 months ago and have had the most wonderful experience with that my first RF.

 

I did not want to buy an M9 as I already have a 5DIII and many lenses, a Sony Nex5N and many alt lenses for use with both systems.

 

The inevitable happened and I started hankering after an M9. I found one at a a bargain price, as the seller said that after updating to the latest firmware his would no longer read the SD card. Optimistically, I felt that I would be able to solve the SD card reader problem, so I sold my mint M8 for a profit of $300 over my own original 2nd hand purchase price.

 

Long story - could not fix the problem. Sent M9 to the Australian repairer around Aug 13 and have been experiencing the same sensor supply problems reported by others. I am very lucky that Leica will fix this under goodwill, a fantastic gesture, however one that should be unnecessary in a camera that has its software better-sorted and where the sensor / rear screen and SD card reader are not sharing the same assembly!

 

23 Dec - the repairer advises that my camera's new sensor is due in January and my camera will be repaired then. It's been so long that I recently bought another M8 to keep me able to shoot M lenses on a digital rangefinder.

 

I am undecided whether or not to keep the M9 when it returns...or keep the M8 and wait to see what improvements may be introduced to a Sony A7/A7R or it's successors.

 

Apologies for the overly-long post.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[Tonka11666]

Can I just say that being new to a Leica M-E and reading the above posts...this does not fill me with confidence that I made the right decision to switch from Nikon to Leica. I have never heard of problems of this kind. I hope my M-E will never go tits-up or else I will eat my hat!

 

I live approximately 100 miles from Solms and naturally I would be banging on their doors if I waited extensive periods of time for my repair...however I appreciate all your frustrations!

 

Maybe I'll just take a casual drive down there next week and get the official party line on sensor supply and why the long waiting for repairs. I'll let y'all know what they say.

 

Regards