M9: 6-7 months to replace sensor?

[Dan Bachmann]

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I left my M9 with Leica for this issue. I was told the wait of 4 months for new sensor stock and about £1,600 (US $2,500) would be the final cost, but they did provide a loaner camera. I have considered looking at other options to replace it instead, though the M(9) is the only digital camera I really enjoy using.

[Guest jvansmit]

I left my M9 with Leica for this issue. I was told the wait of 4 months for new sensor stock and about £1,600 (US $2,500) would be the final cost, but they did provide a loaner camera. I have considered looking at other options to replace it instead, though the M(9) is the only digital camera I really enjoy using.

 

Dan, I was told that the sensor replacement is free of charge (despite my M9 being 3 years old).

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[ErickPRO]

Is this a different M9 from the other post were I read it took 2.5 months?

Hmmm. I had my M9 in for a calibration two months ago. Got told the coating was damaged. It took three weeks for the part to arrive from Germany (and I had my camera during that time) and three weeks for the sensor change. Ready to pick up last week.

 

Gordon

[North]

Got mine back after about two months. Replacement free of charge.

[edwardkaraa]

I left my M9 with Leica for this issue. I was told the wait of 4 months for new sensor stock and about £1,600 (US $2,500) would be the final cost, but they did provide a loaner camera. I have considered looking at other options to replace it instead, though the M(9) is the only digital camera I really enjoy using.

 

This is actually one of the frustrating things about this issue. It seems not all sensors are replaced for free, and prices vary.

[exile]

Yup, mine has taken 10 weeks so far and sensor replacement is going to be charged. Though a few things are being done so I cannot see the exact cost breakdown.

[yossarian123]

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Yup, mine has taken 10 weeks so far and sensor replacement is going to be charged. Though a few things are being done so I cannot see the exact cost breakdown.

 

I know this has been discussed ad nauseum here and on other forums. But I would simply refuse to pay for the sensor. In fact, I'm pretty sure my head would explode if they even tried to stick me with a bill for an engineering flaw. Apparently Leica is working on yet another strategy - what would happen if you footed the bill for a new sensor and two weeks later they revised their strategy to make it far cheaper to replace the sensor?

[otto.f]

 

A colleague of mine from the press raised this 'M9 issue' with Stefan Daniel at Photokina last month and was told 'Leica had a supply issue with M9 sensors'. Beyond that, no information was forthcoming.

 

 

Supply issues: that's the way SAAB was unable to restart the firm after GM pulled them a leg.

Beyond that, no information

[ian_taylor]

The same outfit in Hong Kong just took my M9 to fix the card reader. Eight months to get it back! So 6-7 months for a sensor would seem lightning fast by their standards.

To me this makes my Leica a toy rather than a serious piece of equipment I can use in my photography business. I had a Canon camera and lens repaired by Canon Thailand this week, it took three business days and cost less than US$40.

[jaapv]

I know this has been discussed ad nauseum here and on other forums. But I would simply refuse to pay for the sensor. In fact, I'm pretty sure my head would explode if they even tried to stick me with a bill for an engineering flaw. Apparently Leica is working on yet another strategy - what would happen if you footed the bill for a new sensor and two weeks later they revised their strategy to make it far cheaper to replace the sensor?

 

They would refund your money...

[NZDavid]

There seems to be no consistency to Leica servicing times whatsoever. It does not appear to be purely the fault of Solms but depends on where you live and the reliability of agents and dealers and shipping. People living in Europe and the US have quoted on this forum waiting times of only a few weeks, my experience a few years ago from NZ for a sensor issue on the X1 was three months, and now people living in Hong Kong are reporting six or seven months! I am wondering would shipping the camera yourself be faster?

[verendus]

I am not much of a gear person, but have to chime in on this.

 

My experience has been no more than 4 weeks. My first M9 spent 3 weeks at Leica NJ getting a sensor replacement with hosts of other services. I sold the first one a while back and moved on to Fuji. And I've regretted that decision ever since, and was never able to bond with Fuji nor Sony that I borrowed. I broken down and bought the second M9 right before Leica responded to all the complaints. I bought the second one knowing that it already had a couple of delamination spots, but didn't care much. After Leica released the statement, I sent in my M9 to see what they could do. I spoke with Leica, and they will replace the sensor, and my estimated ship date is mid January. That's less than 4 weeks again. And they assured me my camera will be covered for life for the same issue.

 

I've owned Nikon, Fuji, Canon, and none of these companies have anything Leica is doing right now. "Good Will Arrangement". This applies to second, third, forth owners. They stand behind their products. Compare that to what Nikon did with their D800. I sent in my 3 times, and they couldn't fix it, no refund, no acknowledgment of the issues. No service if your camera is one day of warranty period. Canon the same way. Fuji a little better.

 

This whole saga reassured me my confidence in Leica. M9 sensor is not without its faults, but I get the most satisfying color, contrast, acuity out of all the cameras I've owned and used.

 

So fear not, my fellow Leicans. Give some grace to the good folks at Leica. They have an overwhelming number of M9 variants shipped back, but are taking care of every one of them. They are class act that all other manufactures should follow.