Leica M Monochrom Electronic Noise

[designdog]

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Just received a Leica M Monochrom in excellent condition, with a sensor replaced by Leica May 2018, circuits checked, etc. However, after taking a few shots I am getting the electronic noise you can see on the attached. Same place every time, shows up on every third or fourth image.

 

Before shooting I updated the firmware to 1.022, dated 11/29/2017. Also put in bulb and blew air on the sensor to clean out any dust. This noise shows up in Lightroom, Photoshop, Capture One, and the attached jpeg output.

 

Any ideas?

 

Help!

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Edited September 20, 2018 by designdog

[jaapv]

Looks like a serious issue - presumably it is still under guaranty for the sensor replacement, but I would return it for a refund.

[designdog]

Can I downgrade the firmware? Think you can do that on the M9. Maybe 1.022 has a problem...

[a.noctilux]

Serious problem indeed.

 

To be sure, replace battery and SD card with format in camera.

 

Some years ago, with M9 I had almost same trouble and the battery was to blame.

[designdog]

Great catch! Rather than wait for the batteries that came with the camera to charge, I used a fully charged battery for my M9. After reading your post I put in the battery that came with the camera, and only had 1 instance of the problem. Weird. Maybe I can work with it.

[designdog]

Oops! Too soon to get happy. Took some more photos and the problem is back -  on all of four different batteries. A random but annoying artifact.

 

Going to have to contact Leica. Don't know what their position will be re the repair work completed this May. The original owner did not check the camera before selling it to me. Either I send it directly to Leica and they honor the repair, or I cancel my order with this guy and let him worry about it. Too bad, as it is a really, really nice Monochrom...

[jaapv]

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Can I downgrade the firmware? Think you can do that on the M9. Maybe 1.022 has a problem...

This has nothing to do with firmware.

 

 

 

Oops! Too soon to get happy. Took some more photos and the problem is back - on all of four different batteries. A random but annoying artifact.

 

Going to have to contact Leica. Don't know what their position will be re the repair work completed this May. The original owner did not check the camera before selling it to me. Either I send it directly to Leica and they honor the repair, or I cancel my order with this guy and let him worry about it. Too bad, as it is a really, really nice Monochrom...

Don't get yourself into the hassle of a repair. With Leica USA it is a lottery and under USA rules you might have to deal with a guaranty refusal as you bought the camera used. Take your refund and let the seller deal with it. There are plenty of nice Monochroms on the market.

[designdog]

Still waiting for feedback from the original owner and his discussions with Leica. Not getting a runaround, he is a good guy and a reporter with a very well known newspaper. On location in North Carolina right now, so very busy.

 

Leica originally thought this was a card reader issue, but I used multiple cards and multiple readers - same issue. Also see the issue on the screen in camera. (A card writing error in camera?)

 

This is happening about every fifth image. Very frustrating. The camera itself is pristine and I want to keep it. But I need it to work! Soon!

[designdog]

Leica wants the camera back for service, so I returned it to the seller yesterday. Good guy, but it would take weeks before the camera would be back in my hands. Too bad - it was pristine (otherwise!) I will keep looking...