LCL999 Posted December 21, 2021 Share #1 Posted December 21, 2021 Advertisement (gone after registration) Some years ago the M9 had sensor problems which got a lot of airplay. Reading some of the postsfrom that era, the problem seems to have been sensor corrosion. I had a problem with my M9's sensor, but is wasn't corrosion, the sensor was delaminating. See attached file. I sent it back to Leica who duly replaced the sensor at no charge. Problem solved? Well not quite. I am in the process of selling this M9 and the dealer punched a whole lot of buttons on the back, drilled down to a menu I had never seen before, and declared that there was an important replacement sensor required AFTER mine. Mine had a type number ending in 2, he said it should end in 15 to be the proper upgrade. Nevertheless the difference would seem to affect the resale value. Now, I've gone back to some old M9 shots taken mid 2019 and cannot see any sign of corrosion. Any comments welcome. At least a recipe of how to see the sensor type, and number of actuations. Preferably also a history of M9 sensor problems, fixes, and technology. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/327666-m9-two-different-sensor-problems/?do=findComment&comment=4336122'>More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted December 21, 2021 Posted December 21, 2021 Hi LCL999, Take a look here M9 Two different sensor problems. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
adan Posted December 21, 2021 Share #2 Posted December 21, 2021 (edited) From this site: https://www.reddit.com/r/Leica/comments/cbm8hj/guide_how_to_tell_if_a_leica_m9_had_the_sesor/ Replacement with the re-engineered "non-corroding" sensors began in mid-2015. A sensor replaced before then is still subject to probable corrosion - eventually. To find the sensor type via the secret camera menu: Press (and hold?) the Delete Key on the back, while pressing the 4-way controller Up - Up - Down - Down - Down - Down - Left - Left - Left - Right - Right - Right - and then the central INFO button. Indeed, the fully corrosion-resistant sensor will register with an ID of 15 or 16 (one presumes that relates to the year of production or replacement). You can also call or email Leica Service in Germany with the camera serial number, and they will tell you which sensor(s) they have replaced in that camera, and when, according to their records. +49 6441 2080-189 customer.care@leica-camera.com ....................... With the M9, check the metadata for the last image you made, for the Unique Image ID. Should be visible in Lightroom or Adobe Bridge or other image catalog programs or metadata readers/editors. Which will look something like: 0x00000000000000000000000000003642 Put that hexadecimal number into a converter calculator, and convert it to regular base-10 numbers, and that will tell your the actuations as of the moment that picture was written to the SD card. The example converts as 13890 actuations. (Note: that only works with the CCD M9 and M8 - not the newer CMOS-sensored cameras). ................................ The M9 sensor was a CCD sensor, originally designed and made by Eastman Kodak's TrueSense division to Leica's unique specs. The core underlying architecture dates back to Kodak's medium-format professional CCD sensors of the early 2000s. There is debate about who chose the original cover-glass/IR filter that is subject to surface corrosion. It was used only on the M9, M-E, and Monochrom v.I CCD cameras. Not the M8 CCD, nor the later CMOS M(typ240) or M10 cameras. When Kodak went bankrupt in 2012, TrueSense was sold off as an independent company, and then taken over by ON SemiConductor, which made replacement sensors until Spring 2020. At which point the CCD line was permanently shut down. Replacement M9 sensors are no longer made in any way, shape, or form - unless one can find a "parts" camera with a functioning sensor. Leica always replaced the sensors as a sealed unit. There are now services (but not Leica) that will strip off and replace just the cover glass on an existing M9/Monochrom CCD sensor. Your old sensor, with new, corrosion-resistant glass glued on. You can find posts about them right on this M9 forum, along with comments on results, technology, and so on. ........................... The history of M9 sensor problems include "normal" CCD failures (like your sample image - any sensor can fail electronically), stress cracks in the cover glass in a few batches, and the corrosion problem. The fixes from Leica were always simply replacing the entire sensor with a fresh one. Leica did that for free for corroded M9/M-E/MM sensors, up until August 2017 - at which point they began charging US $1600 for replacements. Edited December 21, 2021 by adan 2 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ko.Fe. Posted December 22, 2021 Share #3 Posted December 22, 2021 It is all theoretical by now. Leica is not changing M9 sensors anymore. And if I remember correct no processor boards either. Not good for camera made up to late 2015... 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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