Leica M8 - do sensors die?

[dunvegan]

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I am the original owner of a Leica M8 I bought new in 2010. I haven't used it in a few years. I took it out to shoot and discovered that the sensor will not scan properly. It only captures monochromatic magenta images. Out of the test shots I made, only one showed signs of trying to capture the full spectrum. (That image is attached as is a typical example of the monochrome captures.) Any idea of what might be wrong? Do other M8 owners think it's worth fixing given the high cost of Leica repairs?

Thanks!

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[jaapv]

Yes sensors can die. I doubt whether there are spares. It would not be worth it anyway. The cost would be in the order of 2000 $. Maybe, just maybe it might be the SD card. 

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[Al Brown]

Leica still repairs these sensors but they place a M9 sensor in the camera. You will lose 1/8000s, but that is it. The last inquiry for the replacement in Wetzlar was 1200eur. This is not necessarily the sensor what I am seeing and several factors need to be eliminated to properly point the finger at the culprit.

Edited October 11, 2023 by Al Brown

[jaapv]

There are no M9 sensors any more …

[jaapv]

There are no M 9 sensors any more… Corrosion, remember?  And how would one fit a sensor of a different physical size in? APS-H vs. FF.
The M9 sensor cost 1800 € as a spare part when it still existed. The M8 sensor 1500€. You recall the replacement of the M8 shutter by the M8.2 one. 

[jeri]

Try changing to another memory card.

[jaapv]

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Agree. But it sure looks like a sensor failure . Much like the Digilux 2 failures. 

[Al Brown]

34 minutes ago, jaapv said:

There are no M 9 sensors any more… Corrosion, remember?  And how would one fit a sensor of a different physical size in? APS-H vs. FF.
The M9 sensor cost 1800 € as a spare part when it still existed. The M8 sensor 1500€. You recall the replacement of the M8 shutter by the M8.2 one. 

Ugh my bad, I was talking about the SHUTTER (dunno why tho), thank you for your intervention. Those are still being put in M8 from M9. But this is not at all a shutter problem.

Edited October 11, 2023 by Al Brown

[jaapv]

The parts price of a shutter is under 200 €. 

[Al Brown]

11 minutes ago, jaapv said:

The parts price of a shutter is under 200 €. 

I was quoted differently for replacement recently during my brief fling with a faulty M8. Might have the quote somewhere.

[jaapv]

I had mine replaced once and the part was 167€. Labour and all kinds of related stuff pushed the bill well over 1000 Euro. the price of the shutter and labour may have increased so your price doesn’t seem unrealistic. 

[69xchange]

This looks like a sensor issue and will not be cost effective to replace (assuming if Leica still has these sensors). It’s unfortunate, but how was this camera stored for the “few years”? Was humidity or temperature a factor of the sensor failure?

[dunvegan]

I kept the camera in a closet with a body cap in my New York City apartment and haven't used it in the past 5 or 6 years. Other than normal NYC heat and humidity, the camera did not suffer any undue environmental stress. During that time I was shooting film on M6 or M4-P or using my digital Nikon gear instead. When I retired,  I broke open the piggy bank for my retirement present to myself: an M-10P because I missed using those great Leica lenses on a digital back.

Like other M-8 users, I had problems with the shutter, which Leica fixed, as well as intermittent problems with power, basically from battery contact problems which were never fixed. My workaround was to remove and reinstall the battery; it was a kludgy but effective solution.

Thanks for the suggestion to try a different SD card. I did swap out SD cards, but alas, I am still getting the same problem. However, when I changed the White Balance setting from the appropriate one (daylight/ tungsten. whatever) to Auto, I do get a very nice B&W image! The M8 sensor seems to have degenerated to a passable version of an M11 Monochrom!

I am checking with Leica Repair in NJ, but even if sensors are available, I am not going to pay Leica prices to fix this camera. It was a lemon from Day One: I will say it took wonderful images when it worked right, but as a London Leica dealer once told me, I would do best to use it these days as a doorstop. I wouldn't go that far, but maybe I will play around with it as a dedicated B&W body.

Edited October 12, 2023 by dunvegan
typos

[david strachan]

Mmm..an intriguing problem.

Can't understand why it still works well in monochrome...but a good do nothing and still use alternative. 

Personally I'd try another SD card. I only use Sandisk 16 GB cards in my two M8's.

...

[dunvegan]

Thanks - I normally use 32GB SanDisks, but I will try a smaller capacity chip to see if that helps.  My sense is that the software no longer completes the sensor scan sweeps. Motherboards and SW go corrupt in computers, why not in cameras?  I did update the firmware but I think a clean install of the entire operating system would be a possible solution. Not sure how that would happen, but my feeling is that this is more a software-related problem than a mechanical one.  In the attached photo, you can see the demarcation line where the scan was not completed. 

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Edited October 12, 2023 by dunvegan
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[david strachan]

Sounds like your understanding and have had deep thought.

Perhaps just accept as good monochrome and no more angst.

All best...

[dunvegan]

Thanks, Dave. It pains me to own something that I can't keep in good repair, but I am not going to sweat it. It was once a nice camera ... but that M10 does ease the fretting mind!! It's a gem.

[dpitt]

Keep it as an M8M for now, and when it dies completely, sell it for parts. (not as a doorstop 😱)

A sensor is a semi conductor (or actually millions of it), just like a transistor, it decays over time and will die one day. Average life span is between 20 and 50 years, I suppose. No one will enjoy the M8 in 70 years after it was made, like I do with my M3.

[dunvegan]

I still use my M4-P. I've had it for almost 30 years and with some occasional CLA, it is still a pleasure to use.  I hope it will be working after I'm gone and someone else gets to enjoy it as well. (Same thing goes for the M-6.)

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[farnz]

Since you seem to have ruled a faulty SD card out, it could be worthwhile simply doing a factory reset in case some settings have become corrupted somehow. 

The fact that your getting anything out of you M8 suggests that the sensor is still at least functioning and a factory reset is free and could re-initialise the settings so that it remembers that it's an M8 rather than a M9M. 🙂

Pete.