what would you pay for an NEW unopened M9 ?

[Att1]

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This is a weird question, i know:)

I was offered to purchase a new unopened M9 (it is legit) and i wanted to know what would be a reasonable price. 

also, can i check if the sensor is ok by just looking at it, or must take a photo?

 

Thanks

[a.noctilux]

20 minutes ago, Att1 said:

new unopened M9 (it is legit)

I would not buy it.

Likely future problem if the sensor has corrosion.

If you want to trade it for present M, why not let's say about 1 k to 1.5k EUR.

[mujk]

A very good question. If it is really an original M9 it's been in the box for more than 10 years. The sensor is then original and the battery may not have the original capacity anymore. But new batteries should still be available. Assuming that you would buy the M9 to be used I agree with @a.noctilux that buying an original-sensor M9 is not a very good idea because of the high risk of corrosion. If there already is extensive sensor corrosion it should be visible by looking at the sensor using a loupe, but early corrosion may only be detectable by taking a test image. Do you have any information on the environmental conditions under which the camera has been stored (particularly humidity)?

A replaced-sensor M9 is of course a completely different case. Leica did completely refurbish a number of traded-in M9s, including sensor replacement, some years ago, but I don't know in what sort of packaging they were delivered.

 

[Chris W]

I'd only consider an M9 with replaced sensor.

[Anbaric]

As above, I wouldn't touch an original M9 with a barge pole. Even if the sensor is good now, corrosion might show up next week and then you'd need to get the cover glass or the entire sensor replaced by a third party at substantial additional expense. The refurbs sold by Leica from 2019 onwards are the only cameras with fixed sensors out of the box. If you buy an M9 from elsewhere that has a replaced sensor, make sure it is the fixed version and not just another original sensor (which Leica fitted until the corrosion-resistant cover glass was introduced).

[pippy]

1 hour ago, Att1 said:

...I was offered to purchase a new unopened M9...and i wanted to know what would be a reasonable price. Also, can i check if the sensor is ok by just looking at it?...

If the box is the original one and is unopened the camera can't possibly have the new sensor cover glass as that wasn't developed until long after the M9 was discontinued.

Philip.

[Anbaric]

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Well, the refurbs with the fixed sensor were apparently sold boxed like this one and although they weren't 'new' they seem to have been 'as new'. But any other unopened M9 won't have the fix.

[dpitt]

All good comments above. I can understand that a new boxed M9 is tempting, but i see 3 possibilities.

1. Check the CCD ID , it needs to be 15 or 16 to proove it is a Leica-replaced sensor. Probably not the case if it is a real new boxed one.
2. If a lower ID, then it is AFAIK  99% sure that it either has corrosion or is going to have it soon. The only way I would spend any money on that M9 is if the price is right. A mint M9 with corroded sensor is probably worth 800€ for parts now. Even then I would not take the risk. If the sensor already needs repair, I would make a deal with the seller, to pay market price for a good M9 if he has it repaired first by Kolari or similar company. IMO this is always a gamble, if the operation goes wrong, you end up with a camera that can never be repaired, and is reduced to parts worth only... That is why I would even hesitate spending 800€ for this camera before it is repaired.
   Bear in mind that even with successful repair you do not get 100% the same results as with sensors 15 and 16.
3. A test shot might reveal only minor corrosion at this point. That would give you a few years of 'carefree' use at larger apertures only (e.g.  F1.4 to F4). Up to you to decide how much that is worth.

Edited January 2, 2024 by dpitt

[pippy]

2 hours ago, Anbaric said:

Well, the refurbs with the fixed sensor were apparently sold boxed like this one and although they weren't 'new' they seem to have been 'as new'. But any other unopened M9 won't have the fix.

Yes, Anbaric, I know. In fact I actually have one of the factory-refurbished / second-generation cover glass M9s myself albeit the Monochrom variant. That's why I mentioned the point of whether the box relating to the camera in the OP was original and unopened. If the box with my example is typical then the refurb'd bodies came in later boxes.

If the box is the older style I would never consider buying such a camera.

Philip.

Edited January 2, 2024 by pippy

[Anbaric]

37 minutes ago, dpitt said:

Bear in mind that even with successful repair you do not get 100% the same results as with sensors 15 and 16.

Kolari are now offering a full sensor stack CCID 15-16 replacement with the final Leica cover glass for an extra $1000 on top of the $2500 they charge for full sensor replacement with the alternative Schott cover glass, so $3500 total (seems a bit crazy to spend than on an M9 unless you have some valuable special edition, and they charge another $1000 to fix a Hermes or Titan, so $4500 total). No idea where they got the fixed sensor stacks that Leica seem no longer able to provide. In comparison the basic service, replacement of corroded cover glass with Schott glass only, is $1000.

Edited January 2, 2024 by Anbaric

[dpitt]

14 hours ago, Anbaric said:

Kolari are now offering a full sensor stack CCID 15-16 replacement with the final Leica cover glass for an extra $1000 on top of the $2500 they charge for full sensor replacement with the alternative Schott cover glass, so $3500 total (seems a bit crazy to spend than on an M9 unless you have some valuable special edition, and they charge another $1000 to fix a Hermes or Titan, so $4500 total). No idea where they got the fixed sensor stacks that Leica seem no longer able to provide. In comparison the basic service, replacement of corroded cover glass with Schott glass only, is $1000.

Thanks. Not that it matters for normal use because it is much cheaper to find a M9 with replaced 15-16 sensor in good shape.

I like the the fact that Kolari offers an affordable solution to keep otherwise worthless M9s with badly corroded sensors alive. The only thing is that I saw quite a few M9 paperweights being sold after a failed attempt to repair (also from Kolari). Kolari and others will repay you the money for the repair if they fail to deliver. But your M9 sensor is completely dead after that. It seems you could go for the $2500 full sensor replacement. That could still be reasonable compared to what a good 15-16 M9 fetches today, but if you sell the M9 for parts at $500 that gives you ~$3000 to look for a corrosion free original M9.

[irenedp]

When I bought my M9P four years ago, it didn’t look great cosmetically but the sensor was a type 15. 

When offered a new M9 you’re trading one thing for the other. 

I just wouldn’t do it

[Viv]

Personally, I would not do it.