Doc Henry Posted April 8 Share #1 Posted April 8 (edited) Advertisement (gone after registration) Hello everyone, I have a Leica M9 that already had the "variolated" sensor replaced by Leica in 2010 , if I remember correctly. I don't use it and I left the camera in its bag because I shoot a lot of film for color fidelity reasons.Today, I decided to have it repaired and give it to my family. Leica Wetzlar has already changed the sensor once, and since these huys keep putting the same type of sensor back in , the result is corrosion again. Since I see that not many people send their cameras to Kolari for variolated corrosion problems , I decided to send my camera to this company anyway and not Maxmax . We'll see if I'm right or not. A photo to show you what the sensor looks like ... a disaster for a €5,500 camera and for Leica's image ? More news in a few weeks. Best regards Henry 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! Edited April 8 by Doc Henry 1 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/420337-leica-m9-sensor-variolated/?do=findComment&comment=5783448'>More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted April 8 Posted April 8 Hi Doc Henry, Take a look here Leica M9 sensor variolated . I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
jaapv Posted April 8 Share #2 Posted April 8 Well, yes, that is corrosion. Pretty spectacular Did you store it in moist conditions? You will find thousands of posts on the subject, and I am sure that you read them 😉. A camera that came to the market 16 years ago... In 2010 nobody knew about corrosion. BTW It is the same type of sensor as the M8 from 2006 and that one does not corrode. Maybe blame Schott, who made the IR filter. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Henry Posted April 8 Author Share #3 Posted April 8 (edited) Thanks for your message Jaap . I always keep my cameras in a bag filled with moisture-proof silicone, and it's in a cabinet on the first floor of my office. I'm now a full-film camera, and if I have a digital camera to keep , it will be an M9 or an M8 with CCD sensor , unlike others who buy CMOS sensor cameras. As for the responsibility , I rather fall to Leica and not to Schott, especially since these people reinstall defective sensors on devices whose sensor has already been changed Best regards Henry Edited April 8 by Doc Henry Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LocalHero1953 Posted April 8 Share #4 Posted April 8 Sensor replaced in 2010? I didn't think they knew about sensor corrosion then. Did you think about checking the sensor when corrosion became a matter of concern (around 2014)? If you'd seen it then you could have had it fixed for free. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mujk Posted April 8 Share #5 Posted April 8 As @jaapv already mentioned, your sensor was replaced a long time ago with one similar to the original, meaning that also the new sensor had the same corrosion problem. It was only several years later that Leica found out the source for the problem and started to produce new sensors that do not corrode. For some time they then replaced corroded sensors free of charge, but not anymore. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
3D-Kraft.com Posted April 8 Share #6 Posted April 8 vor 2 Stunden schrieb Doc Henry: A photo to show you what the sensor looks like ... a disaster for a €5,500 camera and for Leica's image ? The photo may be rated as a piece of art or at least a contemporary document to help you finance the replacement. What confuses me: You are a member since 2007 in this forum with 23.9K posts - and yet you seem to haven't heard anything about the countless discussions on the corrosion issue? ...and about the various offers from Leica for (initially) a free replacement and (later) for discounted successor models? The problem of the corroding filter glass from Schott was probably not yet known at the time of the first sensor replacement in 2010, so I think it's somewhat unfair to blame Leica for it today, given the subsequent offers from Leica after it became known. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted April 8 Share #7 Posted April 8 Advertisement (gone after registration) 1 hour ago, mujk said: [...] For some time they then replaced corroded sensors free of charge, but not anymore. The reason for that being that the sensors are no longer in production, after the factory (Kodak) changed hands several times. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted April 8 Share #8 Posted April 8 1 hour ago, Doc Henry said: Thanks for your message Jaap . I always keep my cameras in a bag filled with moisture-proof silicone, and it's in a cabinet on the first floor of my office. I'm now a full-film camera, and if I have a digital camera to keep , it will be an M9 or an M8 with CCD sensor , unlike others who buy CMOS sensor cameras. As for the responsibility , I rather fall to Leica and not to Schott, especially since these people reinstall defective sensors on devices whose sensor has already been changed Best regards Henry I doubt that any responsibility can be assigned 16 years after introduction of the camera. The sensors are not reinstalled but they only change the IR filter, which does change the rendering of the sensor, especially in the corners. As far as I know they don't care whether it is an original sensor or an exchanged one. Relatively there are few cameras around that have been refitted with a corroding sensor, as Leica introduced a new variant with a non-corroding cover glass as soon as they were able to. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ne314satel Posted May 9 Share #9 Posted May 9 On 4/8/2025 at 2:55 PM, jaapv said: I doubt that any responsibility can be assigned 16 years after introduction of the camera. The sensors are not reinstalled but they only change the IR filter, which does change the rendering of the sensor, especially in the corners. As far as I know they don't care whether it is an original sensor or an exchanged one. Relatively there are few cameras around that have been refitted with a corroding sensor, as Leica introduced a new variant with a non-corroding cover glass as soon as they were able to. This is not entirely true. Sensors are changed if corrosion has not damaged the contacts on the board. In my case, this happened unexpectedly or expectedly. In my case, replacing the sensor, 3000 euros Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted May 9 Share #10 Posted May 9 When? There is not one new sensor on the market and production stopped years ago. Maybe they scavenge sensors from otherwise irreparable cameras. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Henry Posted June 3 Author Share #11 Posted June 3 (edited) Hi to All of you and specially to Leica M9 Members , as promised, here is a photo with the Schott BG 61 Glass filter replaced by Kolari US. Nothing has changed in the image. > Same firmware. Good work and quick implementation by the technician at Kolari NJ. I recommend it to those who have had this problem with a "variolated" CCD sensor , already replaced by Leica because the CCD color is still something else despite what is said. A unique color with no comparison to the CMOS sensor. Best regards Henry 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! Edited June 3 by Doc Henry 7 2 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/420337-leica-m9-sensor-variolated/?do=findComment&comment=5811620'>More sharing options...
Doc Henry Posted June 16 Author Share #12 Posted June 16 (edited) Hi , although I no longer shoot digital but only film , the "color potential" of the M9 CCD sensor is very close to that of Kodak film in my opinion. Kolari did a good job. Lilies from our garden Leica M9-90 M Macro Elmar + Macro Adapter + Tripod Carbon Gitzo Best Henry 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! Edited June 16 by Doc Henry 4 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/420337-leica-m9-sensor-variolated/?do=findComment&comment=5818703'>More sharing options...
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