Blue band on M8 sensor

[Tirpitz666]

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Hi, I've noticed that, when I shoot at ISO 640 (and also above, as much I don't usually), my sensor has developed the dreaded "blue vertical line" in the lower left part, about from the middle of the sensor to the lower sensor border.

Apart from asking Leica if it's still possible to remap it somehow, what is the experience here in the forum about this kind of issue? Does is mean that the sensor is slowly failing and so more and more pixels are going to die and further blue lines could appear or could also remain a somewhat isolated case? (I've noticed that I actually have other 4-5 dead/stuck pixels around the sensor, but none of them has luckily affected and entire pixel column.

For the time being I've found a stopgap solution that works wonders in fixing the issue, one little beautiful software named Pixel Fixer that works really well and at DNG level (it's a free donation-based app).

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[chris_livsey]

Your answer, short of a re-map, is to restrict to base iso, the "higher" iso settings on the M8 are created by in camera amplification, today's software is much more efficient at reducing amplification noise than the camera. Just underexpose and "fix" in your favourite software, RAW/DNG only of course, hot pixels are related to the iso setting as you have found. 

They "accumulate" over time, not indicative of a sudden deterioration, solar radiation is a factor so multiple long haul flights are not good for any sensor although newer BSI seem less affected or rather I see less reports. Given the sensor age of the M8 they are going to be inevitable, mitigation, low iso and the app or similar you have found obviously help.

I am not aware if Leica still do M8 remapping.

Edited June 12 by chris_livsey

[Tirpitz666]

Hello and thanks, of course all good sense advice and low ISO is where I'll try to stay most of the time of course (and in case "amplifiy" in post if needed).

Apparently Leica is still doing it, according to the answer they gave to me, but of course you have to send the camera to Wetzlar.

Curiously enough, all the similar cases I've found on the web showed that very blue line in apparently the very same sensor part (i.e. lower left), maybe there is some kind particular "sensitivity" on that very part of the silicon (or some circuit right behind it).

[chris_livsey]

There was discussion at one time that this was due to another part and not a sensor fault, there were arguments both ways it turned out the line that was a circuit fault was central always and probably related to readout. It may be that the fault that was common as you described was a fault from a wafer batch of sensors, you can speculate endlessly, hope it's not too expensive to rectify for you.

[Tirpitz666]

Thanks, preliminary quote was Eur 220 (+VAT I imagine), so bearable on paper. For the time being guess I'll use it like that, at the end the software fix on the DNGs is really very quick, effective and convenient, so it's more a matter if one day I would decide to resell it.

[chris_livsey]

Yes well worth doing as Leica will update any parts that are required as they will give a repair warranty, I had LED exposure indictor failure and the resulting list of parts replaced included some irrelevant to that but have been superseded since my camera was built, 2007. If you  wanted to sell then having a Leica warranty would justify a price boost I would think that would exceed that estimate.