By Josh Lehrer, Leica
Store Miami
In December 2014, Leica officially acknowledged the CCD sensor corrosion issue present on many M9,
M9-P, M Monochrom and M-E camera bodies. The corrosion issue, identified by
unusual spots on images with white “halos” around them, is caused by a
defective coating on the cover glass of Leica’s CCD sensors. It took some time
to develop a permanent fix, but since June 2015, Leica has been replacing
affected sensors with an updated version that is immune to the corrosion problem.
A few months before the fix, Leica also offered users with affected cameras an
upgrade path to a newer digital rangefinder at special pricing.
Leica has issued
updates on both the CCD sensor replacement and camera upgrade programs. Effective
August 16, 2017, only Leica M9/M9-P/Monochrom/M-E cameras purchased as new
products within the last five years will receive replacement sensors free of
charge, provided the camera shows signs of corrosion. Leica’s Customer Caredepartment will determine if a camera has any sensor corrosion. Your local
Leica dealer can assist you with this process as well. Any camera with sensor
corrosion purchased earlier than August 16, 2012 will be billed for a
replacement sensor at a partially subsidized cost of $1,000, or the customer
can choose to upgrade to one of the following cameras: Leica M (Typ 240), Leica
M-P (Typ 240) or Leica M Monochrom (Typ 246). The pricing for the upgrades is
as follows:
- Upgrade Leica M9 or M-E to M (Typ 240) $3,100
- Upgrade Leica M9 or M-E to M-P (Typ 240) $3,700
- Upgrade Leica M9 or M-E to M Monochrom (Typ 246) $3,980
- Upgrade Leica M9-P to M(Typ 240) $2,800
- Upgrade Leica M9-P to M-P(Typ 240) $3,400
- Upgrade Leica M9-P to MMonochrom (Typ 246) $3,680
- Upgrade M Monochrom to MMonochrom (Typ 246) $3,480
Customers sending in a
camera for sensor replacement should include a copy of the original sales
receipt. If a copy of the sales receipt is unavailable, the serial number will
be used to determine the camera’s age. The replacement sensor comes with a
one-year warranty and the service will include the following:
- Cleaning and overhaul of the shutter cocking mechanisms
- Cleaning and maintenance/repair of the multifunction wheel
- Cleaning of the main switch and shutter speed dial
- Adjustment of the baseplate locking system
- Replacement of the protective film on the baseplate
- Maintenance/adjustment of rangefinder
If you think your camera
may be exhibiting signs of CCD corrosion, you can email us a full resolution JPEG
file and we are happy to evaluate it for you. Should your camera suffer from
CCD corrosion, we can then discuss the best way to proceed with a sensor
replacement or camera upgrade. Here’s how to get us a full resolution image to
check for corrosion:
- Set the camera to its base ISO setting
- Set the camera to shoot either DNG+JPEG or JPEG only
- Attach a lens to the camera (a 35mm or 50mm works best)
- Stop the lens aperture all the way down (f/16 or f/22 depending on the lens)
- For a subject, either a solid blue sky or a solid, light colored wall is ideal
- If shooting the sky, focus the lens to the closest distance. If shooting a wall, focus the lens at infinity (you want an image that is as out of focus as possible).
- Shoot an exposure of the wall or sky and be sure to move the camera around during the exposure (to blur any details in the image, as we want to only see what may be on the sensor)
- Email us the JPEG file for evaluation
Below is an example of an
image from an M9 that is showing CCD corrosion, which is highlighted in red
circles. You can see the white “halos” around the spots that indicate
corrosion. The sensor also has numerous dust spots that can be cleaned, however
it is important to see the difference between the regular dust (easily cleaned)
and the corrosion spots (which require a sensor replacement).
Sensor corrosion indicated
with red circles
Up until August 16, Leica
will replace your CCD sensor at no charge, regardless of the age of your
camera, if it is showing any corrosion. If you are currently shooting an M9,
M9-P, M-E or M Monochrom, we definitely recommend evaluating your sensor for
corrosion as soon as possible.
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