Leica KAF-18500 CCD used in the M9 and M Monochrom is discontinued, Sensor replacement no longer possible

So here’s something to add on top of this, not related to the procedure but of the three sensors I received have actually corroded from the outside in! Most of the corroded M9 sensors I’ve seen have been on the inside and in this case it’s not just the coating the glass itself is actually pitted
ABAF66CA-7F50-425D-A8F4-8412988BD710.jpeg
 
It's hard to know what has been done to these sensors over 10 years. I can imagine someone thinking that it was dirt, and aggressively cleaning it. Maybe using a cleaning fluid that caused a problem. Others thought it was mars in the surface and tried polishing?

As soon as I saw the slightest dust-sized spot that could not be cleaned, both my M Monochrom and M9 went to Leica New Jersey where they put in the new sensors.
 
It's hard to know what has been done to these sensors over 10 years. I can imagine someone thinking that it was dirt, and aggressively cleaning it. Maybe using a cleaning fluid that caused a problem. Others thought it was mars in the surface and tried polishing?

As soon as I saw the slightest dust-sized spot that could not be cleaned, both my M Monochrom and M9 went to Leica New Jersey where they put in the new sensors.
Really hard to say, but this and the other remind me of rust pits. It could be that they’ve just been corroding for a very long time, I left my original S8612 exposed for about a week and now it’s covered in corrosion. Unfortunately this sensor and another were DOA, I’m left with only one good sensor out of that batch which I’ll be using for my personal M9. The risks of buying parts as is I suppose. I’m going to keep an eye out for spare sensors to convert since having some on hand wouldn’t hurt, though they don’t happen often accidents do happen
 
I have the Monochrom and occasionally cleaned the sensor with the kit supplied in a sensor clening kit, and that came with abottle of isoprpyl alcohol.
When the corrosion was ‘a hype’ I saw some small specs on close looks (not very visible at my usual wide appertures). Nevertheless I ‘made sure’ there were corrosion pits. How did I ascertain that? Simply by doing a few wet cleans. Of course I found out the fluid deteriorated the pits further, they grew with every application and soon I had reached the threshold to send in the camera for replacement ( unintentional).
Probably the solvent entered miniture channels in the plastic of the micro prisms, I imagine.
Now I only do dry cleaning. Works fine.
 
The microlens array is under the cover glass. The cover glass is coated. Moisture gets to the glass, it corrodes, and that causes more damage to the coating. A less volatile glass should have been used.
 
I have the Monochrom and occasionally cleaned the sensor with the kit supplied in a sensor clening kit, and that came with abottle of isoprpyl alcohol.
When the corrosion was ‘a hype’ I saw some small specs on close looks (not very visible at my usual wide appertures). Nevertheless I ‘made sure’ there were corrosion pits. How did I ascertain that? Simply by doing a few wet cleans. Of course I found out the fluid deteriorated the pits further, they grew with every application and soon I had reached the threshold to send in the camera for replacement ( unintentional).
Probably the solvent entered miniture channels in the plastic of the micro prisms, I imagine.
Now I only do dry cleaning. Works fine.
I’d reccomend not doing dry cleans, dry cleaning any optical surface is a deep scratch waiting to happen. If you want to avoid solvents at least fog the sensor with your breath. Dust is very abrasive, the solvents work more as a lubrication for the swab. It’s the same way for lenses.
 
> Kodak SLR/14n which uses a very similar CCD sensor.

NO- The Kodak SLR/14n used a 14MPixel CMOS sensor with analog output. It used S8612 cover glass. It was made by "FillFactory" and was later bought out and sold by Cypress Semiconductor.


This part is no longer available, listed as Obsolete.

It was bizarre that Kodak outsourced the sensor for their full-frame cameras, but made full-frame CCD's for Leica.

Kodak had great engineers and lousy business and marketing.
I found the last Kodak DCS (canon mount) very satisfactory as to colours, probably a result of their knowledge of colour perception+ wise choise of spectral transmission of gheir bayer filters, however, the noise, even at 400 ASA was worse than Tri-X (admittedly I always used panatomicX before Ilford FP3, and for colour preferred Kodachromes before Fuji 50 arrived and I had been spoiled.by trhe resulting 6x6 foot projected slides )

p
 
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