Leica M Mono seriously pissed

asiafish

All-Pro
Location
Bakersfield, CA
Name
Andrew
So last year I sent in my M Monochrom for spots on the sensor, and it was returned to me supposedly repaired (cleaning of sensor, not replacement). It was better, but the exact same spot returned in the same place in just a few months, and back it went again to Leica New Jersey this past July, with a promise of sensor replacement by September 30.

Needless to say, September 30 has come and gone, and now I'm told there will be no new sensors for the Monochrom until January 2016. More than a year to fix a defective sensor is just m,much longer than I am willing to wait, and since I don't want or care about any of the improvements in the new model, I shouldn't have to pay for an upgrade.

I spoke to Leica New Jersey this morning and the person who had been helping me (Roxanna Lynch) said she will talk to management about the situation and should have an answer next week. If that answer isn't a replacement sensor or a replacement camera, I will then write a letter to HQ in Germany and demand either repair or replacement from them.

This is beyond frustrating.
 
My M-E is there too. I was expecting mine back about now. i too called them yesterday and they dont have sensors for it either. Fortunately I asked for a loaner and got one before sending mine in. I too was offered the upgrade option but want to keep my M-E.

However, since using the M240 im very interested in the next iteration as im getting more and more into landscape work and assume the next M will have a longer shutter option than the one limitation it has now. The SL has a 30 minute shutter option.
 
My M-E is there too. I was expecting mine back about now. i too called them yesterday and they dont have sensors for it either. Fortunately I asked for a loaner and got one before sending mine in. I too was offered the upgrade option but want to keep my M-E.

However, since using the M240 im very interested in the next iteration as im getting more and more into landscape work and assume the next M will have a longer shutter option than the one limitation it has now. The SL has a 30 minute shutter option.

They had my M-E for about three months, which is exactly how long they said they would have it. My only disappointment is that I got one of the last of the old sensors instead of one of the first of the new ones.
 
I don't understand why the monochrome versions of the sensor are taking longer than the color version- all they did was replace the S8612 cover glass with BG-55. Same index of refraction, the monochrome version should have been easier as small changes in color will have no effect.
 
Man.. sorry...

Back in 2009 (ish ?) I had my M8's sensor replaced... amazingly it only took 3 weeks. I dropped it off and picked it up in person.
 
Good to hear that Andrew! Mine took 10 months as I have to send it to another country (back then there was no leica store yet in our country). Had met a few hassles here and there along the way, but all is well that ends well.
 
Got the new one yesterday afternoon, along with the service invoice indicating the new serial number as replacing the old. Sensor looks good, until I got a large piece of dust on it.

Such is life, now to clean the damned thing.

One interesting note, the new body says "Leica Camera Wetzlar, Made in Germany" on the back panel, even though its the old CCD model.
 
Glad it's back! Sounds like a neat "new" CCD monochrome. Need pics! :)

What are you doing for cleaning, Andrew? I cleaned the M9 sensor a few months back with a squeeze-blower-brush and one of those full-frame single-use wet squeegie things. Still not as clean as I'd like. And it's darned disconcerting to be hand-cleaning these expensive sensors!
 
Glad it's back! Sounds like a neat "new" CCD monochrome. Need pics! :)

What are you doing for cleaning, Andrew? I cleaned the M9 sensor a few months back with a squeeze-blower-brush and one of those full-frame single-use wet squeegie things. Still not as clean as I'd like. And it's darned disconcerting to be hand-cleaning these expensive sensors!

I'm a total klutz, so I take it to my local shop and let them do it (Henley's in Bakersfield, CA). $50 is a bit pricey, but two or three times per year isn't too bad.
 
I don't have an M but I do have a sensor in my digital :) I use a small retouching brush with soft camel hair to clean my sensor. Bear in mind that each time you change lenses you could be introducing a few specks of dust 'from' the rear of the lens so keep the rear clear! …this also applies to the rear caps of the lenses to, make sure they don't have anything floating about that can come loose in the camera. An ounce of prevention/pound of cure :)
 
Dust cleans off the sensor, corrosion spots are basically etched glass. The film equivalent is ore like a damaged pressure plate or a burr in the film track that scratches the film as it is wound across the camera. The difference- sensors are much more expensive to fix. I files burrs and changed pressure plates myself.
 
Back
Top