Leica cameras do not come cheap. In fact they cost a small fortune which is why Leica owners expect not only amazing image quality, but to a certain extent good build quality as well. After all what’s the point of paying several thousand dollars if the camera is poorly built, right? Well according to several reports on the La Vida Leica forums (via DPreview), several users have complained about white spots appearing on images taken with the M9, M9-P, M Monochrome, and M-E cameras.
What ties all of these cameras together is the fact that they all rely on the 18MP full frame Kodak CCD sensor protected by a piece of Schott S8612 glass. Well as it turns out, the reason for the white spots appearing is due to the corrosion effects on the cover glass of the CCD sensor. So what can current Leica owners do about it?
Well one option is to take it in for a sensor replacement. Leica’s warranty covers free sensor replacement for up to 3 years from the purchase date, however due to the nature of the problem, those who bought their cameras earlier will have their replacement fees subsidized, although this will depend on how long ago the camera was bought.
Leica is also offering users the option to upgrade to an M (typ 240) where they will be given an extremely attractive offer as part of Leica’s goodwill arrange, or at least that’s what the company representative has claimed. For those who own any of the cameras mentioned above, you can test your camera yourself by stopping down the lens and taking a photo of the sky or a blank piece of paper where the corrosion will appear as white spots in the resulting images.
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