Kolari Repair Service for the Leica M9 Camera

€1.786,88
Tax included.
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Kolari Vision EU
Availability:
In stock
Camera Model:
Rangefinder Vertical Alignment Calibration:
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The Leica M9 is a legendary rangefinder camera—but many M9 owners have been affected by a critical design flaw: sensor corrosion caused by the oxidation of the sensor glass. In 2020, Leica officially announced that they would no longer offer sensor replacements for the M9, leaving many photographers with no option for repair.

We now provide a full sensor glass replacement service for Leica M9 cameras affected by sensor corrosion, using modern, corrosion-resistant materials that preserve the optical quality the M9 is known for.

Why This Happened

Leica chose a unique design approach to maximize image sharpness, especially with film-era and rangefinder lenses. Their UV/IR cut filter was fused directly to the sensor to create the thinnest possible filter stack—great for corner sharpness, but impossible to replace without full sensor replacement.

The original glass used, often Schott S8612 or BG55, is chemically prone to oxidation, especially in humid environments. Even though it was coated, this proved insufficient long-term, leading to widespread sensor corrosion.

How Kolari Fixes It

Using our experience with optical glass and sensor modifications, we developed a safe process to delaminate the original sensor glass and replace it with Schott BG61 glass—modern materials designed to resist oxidation permanently. These materials are used in our own thin filter conversions and are proven to last, even in challenging environments.

We are using a new BG61 glass with anti-reflective coating, which is nearly an identical match to the original M9 glass filter. We designed the BG61 to be the same thickness as the original filter while also matching the transmission properties. This is a highly specialized glass made by Schott that is inherently corrosion resistant, even before we put an additional protective anti-reflective and anti-smudge coating to seal it from the environment. This filter cannot corrode by design, even if the coatings get scratched.

Leica made a range of sensors throughout the lifespan of the M9’s production line. CCD 11+ sensors came at a later point and did not suffer from the acid gel formation issue present in earlier models. CCD 11+ sensors have a much harder original adhesive bonding the glass to the sensor and are more time consuming to replace with Schott Glass.

Earlier Sensors (CCD ID 3-8) have been discovered to suffer from a unique issue stemming from the adhesive used to attach the protective sensor glass to the sensor. This adhesive has been found to denature into an acid gel. If this gel shifts onto the bond wires that feed information from the sensor to the board of the camera, it can corrode these wires and result in permanent digital sensor failure as shown in the image above. It is for this reason we recommend earlier CCD ID sensors be sent in for glass replacement sooner rather than later as the change of this corrosion and subsequent failure happening has been shown to increase with time. When we receive a Leica M9 with CCD ID number 3-8 we will inspect the sensor under a microscope to determine the level of acid gel formation and ingress onto bond wires. If we see this gel has shifted onto the bond wires we will reach out before proceeding with the glass replacement due to the higher risk involved. If the gel has not yet shifted onto the bond wires we will proceed with the repair and remove any gel present from the sensor area. This should prevent any future corrosion, and in combination with the corrosion resistant glass, should provide a full life to your Leica M9 unit. We also cover all Leica’s against future glass corrosion when our Schott BG glass is used.

As we have stocked these units and performed work over the last 3 years, we have unfortunately discovered a 3rd issue that can develop. This comes in the form of colored vertical or horizontal hot pixel lines. These lines may develop before or after glass/sensor replacement and can appear on entirely unmodified Leica cameras when left long enough. We do not use any heating techniques when performing glass replacement specifically to avoid this kind of issue, however, this appears to still occur regardless of any work being performed. This issue instead appears to be related to aging internal board components or possibly from failing sensor array bond wires. This issue appears to predominantly effect CCD11 and CCD12 sensor arrays, though it has occasionally been seen on lower CCD ID number sensors. CCD15 and CCD16 sensors appear to be unaffected by this issue as we have not seen this occurring on these models to date. Due to the increasing age of these sensor arrays, we’re unable to guarantee this issue will not appear at some point down the line after we’ve performed our service work and as such cannot be held responsible should this occur. With that said we have partnered with Extend who can fully cover these cameras against any eventuality, including these pixel lines, when the camera is purchased, pre-modified, from us. We have a range of Leica cameras listed on our site that you can find here.

When working with corroded equipment, there’s a high degree of risk outside of our control when performing repair services. Most of the Leica M9’s we receive suffer from a heavily damaged ICF that may crack when being removed from the sensor assembly. We’ve also seen Leica M9s arrive with an already cracked ICF due to the corrosion issue. We’re a highly skilled and capable repair shop but unfortunately, there isn’t much we can do to avoid this even under extreme care. If your sensor cracks during removal there is a chance that glass dust can land on the bare sensor which can cause fine scratches that can be visible under some shooting settings. Furthermore, we’ve been seeing that almost all M9’s with CCD ID5 sensors are also affected by a liquid gel substance. We believe it stems from the glass adhesive that can leak onto the sensor and corrode through bond wires. This liquid gel is visible under a microscope but can’t always be seen by the naked eye. We found that even with 1-3 corroded wires, the M9 typically works without any noticeable issues after being repaired but we cannot guarantee this for every camera. If we see 1-3 corroded wires, we will continue with the repair like normal. If we see more than 3 corroded wires, we will stop the repair and let you know before proceeding. We cannot be held liable for damages if the liquid gel spreads to your bare sensor or other bond wires during the repair service. We are also not liable for any liquid gel or electronic issues stemming from corroded bond wires after the repair service is completed in the event that it is not visible during the repair. We don’t see gel issues with M9, M-E, or M9-P models with CCD ID11 as the glue used on these sensors is different. However with CCD11 sensors, we do see a high prevalence of cracked sensor glass. The CCD11s are more likely to crack and leave fine scratches on the sensor after the modification. If you’d like to check what kind of sensor your Leica M9 has, you can do so by following the prompt below: 1. Enter the menu. 2. Press delete -> up (2x) -> down (4x) -> left (3x) -> right (3x) -> Info – This button combination will enter the camera into debugging mode.) 3. Select Hardware ID. Your sensor type will be the first option under this menu.

We cover all Schott BG61 glass we install in Leica cameras for life against corrosion, this includes a Leica camera you may have purchased second hand that was previously worked on by Kolari.To open a glass warranty service claim please contact our customer support team via email and provide the original order number if possible.

Vendor: Kolari Vision EU
Camera Model: Leica M9, Leica M9-P, Leica M-E, Leica M9 Monochrome
Rangefinder Vertical Alignment Calibration: Yes, No

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