M8.2 sensor serviceability

[twopointeight]

Is the sensor in the M8.2 serviceable for the forseeable future? I like most things about the camera, but if the sensor repair or replacement is going to be a problem in 2-5 years, maybe its time to let it go? Anybody have a repair/replacement experience and costs?

[rxmd]

With any digital camera sensor replacement is a question of how many spare sensor boards the manufacturer has in stock. Manufacturers do this for in-warranty repairs. Out-of-warranty sensor board replacements are usually prohibitively expensive. If your life really depends on having your M8 sensor serviceable for significantly less than the cost of a new used M8 if the sensor does break for some unknown reason, I wouldn't buy it.

In practice, however, the sensors in oldish digital cameras work just fine. Just stop worrying about it.

[jsrockit]

Have you heard of a wide spread sensor problem with the M8.2? Just use it and stop stressing.

[Timmyjoe]

I guess a catastrophic failure is possible, but for the most part, the only thing that seems to go wrong with them is occasional hot pixels. When that happened to mine I sent it back to Leica and they "remapped" the sensor and now it's fine.

I wouldn't worry too much about it. Just go take some pictures.

Best,
-Tim

[jaapv]

Out-of warranty replacement of the sensor will cost you about 1000 $, remapping about 300$.

[santino]

isn't it the shutter which usually dies first in digital cameras?

[rxmd]

Originally Posted by santino

isn't it the shutter which usually dies first in digital cameras?

Not really, that's like saying "isn't it the engine which usually dies first in cars". Focal plane shutters are pretty much proven technology nowadays.

[santino]

you maybe right, but a second hand EOS 1D isn't worth much with 150.000 releases (of course it's the sensor too, which gets "active" when one fires the shutter). It's probably a mix of all of that.

[twopointeight]

$1000 for a new sensor and $300 for remapping is alot, but I can live with that. Keeping the M8.2 indefinately. Thanks.

[rxmd]

Originally Posted by santino

you maybe right, but a second hand EOS 1D isn't worth much with 150.000 releases (of course it's the sensor too, which gets "active" when one fires the shutter). It's probably a mix of all of that.

Well a camera with a release count in the hundreds of thousands isn't "worth" much without servicing the shutter anyway, digital or otherworse. Would you buy a Leica that has had 5000 rolls of film though it (a roll a day for fourteen years) without some kind of shutter service?

[Roger Hicks]

Leica said 20 years from the launch. Either call 'em liars or believe 'em.

Cheers,

R.