Is this sensor dust on this image? I noticed the same white “smutz” that was the same on other images in your blog. Has dust been an issue with the M-E?
As to what you’re seeing there, Leica is blameless. We do all our ‘smutzing’ in house. (And dust, because it’s blocking light to the sensor, would show up as dark spots.) It would be nice if there was some automatic sensor cleaning on these cameras but I’ve never cleaned the sensors on any of my two digital Ms. Not once, ever. The M9 or the M-E. I don’t however stop down my lenses all that much, except with the 90mm lens, and so I don’t see a lot of spots. Sensor dust is just not an issue shooting at Leica’s wider apertures. Some dust on this M-E sensor has seemed to mysteriously gone away by itself. If there were visible dust spots on a keeper of an image I would just remove them with Lightroom’s very capable cloning tool. And I have had to do that on very rare occasions. What you see in this image and quite a few others on my blog is “dust and scratches” added in post processing for my own amusement. Thanks for commenting. Love your photography.
Of course sensor dust would be dark! I’ve only cleaned by Canon 5D sensor two times in six years, using, I kid you not, scotch tape. Works like magic.
One last M-E question. Does the M-E rangefinder patch ever flare? I have an M6 that flared badly until I had Don Goldberg (DAG) “fix” it. I have an MP that never flares. Leica restored an optical part in the MP’s that had been removed in the M6’s. I played with an M-E for 10 minutes once and could not make it flare. I was surprised at how much I liked it compared to the M9 I saw a few years ago. I’m probably going to rent an M-E for a week just to see…
I used to clean my sensors on my Nikons. Had a lot of those. But I’ve been loath to touch an M9/M-E sensor.
I can’t say I’ve ever noticed much flaring but I think there’s been some. I have to admit that it’s a hard road to hoe when I look through that tiny rangefinder patch. My eyes are pretty bad and I don’t exactly sit down with my eye doctor and plan a prescription around my Leica viewfinder. I have an .85 viewfinder M6 and I can see to focus much better but yes… I’m sure there’s more flare there with that camera but it would be kind of the least of my problems in looking through the viewfinder of my M-E.
After owning an M9 for a year and finally selling it, honestly, in something close to disgust, I was at first surprised but then almost permanently shocked at how much I love the M-E. If I could I would buy five more of them and keep four on the shelf with the hope that they’d last me for the rest of my life I would do that in an instant. Other cameras are almost a dead issue for me. I don’t care (much) about the latest and greatest and barely keep up with new releases.
This is a camera. It works for me and I don’t need or want anything else.
50'Lux 
Is this sensor dust on this image? I noticed the same white “smutz” that was the same on other images in your blog. Has dust been an issue with the M-E?
As to what you’re seeing there, Leica is blameless. We do all our ‘smutzing’ in house. (And dust, because it’s blocking light to the sensor, would show up as dark spots.) It would be nice if there was some automatic sensor cleaning on these cameras but I’ve never cleaned the sensors on any of my two digital Ms. Not once, ever. The M9 or the M-E. I don’t however stop down my lenses all that much, except with the 90mm lens, and so I don’t see a lot of spots. Sensor dust is just not an issue shooting at Leica’s wider apertures. Some dust on this M-E sensor has seemed to mysteriously gone away by itself. If there were visible dust spots on a keeper of an image I would just remove them with Lightroom’s very capable cloning tool. And I have had to do that on very rare occasions. What you see in this image and quite a few others on my blog is “dust and scratches” added in post processing for my own amusement. Thanks for commenting. Love your photography.
Of course sensor dust would be dark! I’ve only cleaned by Canon 5D sensor two times in six years, using, I kid you not, scotch tape. Works like magic.
One last M-E question. Does the M-E rangefinder patch ever flare? I have an M6 that flared badly until I had Don Goldberg (DAG) “fix” it. I have an MP that never flares. Leica restored an optical part in the MP’s that had been removed in the M6’s. I played with an M-E for 10 minutes once and could not make it flare. I was surprised at how much I liked it compared to the M9 I saw a few years ago. I’m probably going to rent an M-E for a week just to see…
I used to clean my sensors on my Nikons. Had a lot of those. But I’ve been loath to touch an M9/M-E sensor.
I can’t say I’ve ever noticed much flaring but I think there’s been some. I have to admit that it’s a hard road to hoe when I look through that tiny rangefinder patch. My eyes are pretty bad and I don’t exactly sit down with my eye doctor and plan a prescription around my Leica viewfinder. I have an .85 viewfinder M6 and I can see to focus much better but yes… I’m sure there’s more flare there with that camera but it would be kind of the least of my problems in looking through the viewfinder of my M-E.
As far as being surprised at how much you like the grey boring M-E over it’s cooler black or gorgeous silver M9… all I can say is join the club. https://50lux.com/2013/02/06/finally-get-your-leica-m-e-review-here/
After owning an M9 for a year and finally selling it, honestly, in something close to disgust, I was at first surprised but then almost permanently shocked at how much I love the M-E. If I could I would buy five more of them and keep four on the shelf with the hope that they’d last me for the rest of my life I would do that in an instant. Other cameras are almost a dead issue for me. I don’t care (much) about the latest and greatest and barely keep up with new releases.
This is a camera. It works for me and I don’t need or want anything else.
Thanks for commenting!
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