Digilux 2 Repair in solms

[Guest flatfour]

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I sent my camera for repair - back to Solms - five weeks ago now and apart from an acknowledgement that the repair will be carried out under warranty, no further communication. Has anyone experience of how long repairs take. I assume it's the replacement of a part or parts. I hope I get it back before Christmas.

[Tim B]

I sent my camera for repair - back to Solms - five weeks ago now and apart from an acknowledgement that the repair will be carried out under warranty, no further communication. Has anyone experience of how long repairs take. I assume it's the replacement of a part or parts. I hope I get it back before Christmas.

 

My D2 suffered sudden catastrophic sensor failure (fortunately just within warranty) and I took it to my dealer (in London UK) for repair two weeks ago. He sent it to Leica UK, they send it to Solms! Leica UK suggested about four weeks in Solms. I suspect it will be longer - they seem a little busy at the moment (!) So far I have had no confirmation that they have even received it - I doubt I will see it before Christmas.

 

Good Luck!

 

Tim

[arminw]

My D2 was sent in for repair last week, but I don't know how long it is going to take until I get it back? I was hoping before Xmas .....

Solms does seem to be busy right now so we just have to wait !

[jaapv]

My D2 was sent in for repair last week, but I don't know how long it is going to take until I get it back? I was hoping before Xmas .....

Solms does seem to be busy right now so we just have to wait !

 

Don't count on it.. Mine took five weeks, and had to go back for another ten days....

[Guest stnami]

I think it will be 5-8 weeks depending on sensor availability, I had to wait for them to come in, once thyey were available things went quickly. Looks like there must be a sensor fault as a lot of D2 are collapsing. My lens came back looking brand new

[Guest flatfour]

Mine is a sensor problem, according my description of the fault to Milton Keynes. Who makes the sensor ? I have heard it is Sony, Matsushita, and Kodak et al, so I haven't a clue.I hope they aren't using the same make in the M8

[john_r_smith]

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The Digilux 2 sensor is a Matsushita part, the same as the LC1. There have now been enough sensor failures reported on this forum to make it probable that there is a batch of faulty units in circulation.

[Guest flatfour]

Thanks for the info John. I hope you are right that it is only a batch and not a universal problem.

[elansprint72]

So, if there is a known fault with the sensor, will cameras which are out of warranty be repaired by Leica foc? Is there a parallel situation going on with Panasonic?

 

Cheers,

Pete.

[andybarton]

I can't comment on this particular problem, but I had a lens failure on my LC5, well out of warranty.

 

Panasonic UK replaced the faulty lens free of charge.

 

For one of their premium products, I would expect that the "goodwill drawer" at Panasonic would be opened more readily than one might imagine.

[mark_a_h]

The Digilux 2 sensor is a Matsushita part, the same as the LC1. There have now been enough sensor failures reported on this forum to make it probable that there is a batch of faulty units in circulation.

 

Any way to predict if you have one of these lucky sensors in your D2... like a serial number range?

[gdoell]

I had my LC1 (bought in China) repaired in Germany (sensor replacement) and Panasonic was not willing to do it out of warranty. I have it back now and paid Euro 438. Very upsetting!!!

 

Gerhard

[john_r_smith]

Sony have just announced similar sensor faults on a batch of their Cyber-Shot cameras sold between 2003 and 2005. Once again, the faults seem to be linked to use in hot, humid environments (although that has not always been a contributory factor with the Digilux and LC1). Sony are offering free repair for their cameras, which are nearly all now well out of warranty. Obviously, the sensor in the D2/LC1 is Matsushita and not Sony, but one suspects they may have a similar defect. If the failure takes some time to show up, then we may be in for a gradually accelerating incidence of faults, which will increasingly occur outside the warranty period. It would be comforting if if Leica and Panasonic would jointly acknowledge that there is a potential problem with the 2/3 sensor, and undertake to support users who experience sensor failure as Sony have, to their credit.

 

John

[Guest flatfour]

John. That's interesting information. Do you know of any other cameras using Matsushita sensors ? I should imagine that Leica did a lot of homework before deciding on this make of sensor. What worries me is that this may not be just a batch problem but a continuing manufacturing problem with Matsushita. Leica will have a warranty agreement with Matsushita enabling them to offset the parts cost back to source, Leicas' cost being labour, But they may even have this covered in agreement with Matsushita. Although it absolves Leica of all cots except carriage it doesn't build consumer confidence. Oskar would be shaking in his shoes.

[stunsworth]

Anthony Matsushita = Panasonic, so I don't think that there would have been any doubt whose sensor the camera would have used :-).

[judybabinski]

Hi

 

I have been lurking for a LONG time, but do really appreciate all the comments especially re the M8. My Digilux 2 also died last week right before Thanksgiving. And I am still on the wait list for the M8.

 

But the Digilux 2 was working great the week before and at the Thankgiving family gathering, I turned it on ready to snap family pics. And the LCD and viewfinder were black. The info was there such as shutter speed, file compression, etc. but otherwise a black screen. I assume sensor failure. Luckly it is in warranty till May 2007.

 

I have really enjoyed this camera and hope it can be saved.

 

Judy

[dugby]

This thread is disturbing me.

 

My D2 sensor is half-dead. Happened this week. Sometimes works, 25% of the time after a power on, the image's base colours are phase shifted, or seems 'melted'.

Totally unpredictable relabilty at the moment.

 

I have a family trip to Tokyo, Paris & London in 2 weeks, as we are coming from Australia, not your regular holiday.

After much deliberation i put on-hold my M8, 28/f2.0 summicron purchase and bought an L1

 

I've got a feeling my D2, has just become an expensive paper weight.

[amaynard]

For the record, my D2 sensor went down in September (after a trip to hot, humid Hawaii), and I'm still waiting for it to be returned.

 

Not hopeful for those waiting for a fast turnaround I'm afraid

 

Andrew

[apichai]

Hi

when my digilux2 is malfunction. I send it to my shop (I'm in bangkok Thailand) and they send to singapore, after that it go to German, after 3 months it back to me.

I'm loss my D2 3 month (12 weeke), I'm loss opportunity to use my digilux2, I'm very sad.

 

for share my experience.

 

Good luck

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[john_r_smith]

I think that the problem may be, to some extent anyhow, that the old-school camera manufacturers like Leica have not yet woken up to the fact that they are now in the IT business, which is not the same thing at all as being a camera company. They are actually selling computers with a lens strapped on the front, which is a major philosophical shift from making nice MPs or Hassy 500s. Now in the IT world, bugs, system failures and hardware faults are all part of life, and to be expected and costed for as part of a product's development. We have about 40 Dell PCs here at present, which have a known failure point on the system board which involves a faulty capacitor. When a PC fails, we call hardware support, and an engineer is on site within 24 hours who fits a whole new motherboard and a new power supply unit, no questions asked. So far this has affected about 6 of our PCs. This costs us nothing, because Dell have accepted the fault and are prepared to back their customers. If Leica wish to sell high-quality, pro-level digital cameras, they have to be prepared to -

 

* Accept that there will be software and hardware problems no matter how much testing you do.

 

* And have the service infrastructure in place to speedily rectify these faults at no cost to the user.

 

John