sean_reid Posted November 28, 2006 Share #1 Posted November 28, 2006 Advertisement (gone after registration) I still have several questions that Leica has not yet been able to answer but I recently added the following to my "Part Four" review and am posting it here in case it is of interest. The announcement referred to is the one that Leica placed on their site on 11/24. "...In addition to the information included in this announcement, I've received the following information from Leica. Customers in the USA and Canada will have the option of sending their cameras either to Leica USA or directly to Leica in Germany. The corrective work (confirmed as a change in the camera's hardware) can, however, only be done in Germany. Any M8s purchased in the USA after November 27, 2006 should already have had these hardware changes completed but I recommend confirming this fact with the selling dealer before making the purchase. Just to clarify Leica's statements above, firmware version 1.10 (or higher) should be available for customer download and installation in early December of 2006. It will not be necessary to send the M8 in for firmware updates. In the USA and Canada, the two free filters themselves should be available from Leica USA in January of 2007 and then additional filters should be available from Leica dealers in February of 2007. Registered M8 owners (in the USA and Canada) who wish to place their request order (for the two free filters) may do so by completing the PDF form linked here http://www.leica-camera-user.com/digital-forum/10492-uva-ir-filter-request-form-leica.html and faxing or mailing it to Leica USA. I expect to be discussing further information about Leica's response to these issues when that information becomes available." I'll host the form on my site for awhile for people who may want to download and use it. One can also get this form by contacting Leica USA directly if that is preferable. Cheers, Sean Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted November 28, 2006 Posted November 28, 2006 Hi sean_reid, Take a look here Canada/USA M8 Owners' Filter Request Form . I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
herbkell Posted November 28, 2006 Share #2 Posted November 28, 2006 Thanks Sean Can anyone confirm once and for all what size filter the new TE will require and whether the lens hood will fit with the filter on? thanks Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guy_mancuso Posted November 28, 2006 Share #3 Posted November 28, 2006 Sean to make this clear if US owners send to NJ than NJ will send our camera to Germany or we can bypass NJ and go direct to Germany. Is that what i am reading Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrycioni Posted November 28, 2006 Share #4 Posted November 28, 2006 Sean, Thank you for this. I acknowledge you are the messenger here. In my opinion sending the M8 back to Germany for the needed repair is punitive in my estimation. The camera should be replaced with a fixed model and that should be done without a great deal of paper work and as soon as humanly possible. My confidence in this company after all these many years of using their gear is at a very low ebb. It obviously doesn't matter a hoop to them.... and they will do what they want in the end, but it will cost them a good deal of customer good will, does it matter long term, yes it does. In my opinion they have truly under estimate the power of the web. I accept the IR filter solution as a fair approach to solving the IR problems of the M8 indeed more than fair. Sending the M8 back to Germany is not! Cheers. Terry. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagarwal Posted November 28, 2006 Share #5 Posted November 28, 2006 Thanks Sean. It's interesting that there's no option for a black 43mm. Isn't 43mm used for the 50mm Summ ASPH which is also available in black? I hope it shows up in version 2 of the form. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean_reid Posted November 28, 2006 Author Share #6 Posted November 28, 2006 Sean to make this clear if US owners send to NJ than NJ will send our camera to Germany or we can bypass NJ and go direct to Germany. Is that what i am reading Yup Best, Sean Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagarwal Posted November 28, 2006 Share #7 Posted November 28, 2006 Advertisement (gone after registration) Isn't 43mm used for the 50mm Summ ASPH which is also available in black? Hmm.. so I looked up Leica's technical data for the 50mm Summ ASPH and it says 46mm (regular Black and Silver versions), while B&H lists 43mm for some versions of the 50mm Summ ASPH (LHSA Editions). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guy_mancuso Posted November 28, 2006 Share #8 Posted November 28, 2006 Sean, Thank you for this. I acknowledge you are the messenger here. In my opinion sending the M8 back to Germany for the needed repair is punitive in my estimation. The camera should be replaced with a fixed model and that should be done without a great deal of paper work and as soon as humanly possible. My confidence in this company after all these many years of using their gear is at a very low ebb. It obviously doesn't matter a hoop to them.... and they will do what they want in the end, but it will cost them a good deal of customer good will, does it matter long term, yes it does. In my opinion they have truly under estimate the power of the web. I accept the IR filter solution as a fair approach to solving the IR problems of the M8 indeed more than fair. Sending the M8 back to Germany is not! Cheers. Terry. Terry i do agree and there should be two ways to do this if going in for a repair you get something extra for the trouble , like the talked about 30 percent off a lens If you do a complete exchange with YOUR service center than is a simple exchange for a new one with no bonus attached and they pay the shipping and overnight at that or second day air. I think this is only reasonable and fair . i have accepted and dealt with the filter issue and that has nothing to do with this repair Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guy_mancuso Posted November 28, 2006 Share #9 Posted November 28, 2006 BTW , Sean thank you for being the messenger here and i certainly appreciate your efforts and commitment to the forum on sharing this information. This is very helpful to the existing M8 owners. You know my personal feelings on the exchange issue and in no way my talk of it reflects on you Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean_reid Posted November 28, 2006 Author Share #10 Posted November 28, 2006 Just to clarify BTW. Normally, a reviewer such as myself requests this kind of information as background material for an article. That's what I do and that's how I come to get this various information I post. In addition to including this stuff in the articles I also sometime publish it here so that it's available to everyone on the forum. Leica *does not* contact me and ask me to act as messenger. I just share the answers, etc. I get from routinely requesting info. from them. Cheers, S Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
grober Posted November 28, 2006 Share #11 Posted November 28, 2006 Sean is doing yeoman service for us all here. EVERY customer-facing employee at Leica USA in New Jersey should be hanging their head in abject shame now because of their apparent reliance on a user to get this important message out to their M8 customers. (Doubly so since this forum is sponsored by Leica itself!) Thanks, Sean for your thoughfulness. -g Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guy_mancuso Posted November 28, 2006 Share #12 Posted November 28, 2006 Your right maybe my messenger word was the bad choice of wording to use. That damn English stuff always gets me in trouble. LOL Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark D Posted November 28, 2006 Share #13 Posted November 28, 2006 Aww, you mean we can't shoot the messenger ? Just Kidding. I also want to thank you for keeping us informed. Looking forward to getting my M8. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abrewer Posted November 28, 2006 Share #14 Posted November 28, 2006 Thanks Sean (again!). I'll sticky this thread so everybody can see it. Thanks. Allan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robsteve Posted November 28, 2006 Share #15 Posted November 28, 2006 Sean, Thank you for this. I acknowledge you are the messenger here. In my opinion sending the M8 back to Germany for the needed repair is punitive in my estimation. The camera should be replaced with a fixed model and that should be done without a great deal of paper work and as soon as humanly possible. My confidence in this company after all these many years of using their gear is at a very low ebb. It obviously doesn't matter a hoop to them.... and they will do what they want in the end, but it will cost them a good deal of customer good will, does it matter long term, yes it does. In my opinion they have truly under estimate the power of the web. I accept the IR filter solution as a fair approach to solving the IR problems of the M8 indeed more than fair. Sending the M8 back to Germany is not! Cheers. Terry. Terry: You should get your dealer to check with the Leica rep to see if it is possible to ship your M8 to Kindermann and have them forward it to Germany. I don't know if you tried shipping a $6,000 item internationally, but the insurance is either unavailable or very expensive. Robert Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
billh Posted November 29, 2006 Share #16 Posted November 29, 2006 If you ship directly to the factory the service may be faster because I believe they consolidate repair shipments and send them back to Leica NJ every couple of weeks, and then you have to rely on Leica NJ to ship the camera out to you - you may want to check on this. If you do send the camera to Germany (I did not have any trouble with insurance), you must ask Leica repair to include a statement or invoice with the following information, or it will get hung up in customs (I know because mine has been there since this past weekend): 1) the purchase (list) price of the camera 2) the value of the repair (what the cost would be if it had not been done under warranty), and a statement saying it was repaired under warranty. 3) the current market value of the camera (which I assume is the same as the list price) They would not release mine until all these things were provided to them If the camera is not listed as a repair returned to the owner, Leica has to fill out some FCC radio interference form. This is apparently required for all digital cameras, and the manufacturer has to send this form with the camera. I have no clue why, but such is life. Good luck. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrycioni Posted November 29, 2006 Share #17 Posted November 29, 2006 Terry: You should get your dealer to check with the Leica rep to see if it is possible to ship your M8 to Kindermann and have them forward it to Germany. I don't know if you tried shipping a $6,000 item internationally, but the insurance is either unavailable or very expensive. Robert Robert, EXACTLY. I fully intend to let my dealer handle this via the sales rep. This is a nightmare waiting to happen - shipping the camera back to Solms is just not well thought-out. At the very least the other Camera companies can do their repairs in country. Does this mean all repair have to be done in Solms. They need to revisit the support for the M8 and soon. Cheers. Terry. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
canlogic Posted November 29, 2006 Share #18 Posted November 29, 2006 Thanks for the info Sean. Leica still has some questions to answer, like how do I get the camera to either Germany or NJ. From Canada it involves getting special paperwork to prove the camera is going out for repair so that duties and taxes are not charged. It is also quite expensive to ship plus insurance even to NJ. I imagine to Germany it would be very expensive. I would hope they would send out prepaid and labeled shipping boxes like some other companies do. It is really starting to look like the best option is to just return it and buy the new version. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
herbkell Posted November 29, 2006 Share #19 Posted November 29, 2006 Thanks for the info Sean. Leica still has some questions to answer, like how do I get the camera to either Germany or NJ. From Canada it involves getting special paperwork to prove the camera is going out for repair so that duties and taxes are not charged. It is also quite expensive to ship plus insurance even to NJ. I imagine to Germany it would be very expensive. I would hope they would send out prepaid and labeled shipping boxes like some other companies do. It is really starting to look like the best option is to just return it and buy the new version. Again more questions than answers. This is really getting irritating. I am a Canadian who bought his camera in the US. What is best a) ship the camera to the US dealer ship the camera to Leica US c) ship the camera to Leica in Solms d) some other ridiculous option Leica if you read these posts please listen and respond soon and appropriately. Listen well to your valuable customers who think they deserve replacement cameras and soon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MP3 Posted November 29, 2006 Share #20 Posted November 29, 2006 Sean, thanks for your message. I would though prefer to keep it for Christmas and Chinese New Year and send it back to Solms in Feb. Just wondering will Leica post a certain time frame to summon the early M8s back before a certain date. Best Matthew Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.