X1 skin ailment

[artyca]

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get leica to replace the camera. Later production batches seem to be free of this irritating problem...

[erure]

The vulcanite on my X1 has a problem as well. It hasn't fully started peeling off but it's definitely lifted (you can see the vulcanite coming off but only slightly at the edges). Plus the battery door does not close fully, to the point that the battery door sticks out more than the little bumps on the corners that keeps the bottom plate of the camera from touching the surface. Thing is, I had the X1 for five days and this shouldn't happen after five days. I called up the shop that I purchased from (incidentally they were having a huge Leica event with X1, M9, and S2) -- the shop owner talked to Leica representatives at the event directly and they said that they would exchange the camera. I have to make the trip to the shop on Monday, which is 2 hours roundtrip To think that just this Monday I made the same trip purchasing the X1 and was in a fantastic mood...

 

p.s. The serial number of my X1 is 3818xxx just fyi.

[artyca]

hmmm erure... serial number 3818xxx seems to point towards a later production batch which should be free of this problem... unless there are inconsistencies in Leica's production. I had my X1 replaced due to the vulcanite issue, and the new camera (which so far does not have any problems) comes with serial number 3816xxx which i assume to be produced before your camera.

 

In terms of the battery door, i think this is a design issue that cannot be rectified by Leica overnight. My door also juts out slightly but i think it's not really a cause for concern.

 

Speaking of serial numbers - i really wonder why Leica could not engrave / stick the serial number onto the camera's body itself. Or is it hidden somewhere? The only way i can refer to my camera's serial number now is to check the box which came with the camera!

[erure]

hmmm erure... serial number 3818xxx seems to point towards a later production batch which should be free of this problem... unless there are inconsistencies in Leica's production. I had my X1 replaced due to the vulcanite issue, and the new camera (which so far does not have any problems) comes with serial number 3816xxx which i assume to be produced before your camera.

 

In terms of the battery door, i think this is a design issue that cannot be rectified by Leica overnight. My door also juts out slightly but i think it's not really a cause for concern.

 

Speaking of serial numbers - i really wonder why Leica could not engrave / stick the serial number onto the camera's body itself. Or is it hidden somewhere? The only way i can refer to my camera's serial number now is to check the box which came with the camera!

The serial number on the lens is the serial number for the camera

[vmm]

Just purchased a 3815xxx today from a local shop. They had it for 4 weeks or so supposedly. The door is very subtle. The previously posted photo seems much more prominent. Nothing with the vulcanite yet. Just getting to know the camera. Seems very cool so far.

[Douglasco]

I have just emailed Leica to see if I can re-stick the vulcanite myself or if they want me to send the camera back to them.

[artyca]

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erure... damn, how did i miss that?? :-) Thanks for the heads-up and i hope you'll get your camera issue resolved soon!

[ChiILX1]

I noticed this, when I started to stretch out the right hand side of the vulcanite covering, and you could see the pulling on one side at the Leica's red dot. I, very gently pulled back again toward the front. Once I installed the strap, this became of a lesser issue. Because I stopped grabbing the camera forcibly with my forefinger and thumb, as I have done for fear of dropping her; I did with my right hand, and you are really exerting a pulling effect forcing the vulcanite over the rounded corner towards the usb/sd card cover. In mine, it actually went over the edge. I do not have an issue today, may be the glue has now cured more??? And I do agree that this was very irritating. Leica should have used a pre-formed skin, rather than one cut from a flat stock, as shown in the video when someone shot at a tour of the factory in Solms. May be this is why a handgrip is offered as an accessory? At an added cost of course....

 

The Handgrip is so plasticky- it RUINS the look of the camera IMO. It should have been made with silver trim to match the metal lines of the camera like the M's handgrip.

[Cronanirl]

get leica to replace the camera. Later production batches seem to be free of this irritating problem...

 

I hope mine doesn't suffer from this, I'd go crazy it'd take a while to get from Oz to Solms and back

[erure]

 

As you can see, the left side is the worst. I noticed this five days after I purchased the camera.

 

 

 

And here's a photo of the battery cover problem. This I had found the first day I purchased the camera, but felt it was negligible. Then the vulcanite started having problems.

[h00ligan]

I get that some here feel the battery door and skin peeling isn't that big of an issue...if it was a $200 pas it wouldn't be, but leica is supposed to be all about oozing quality...comparisons to Mercedes, Ferrari, etc...so I think this is pretty shoddy, especially as it seems they have not remedied the issue even with lengthy delays in shipping etc.

[artyca]

For the vulcanite issue, i think they have rectified the problem. However for the battery door, i think it's a poor design solution that's not instantly fixable. Sad indeed as it is alot of money to pay for a p+s and one would expect flawless "German" engineering from this camera.

[Douglasco]

I have recieved an email today from Leica suggesting I should send the camera back to them for repair, The email states that if I try and glue the vulcanite back myself it will invalidate the warranty. At least it will get the problem sorted in the end.

[wilfredo]

Leica is able to capitalize on its legendary name very effectively. Most new people buying a Leica today believe they are buying the ultimate quality product in the world of photography. Those of us who have some experience with Leica since the advent of the digital age, know it's a whole new ball game now. Leica products are no longer the robust indestructible works of engineering that they used to be, yet the products are priced as if they were, and then some. It would appear that quality is being sacrificed for profits by whatever means necessary. This not only burdens the consumer, but in the long term, it is hurting the Leica brand name. The older generation of Leica users have a grounded experience of the product. The newer generations are having to deal with idiotic issues like the one's discussed here and this is putting the Leica brand name in jeopardy. I for one regret these issues. Leica is a legendary name in the world of photography for good reason and the legacy of the photographers that gave credence to Leica is endless. I would hate to see the Leica brand name go down the tubes because of stupid profit driven corporate strategies. Leica, if you are listening, I say go back to basics, make the best possible quality product, and resist cutting corners for the sake of profits. The Leica brand name will only survive if it lives up to its legendary status.

[h00ligan]

Well said. Also when acing on production costs, given the x1 is made elsewhere and assembled in solms?how much money per unit are they rally saving? It would cost them pennies to use better glue, or a different material. I have to guess cot of assembly an x1 (not discounting or entering in debate about r&d) is around one tenth of the retail price. I'll have to look for a part cost breakdown. At the end of the day, this is a problem for a respected brand name, and it wouldn't have cost much more to have better precision in the end.

[dkCambridgeshire]

Well said. Also when acing on production costs, given the x1 is made elsewhere and assembled in solms?how much money per unit are they rally saving? It would cost them pennies to use better glue, or a different material. I have to guess cot of assembly an x1 (not discounting or entering in debate about r&d) is around one tenth of the retail price. I'll have to look for a part cost breakdown. At the end of the day, this is a problem for a respected brand name, and it wouldn't have cost much more to have better precision in the end.

 

I wonder which company is actually bonding the vulcanite to the bodies and if it is done in the Far East somewhere before shipping to Solms? And I wonder if Leica actually specified the type of adhesive used or if it was the decision of the contractor? Peeling vulcanite has also affected Contax in the past and some of their SLRs were well known for having the same problem.

 

dunk

[ChiILX1]

I have had the same problem with just about every single iPhone case I have ever bought- from cheapies to $50 ones- and I wouldn't want to have to start associating ANY with the X1. That would not be a flattering class of product to be in for Leica. I hope that doesn't happen to mine.

 

Hasn't this sort of skin been a traditional part of the photographic tradition Leica says they perfected over the last 100 or so years? They should have no problem fixing it permanently then but it shouldn't have happened at all.

 

It's like buying a Bugatti Veyron and having the rear view mirror fall off the first time you floor it...

[erure]

Hmm. I talked to my dealer over the phone last Friday and he'd assured me that it would be exchanged, since it had been less than a week since I'd purchased the camera. Today was the 7th day since I purchased the X1 and I went to the shop for the exchange (or more like giving back the camera and going home to wait for an exchange, since supply is so low). However, the dealer looked at the X1 and said that it wasn't a serious problem and that he seriously doubted that Leica would exchange the camera for me. Apparently he'd thought that the vulcanite had actually ripped off the camera or something? o_o So I told him about the battery cover problem AND the problem with the lens plate sticking out of the barrel (it was sticking out juuuust a little bit). He listed the problems and told me that he would contact Leica to see if they would repair the camera or replace the camera. I kind of feel like I should have just asked for a return or something, since it'd only been 7 days, but he told me he couldn't give me a return because I had already opened and used the camera so he cannot sell it as new? At this point, I'm just hoping that Leica will replace the camera, since there are technically three problems. Did anyone here get the camera repaired and not replaced with the same vulcanite problem? Thank you.

[Tao]

"... he told me he couldn't give me a return because I had already opened and used the camera so he cannot sell it as new?"

 

Check with your State because the dealer may have to take back the camera if it is defective. If not, make sure he knows that neither you, nor anyone else you know, will ever be doing business with him again. And let others on the board know who this dealer is.

 

I know you're worried about the issues, but if you otherwise like the camera, go ahead and use it until the vulcanite is half peeled-off, the battery door no longer closes, etc., then send the damn thing back to Leica with the probability of getting a new one.

 

Leica must be overwhelmed with returns/repairs; and the camera is not even widely available as of yet! NO EXCUSE.

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[wilfredo]

Hmm. I talked to my dealer over the phone last Friday and he'd assured me that it would be exchanged, since it had been less than a week since I'd purchased the camera. Today was the 7th day since I purchased the X1 and I went to the shop for the exchange (or more like giving back the camera and going home to wait for an exchange, since supply is so low). However, the dealer looked at the X1 and said that it wasn't a serious problem and that he seriously doubted that Leica would exchange the camera for me. Apparently he'd thought that the vulcanite had actually ripped off the camera or something? o_o So I told him about the battery cover problem AND the problem with the lens plate sticking out of the barrel (it was sticking out juuuust a little bit). He listed the problems and told me that he would contact Leica to see if they would repair the camera or replace the camera. I kind of feel like I should have just asked for a return or something, since it'd only been 7 days, but he told me he couldn't give me a return because I had already opened and used the camera so he cannot sell it as new? At this point, I'm just hoping that Leica will replace the camera, since there are technically three problems. Did anyone here get the camera repaired and not replaced with the same vulcanite problem? Thank you.

 

If you used a credit card, you may be eligible for a refund. I would check with your credit card company. BTW, this is not a dealer I would want to do any business with. Of course he can't sell the camera in that condition, who would buy it? That's not your problem. Good luck!

 

I think it would be in the best interest of Leica to stop production of this camera until these issues are resolved.