X1 skin ailment

[pvak]

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KDEMAS

Do not try and glue the vulcanite yourself, Leica told me, when I asked if I could do it myself was that I would void the warranty. Glad I sent it back now the new camera is great with the issues all sorted out.

 

In Canada I was told differently in that the problem is only cosmetic and would not void the warranty if I fixed it myself. When sent back to Leica service, they will strip the vulcanite and replace it entirely and not bother to glue it as it is more work for them to do it that way. If I want to do it myself then they suggested contact cement. This I did carefully and achieved a perfect seal on the edges that were lifting up. It really is not brain surgery but one has to be careful not to spread the glue around too much. I really did not feel like sending my X1 all the way to New Jersey from Montreal for a minor flaw that took me 5 minutes to fix. If other edges lift, I'll do the same thing unless it is REALLY bad in which case I'll send it in. Fixing it myself, I am sure that I achieved a permanent seal but quite frankly I couldn't trust that Leica would not replace the vulcanite with the same adhesive that will lift again (since they never admitted that there was a problem with their early adhesive).

 

Peter

[msbel]

Sent mine back to get the battery door fixed a week ago or so. Received a replacement in a timely manner from Leica NJ. Same problem, though the bulge is a bit smaller. Seems some of you have received them without this challenge.

 

Huh.

 

Torn whether to send it back again. I want to start using it again, and if this door pops all together, send it back then.

 

Pretty cool of Leica to send a replacement. Not so cool that they did not check it for the same problem beforehand.

 

New unit is serial number 03818913. Is that early or late compared to the newest units being sent out? Cannot tell really.

 

My first one was 03814859.

 

Never had the peeling issue on either one.

 

MB

[peteztan]

Mine started to peel yesterday and after reading the thread here, I also noticed that the lid is not flush after the battery is inserted. We buy it for the image quality for which we are prepared to pay a premium price painful as it may be but precisely for that premium, one neither expects nor deserves such poor hardware quality from a camera that costs so much. It is not a good feeling for customers to have..

[Hythe]

Mine has the peeling vulcanite problem. I'm in England and it's cold. It's going back to the store. Shame

 

Does Leica ever publicly acknowledge their cameras' shortcomings? I don't recall anything said by them regarding the X1 anomalies.

 

dunk

 

Well folks, I hate to say this but after I had waited about three weeks, I got a replacement X1. Higher serial number BUT it also has got slightly lifting vulcanite!!! So the replacement X1 is now going back to the Leica Store Mayfair. Can you beleive Leica didn't (thoroughly) check a replacement before sending it !?

 

Looks like this is going to run and run. The store said they had not heard of anyone else with the lifting vulcanite problem . . . . hmm

 

Like someone else here commented a while ago, Leica will be in danger of losing everything if they neglect quality control. After all here we are with faulty Leicas and word is spreading.

[Douglasco]

Pvak Glad they will let you glue it back yourself. I was emailed by Leica U.K telling me I would void the warranty . but it must be different in various parts of the world. The new camera I was sent is a great improvement on my old one and it only took about two weeks to get it replaced.

all the best Doug

[pvak]

The new camera I was sent is a great improvement on my old one and it only took about two weeks to get it replaced.

 

 

My main worry was sending in my camera to Leica for a couple of weeks and then get either a replacement or a fixed camera which will end up with the same problem again.

i.e the previous poster Hythe wrote "I got a replacement X1. Higher serial number BUT it also has got slightly lifting vulcanite!!!"

I know at least 10 people who have either contacted Leica or sent in their cameras to have the peeling vulcanite fixed and yet when I spoke to Leica service, I was told by them that they never heard of any problems with peeling vulcanite. Nor have they gotten any information from Leica Germany about new adhesive. This suggested to me that whatever fix they would have may sooner or later present the same problems. That's why I decided to fix it myself to be sure that it won't peel again.

 

Peter

[msbel]

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I spoke with Leica NJ about my replacement having the same battery cover issue. They were truly horrified, apologetic, and very accommodating, paying for my shipping it back and the rest.

 

They were angry that the people who sent the new one out did not check it for Quality Control. My guess is they did not put the battery in to see if it would stick out.

 

Leica repair ensured that they would check the next replacement new in box to make sure that there were no issues with it, and express it over to me immediately.

 

We will see. I am grateful that I did not have to deal with people that could care less at a dealer or some of the other horror stories I am hearing.

[kdemas]

Douglasco-

 

Thanks for the tip on the warranty. I wouldn't touch it without an OK from the dealer and/or Leica.

[bruquee]

Douglasco-

 

Thanks for the tip on the warranty. I wouldn't touch it without an OK from the dealer and/or Leica.

 

I think applying glue to camera covering does not affect warranty in USA since there is a law about cosmetic changes not having effect on warranties?

[davidhunternyc]

I spoke with Leica NJ about my replacement having the same battery cover issue. They were truly horrified, apologetic, and very accommodating, paying for my shipping it back and the rest.

 

They were angry that the people who sent the new one out did not check it for Quality Control. My guess is they did not put the battery in to see if it would stick out.

 

Leica repair ensured that they would check the next replacement new in box to make sure that there were no issues with it, and express it over to me immediately.

 

We will see. I am grateful that I did not have to deal with people that could care less at a dealer or some of the other horror stories I am hearing.

 

This is not a good story but it is a good testament about the people over at Leica NJ. Where did you buy your X1 originally? If I bought an X1 in Europe, would it still be covered by Leica in NJ once I had it shipped here?

[ashwinrao1]

Dangit, my body just started pealing as well....well, the weather has gotten warmer. I was able to tag it back down, given that the adhesive still worked, but it's a bummer. Otherwise thrilled with the camera to this day..

[Clandrel]

Great! A $2000 camera that is falling apart.

 

This is the whole reason why I returned my X1. The build quality was not there at all...

 

/c

[fotografr]

I was on the verge of ordering an X1 but reading this thread stopped me in my tracks. Nice going, Leica. I'd have thought they would have learned their lesson with the M8. Zenith used to have an advertising slogan, "The quality goes in before the name goes on." Maybe Leica would do well to ponder that philosophy.

[Ecaton]

What are early serial numbers? Mine is a 3814..... I use it since March 20 and have not seen any skin peeling yet, despite 2 weeks in hot and humid Thailand in May. But considering this an other threads, will keep an eye on the edges.

[Guest badbob]

The glue lady must have been feeling pretty chipper when she did mine - 3 months now in hot and humid South Carolina, and the skin is secure.

[msadat]

mine too started today

 

I have to report it with great sadness that my X1's "vulcanite" covering just started peeling away.

Somebody on this forum from SE Asia posted something similar very early on. My camera was with me this weekend in D.C., it was warm, but nothing extreme. I am pretty upset about this, it is something really cheap, should not have happened with a $2000 camera.

[erure]

So the replacement X1 I received is starting to worry me. The edge is lifted just slightly, but it's not fully peeling off or anything like that. If I press the edge, it goes back down but it lifts up again. I wonder if I should send it back to Leica again...

[dkCambridgeshire]

Consider that maybe the X1 is to compact digital cameras what Rolls Royce is to cars. If a new Rolls Royce model was marketed with similar hype to that given to the X1 pre-launch, and it was found that the boot/trunk lid did not close properly, and the leather or veneer was lifting off the interior on many examples, and that RR would not acknowledge the problems - what a hoo-ha the motoring press would make of it.

 

But as it's just a Leica camera and the few reviews published about it so far have not been that complimentary regarding its performance, perhaps the media cant be bothered to criticise it further. And Leica, unlike any luxury car manufacturer, can't be bothered to acknowledge the problems and convince us that they have taken steps to remedy same.

 

I have an X1 and it has been replaced because of a peeling lens bezel problem ... not because of the skin or battery door problem. However, my replacement does have the battery door problem and I don't wish to send it back again and then wait 8 weeks for another replacement. I'm hoping that when I take it to Leica Mayfair they may be able to remedy it on the spot without me having to agree to leaving it with them for Solms to sort out.

 

Quite honestly, the faults undermine any confidence that many Leica users have in 'their brand' . Potential new Leica buyers will probably think twice about buying a sub-standard product ie one with an insecure body covering and a poorly fitting battery door - especially when the manufacturer appears to have done so little to publicly acknowledge the faults. Canon do acknowledge their cameras' faults - why can't Leica? Their apparent 'laissez faire' attitude will not win new customers.

 

dunk

[Guest badbob]

It's in Leica's best interest to eliminate these problems, more because of the expense to do these hand repairs than anything else. Which must mean that they have a design problem, with the metal body not having the correct porosity or roughness to attach firmly to the skin. I'm sure the last thing they would want to admit to is a design flaw, but someone ought to speak up about this.

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[dkCambridgeshire]

It's in Leica's best interest to eliminate these problems, more because of the expense to do these hand repairs than anything else. Which must mean that they have a design problem, with the metal body not having the correct porosity or roughness to attach firmly to the skin. I'm sure the last thing they would want to admit to is a design flaw, but someone ought to speak up about this.

 

 

... or maybe they or their sub-contractor economised on production costs and watered down the glue too much

 

dunk