Anyone Using a Luigi Half Case for Their M8?

[caimi]

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I've got a black Luigi on both an M8 and an MP. They look beautiful on both. Received them in less than a week (by paying the extra Fedex shipping charge). To my eye they are beautiful. And they do a great job of protecting the camera body.

 

And, in the age of the cell phone camera, I guess I have to agree that walking around with a leather clad rangefinder camera makes me look like "old folk".

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[JazzyMac]

I guess based on what I have read on Luigi's website, eBay's page, and what I have seen from the folks here, it's not really clear what is "ready-made" and what is considered "custom", since all his products are "custom".

 

So to advertise an item, (yes it's confusing), say that all of any other add-ons are "custom", and then to receive an automatic email that says, the order I placed may take an 2-3 weeks on top of the 2-3 weeks, where I'm thinking my order is not really custom...IS spiteful. Why was this note not placed on the eBay page?

 

It has nothing to do with impatience "of a gnat", etc., etc. Like I said, if I don't receive it in a good timeframe, I'll just request cancellation. I travel full-time. There is no way I could communicate this except for him to ship the item as advertised on eBay.

[wstotler]

I guess based on what I have read on Luigi's website, eBay's page, and what I have seen from the folks here, it's not really clear what is "ready-made" and what is considered "custom", since all his products are "custom".

 

So to advertise an item, (yes it's confusing), say that all of any other add-ons are "custom", and then to receive an automatic email that says, the order I placed may take an 2-3 weeks on top of the 2-3 weeks, where I'm thinking my order is not really custom...IS spiteful. Why was this note not placed on the eBay page?

 

It has nothing to do with impatience "of a gnat", etc., etc. Like I said, if I don't receive it in a good timeframe, I'll just request cancellation. I travel full-time. There is no way I could communicate this except for him to ship the item as advertised on eBay.

 

JazzyMac,

 

I've spoken with Luigi by phone twice in the past and have two half cases from him. He went the extra mile both times. While I can't disagree with your points regarding his auto-email, I can say that he really does give a damn about his customers. English is not his native language and the Internet (email/Web) stymies him a bit sometimes (for God's sake look at his site--it's 1998 seizure-inducing while incredibly charming, simultaneously). I think Luigi is a bricks-and-mortar kind of operation that happens to be on the Web.

 

But the cases really are awesome, IMO.

 

Give him a call and speak with him. Let him know what you think. Depending on what you order he can have it to you literally next-day. I ordered my last case from him, which was in stock, on one morning and the damn thing arrived to me the next afternoon. Italy to Philadelphia overnight. It wasn't outrageouly expensive, either. But your mileage may vary.

 

Cheers!

Will

[Cream1008]

Quite.

 

If you want instant gratification,have no understanding of craftsmanship and have the patience of a gnat, Luigi is not for you.

 

Regards,

 

Bill

 

You will find the different when you receive the Luigi case and you will find it's worth for waiting.

[JazzyMac]

Of course I am sold with the quality of Luigi's cases, and this is why I purchased. I'm not going to call and rush an overnight product--the costs are justified enough. However, if the timeframe gets out of what's been advertised, then as I said, my time becomes more at stake and I can't chase down a camera case. That's all. I'm not upset at the guy, and I'm not trying to bust his door down, lol!

[bill]

Help us out here... What makes your time so valuable that you simply cannot wait a moment longer for Luigi to furnish you with a case? If it's that urgent and quality is so unimportant to you why not purchase a lesser product in the first place...?

 

Regards,

 

Bill

[mgreernz]

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Unfortunately, I too was a prospective purchaser of Luigi's M9 cases. But despite my best efforts in early July (by email to Luigi) and then in late July and early August to the alternative email address suggested on his website, I've received no response at all to my emails. To begin with, I excused it by accepting it was the summer holiday. But finally, i've given up and placed an order with Zhou - and within 10 minutes received confirmation of the order. A pity really, because it was Luigi's case that I really wanted.

[JazzyMac]

Help us out here... What makes your time so valuable that you simply cannot wait a moment longer for Luigi to furnish you with a case? If it's that urgent and quality is so unimportant to you why not purchase a lesser product in the first place...?

 

Regards,

 

Bill

 

Hello, I'm a bit worried of your constant tone. I have already said I am willing to wait the timeframe advertised on the website and even some more time. I was just a bit put off by the automatic email saying there would be an even longer wait and that I would have to contact him.

 

I remember reading here at this forum the worries and complaints about the long wait times for the cases, which is why I held off buying in the first place.

 

I am not waiting on a 24hour turnaround. Your comments insinuating my impatience are unwarranted, and they need to stop--lest provoke the negative behavior we don't need in these forums. But for his business to advertise one thing, and then send an auto-email saying the wait time is long..and to contact him. Well, the issue is not necessarily "time" as much as it is "service".

 

But yes, after about three weeks, my time will become precious, and I will not be hounding someone for a camera case. It will be okay if I don't have Luigi's case!

[bill]

Interesting. I am merely trying to understand your reasoning.

 

So, do you persist in regarding Luigi as "spiteful"? That would imply a degree of personal animosity toward you that seems lacking in all this. He is after all an artisan not a fast-food outlet. I put him in the same category as some of the other artisans who operate within the Leica ecosystem - Malcolm Taylor, DAG, Shintaro, etc. Their ability to deliver is inversely proportional to the volume of business they are trying to wade through at any one time. Any delivery indication on a website should be taken as just that - indicative, rather than a hard and fast commitment. Most are one man bands, or very small operations at best. I do not have the same delivery expectation of them as I do of a mass-market manufacturer, and I manage my own expectations accordingly.

 

Regards,

 

Bill

[JazzyMac]

Interesting. I am merely trying to understand your reasoning.

 

So, do you persist in regarding Luigi as "spiteful"? That would imply a degree of personal animosity toward you that seems lacking in all this. He is after all an artisan not a fast-food outlet. I put him in the same category as some of the other artisans who operate within the Leica ecosystem - Malcolm Taylor, DAG, Shintaro, etc. Their ability to deliver is inversely proportional to the volume of business they are trying to wade through at any one time. Any delivery indication on a website should be taken as just that - indicative, rather than a hard and fast commitment. Most are one man bands, or very small operations at best. I do not have the same delivery expectation of them as I do of a mass-market manufacturer, and I manage my own expectations accordingly.

 

Regards,

 

Bill

 

Do I persist in regarding Luigi as "spiteful"? I never regarded him as spiteful, only his practice as spiteful *in response to* your initial comment about cutting off my nose to spite my face.

 

You took that comment way too far, as you are taking this issue way too far. Lots of products have fine craftsmanship...from clothes, food, (cameras), etc. But some people have a certain point that they are willing to pay/wait. Myself included. If Luigi's website had said, "due to the holiday, etc, etc, the wait time will be 30 days or more", then I can make the decision to purchase or not...or just wait until he gets caught up. Just like someone can wait until Leica X1s get in stock before making a purchase.

 

Spiteful, impatience, quality, etc....all that equates to SERVICE.

[hteasley]

Luigi is one of the best people to deal with, ever. I ordered my 2nd case from him, got the "It might be delayed" email, and it did take three weeks. But it took three weeks of post office time: he mailed it the day after my order. It got hung up in the system somewhere.

 

Other times I ordered, I got it in 3-4 days, even without paying extra for fast delivery. He really is on the ball, as far as trying to please, because it's a strong point of pride with him. He is fiercely proud of his work and his reputation as a good dealer, deservedly so. There are too few folks like him.

 

Taken with a new X1 that will need a Luigi case at some point....

 

 

Point being, he's a master craftsman, with English as a 2nd (or 3rd or 4th, who knows) language, who has a semi-confusing English website and acknowledgment letter. He wants to under-promise and over-deliver. And he does.

[Krug]

I find it interesting that someone unable to wait an extra fragment of time for an excellent product can find the time to post so many justifications of not having time.

 

p.s. mine arrived to my unusual specification within a week - Italy to North America - and it would have been worth waiting much longer - for me that is.

[JazzyMac]

I haven't posted many justifications actually. I find it funny the concentrated effort to take my original post in this thread so far. I made one post and bill got defensive. Please, just read what I wrote, take it for what it is, and leave it at that--which is the actual truth without putting extra into it or exaggerating or anything else. It's humourous the point is I actually placed an order for this fine crafted case, and am willing to wait the advertised wait time. I was just surprised to receive an auto email. I will definitely let everyone know how long it took and anything else surrounding the order.

 

@hteasley, that's a great photo and makes me feel like I should have ordered the brown instead!

[bill]

ROFL!

 

I don't do defensive. I'm just curious

 

Regards,

 

Bill

[hteasley]

@hteasley, that's a great photo and makes me feel like I should have ordered the brown instead!

 

Thanks. I actually took that to send to him, in a thank-you note for doing such great work. He asked if he could put it on his site, which pleased me enormously.

 

There are few better social pleasures than meeting and talking with someone who is a master of what they do. Luigi seems like one of those guys who would be great to meet.

[stevenhacker]

Wow! Just amazing! I've done business with Luigi for my M8 and X-1 cases. He is an artist and gentleman. I agree, cancel your order and get a Lowepro bag.

[tecumseh]

Luigi advertised a budget case for $150 on eBay, I sent an email asking if he did the budget case with room for the Leica grip (I know he does his own grip but after buying the leica grip I'd like to keep it on the camera). Within 20 minutes he replied he make me a one off for $200! I quickly replied I'd go for that. That was five weeks ago... I don't mind waiting for the case but I'm always a little perturbed when somebody doesn't want to take my money. I haven't emailed him since so I should get back on the case (!)

 

I use Zhou on my M6 M7 and ikon. They're grand but not as grand. Finally, I too hate automated emails.

[AbbeyFoto]

Front and rear view. With the cut out to accommodate the Thumbs Up the case does not have the soilidity of my other Luigi cases, but the combination of the Thumbs Up and the built in grip suit me fine

 

Chris

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[Speenth]

Please post your photo of you Leica M camera with Luigi case. Love the superior quality and workmanship. Also the passionate of Luigi keep improving on making the case. We can see other case maker is following the footstep of Luigi case.

 

 

Here's my case, showing all the evidence of four years service (much of it in adverse conditions). Once it was the popular 'Rally' colour, but it's darkened into a wonderful blotchiness.

 

Scratches fade out magically (and new ones appear). Its a changing landscape of leather and fascinates me. Above all, Luigi's craftsmanship protects my camera in style.

 

Worth every penny.

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[razerx]

I never understood why women went for expensive handbags until I got my first Luigi half case. When you desire quality you need to make the sacrifice not only in money but also time and patience. Shintaro took about nine months to paint one of my Leicas, DAG took 11 months to calibrate a Hexanon lens for the M8, Luton took a year to paint a Leica, but to be fair Solms took 8 months to fix my MP.

 

I have purchased about a dozen cases from Luigi over the past 5 or 6 years. He has sent me the wrong case twice - a Nikon RF case when I ordered a Contax RF case; a M w/ Leicavit case when I ordered for a Rapidwinder. I specially order three cases for my Leica screwmount bodies and none of them fit. His reply to that fiasco was that he told me when I placed the order that he had never made cases for screw mount bodies before. I wondered if the was going to charge me the $800 or so odd dollars for the cases then maybe he could have borrowed a IIIf to measure.

 

Sure everyone make mistakes. However he flat out refused to take back any of these 5 cases for exchange or for repair and instead offers me a small discount should I choose to order another case. This as explained in his site is that because Italian Customs is such a hassle and he runs the risk of paying some sort of duty even on returned merchandise. Well I had to sell the above cases at a great loss because he would not take them back and I could not use them. So it was OK for me the customer to eat his mistakes but not for him to run into any hassle with Customs. He can do better in the customer service department.