Buy now, or wait a bit?

[glacierparkmagazine]

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I'd wait, just because you might see quite a few used M9s out there if Leica announces an M9.2 or whatever.

 

As for reliability, I'm with JV. I use an M9 every single day, I've brassed it, I've dropped it, I've slightly bent it. It just keeps on going. So far so good.

[Ecaton]

1. The M9 seems to be a reliability disaster as the M8 was. Demand may be higher than supply, but it only makes things worse. Repair costs and the damage to the brand may be pushing Leica to a revised model as fast as they can. How deep will be that "revision", I don't know.

 

2. Bernanke's monetary policy will depreciate the dollar in the coming months.

IMHO.

 

To 1.: ???

Since the digital age broke through, Leica's future never looked better.

 

To 2: and....... ??? What is it you are trying to say in the context of buying a M9 or to wait, again?

[jaapv]

To 1.: ???

Since the digital age broke through, Leica's future never looked better.

 

Actually, since about 1985....

[vanhulsenbeek]

1. The M9 seems to be a reliability disaster as the M8 was.....

 

2. Bernanke's monetary policy will depreciate the dollar in the coming months.

 

......

 

Rosuna,

 

Your statements are just as catching as unfounded, i.e. not backed up by realtime proof, which for #2, I realize, would be difficult to provide. And that robs it of any reliability, if at all existing.

 

Do you, perhaps, not own a M9? Mine is totally reliable, which fact, I know, does not furnish any statistically relevant proof. But then, neither do your "opinions":rolleyes:

[Nicoleica]

Rosuna, if you think that the US dollar will fall in value in the near future, then I would say that now is the time to buy. As Leica are made in Germany, a fall in the US dollar will make them more expensive in the USA.

[SJP]

Excuse me, is there something I don't know? (questioning look at my M9 which has been delivering for 11 months straight in all kinds of weather without a hitch)

and indeed the majority of M8 cameras work flawlessly as well, we had a poll/thread once that supports this (0 problems was about 97% or so).

 

My M8 has only once (1x) failed me in the past 2 years which appeared to be due to using a SD card, with SDHC it is 100% reliable so far, only a one-off example of course.

[rosuna]

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Excuse me, is there something I don't know? (questioning look at my M9 which has been delivering for 11 months straight in all kinds of weather without a hitch)

 

That is not the point. If 10% of the delivered cameras fail, for one reason or another, any new buyer will have a probability of 10% of getting one with problems. Only Leica knows the real numbers, but they are not small if we consider any of the various problems reported.

[rosuna]

Rosuna, if you think that the US dollar will fall in value in the near future, then I would say that now is the time to buy. As Leica are made in Germany, a fall in the US dollar will make them more expensive in the USA.

 

It is the time to buy, yes. Maybe lenses. Bodies have risks, and the Photokina is at less than a month.

[Ecaton]

That is not the point. If 10% of the delivered cameras fail, for one reason or another, any new buyer will have a probability of 10% of getting one with problems. Only Leica knows the real numbers, but they are not small if we consider any of the various problems reported.

 

Even if and when your fantasy failure rate (to be precise you talk about failures not defects, which is not one and the same) was true, your conclusion would still be wrong:)

[rosuna]

Even if and when your fantasy failure rate (to be precise you talk about failures not defects, which is not one and the same) was true, your conclusion would still be wrong:)

 

Very interesting.

[rosuna]

and indeed the majority of M8 cameras work flawlessly as well, we had a poll/thread once that supports this (0 problems was about 97% or so).

 

Really? Lets consider only the recall of the first batch of units sold. How many cameras were? Lets say 3,000 units? If that number is the 3% of the total units ever produced, Leica sold 100,000 units. You prefer 2,000 units? It would be the 3% of 67,000 units sold. And that only for the first problem detected during the first three months of production.

 

Any "survey" in this forum will present a sample selection bias.

[Ecaton]

Really? Lets consider only the recall of the first batch of units sold. How many cameras were? Lets say 3,000 units? If that number is the 3% of the total units ever produced, Leica sold 100,000 units. You prefer 2,000 units? It would be the 3% of 67,000 units sold. And that only for the first problem detected during the first three months of production.

 

Any "survey" in this forum will present a sample selection bias.

 

Problems, defects, failures are not one and the same. To support your theory you have to firm up assumptions underlying your model:)

E.g. from my 2 M8s, one had a defect, but it never failed in 3 1/2 years. You use different terms with different meanings to support the same equation in different posts of yours.

[mahakalaka]

Thank you all very much for your replies!

 

I live in Stockholm, Sweden, so the US Dollar is irrelevant for me in this matter. Haven’t made up my mind when to buy the camera yet, but I think I might try to wait until Photokina, if I can hold myself until then that is. But I will start hunting down a lens this week though.

 

I told my fiancé that the people on the Internet think I should buy a new camera. She rolled her eyes.

 

Thanks again and please keep the replies coming if you have anything more to ad! Cheers,

Max

[cheewai_m6]

Thank you all very much for your replies!

 

I live in Stockholm, Sweden, so the US Dollar is irrelevant for me in this matter. Haven’t made up my mind when to buy the camera yet, but I think I might try to wait until Photokina, if I can hold myself until then that is. But I will start hunting down a lens this week though.

 

I told my fiancé that the people on the Internet think I should buy a new camera. She rolled her eyes.

 

Thanks again and please keep the replies coming if you have anything more to ad! Cheers,

Max

 

definitely get it if you can afford it. why wait? if you're always waiting for the next model, you'll be waiting forever and never actually own anything. my suggestion is, if you only have one lens, to get a 35mm, not a 50mm. as a 1 lens kit, it would definitely be better.

[rosuna]

Thank you all very much for your replies!

 

I live in Stockholm, Sweden, so the US Dollar is irrelevant for me in this matter. Haven’t made up my mind when to buy the camera yet, but I think I might try to wait until Photokina, if I can hold myself until then that is. But I will start hunting down a lens this week though.

 

I told my fiancé that the people on the Internet think I should buy a new camera. She rolled her eyes.

 

Thanks again and please keep the replies coming if you have anything more to ad! Cheers,

Max

 

If you have other type of problems, like sentimental problems (or defects, or failures) with your fiancé, don't hesitate to ask for advice or consolation here.

[glenerrolrd]

Thank you all very much for your replies!

 

I live in Stockholm, Sweden, so the US Dollar is irrelevant for me in this matter. Haven’t made up my mind when to buy the camera yet, but I think I might try to wait until Photokina, if I can hold myself until then that is. But I will start hunting down a lens this week though.

 

I told my fiancé that the people on the Internet think I should buy a new camera. She rolled her eyes.

 

Thanks again and please keep the replies coming if you have anything more to ad! Cheers,

Max

 

Max

 

The M9 is a great camera.. I use 2 bodies almost everyday. Depending on the lenses you pick(used and fast are sometimes challenging) you may have to sort out the calibration of the lenses and the rangerfinder . The cracked sensors have occurred too frequently but nobody knows if it was a bad batch or something that Leica could correct. You don t hear much about them now but they do occur. Overall I have found the M8 s to be unreliable but the M9 to be excellent. Experiences differ as you might expect but if you read enough threads you find the frequently encountered problems .

 

The biggest reason to wait is cost...if leica introduces a new model M9.2 or something , some people will sell to get the new model. They don t have to and you could question their logic but the fact is they will. The almost new used market of M9 s is already starting to develop. New from the dealer may not change but why buy a new M9 with guaranteed lower trade in value if a new model is coming soon. You can of course chase this logic and always be anticipated a better camera in the future but its only going to be a few weeks now.

 

I would work on the lenses ..they will be difficult to get new . You picked three good ones exactly what I was using today.

[dseelig]

Start looking for lenses now on the used market. Prices on lenses only go up. Look at getdpi.com classifiesds, photo.net, luminous landscape. Buy form knownmebers of these forums save some money and me I would wait till photokina, if no announcement go ahead and buy asap. My 2 cents.

[diogenis]

Rosuna, if you think that the US dollar will fall in value in the near future, then I would say that now is the time to buy. As Leica are made in Germany, a fall in the US dollar will make them more expensive in the USA.

 

If he believes his own words (doubt it), he should liquidate all his assets, buy Euros, wait or call Bernacke's the devaluation and buy $$ back with a free M9 or S2 or D3s and still be richer by devaluation%

[oysterboy]

Is Leica going to play the game of a new camera every year/ year and a half?

Are we going to follow up that game?

Is that what Leica is all about?

I don't know

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[Ecar]

Is Leica going to play the game of a new camera every year/ year and a half?

Are we going to follow up that game?

Is that what Leica is all about?

I don't know

 

If there is sufficient market demand for more and better at these price points - and they can satisfy it - they probably will.

It doesn't mean that older cameras will stop working. And, more importantly, you will still be able to use old lenses on your new camera.

Welcome to the digital age.