Two Dead M9s

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So we'll all sell out L gear, buy a Big Bang Hublot, write mails to the CEO and get his handwritten extended guarantee.

Doubt, that would make you sound happy on this forum here! Good you are happy over there.

 

As far as I'm concerned, I'm really not looking for the big price tag. I'll keep my two M8u + 3x M6TTL and a bag full of Asphs and get an M9 when they reach present M8 price levels, because M10 will be on the market.

(Could just as well be that I'll buy a pair of M9 black chrome 0.58 & 0.85, if I'll be able to affort it without being kicked out of bed and kitchen, who knows? )

 

You see, they can't please everyone.

Have fun, take it easy, start a good week!

Best regards from Frankfurt,

Simon

[barjohn]

Well tri, there are those who enjoy being beaten and punished or poor dominatrixes would be out of jobs and the last thing the world need is more unemployment. If you are buying M8's and plan to buy M9's you are paying the big prices just not getting the big services.

[imported_reinierv]

I really do wonder what is going on in solms

 

after all the M8 missery and now the M9 problems I really wonder

 

Neither Nikon, Canon, Sony, Panasonic, trust or any other brand can claim so much DOA, fault within weeks, design flaws, bad service as Leica can...and even apperently can get away with it.

 

it so sad to see a extremely reputable company of top quality products go down this far

[fjheimann]

I really do wonder what is going on in solms

 

after all the M8 missery and now the M9 problems I really wonder

 

Neither Nikon, Canon, Sony, Panasonic, trust or any other brand can claim so much DOA, fault within weeks, design flaws, bad service as Leica can...and even apperently can get away with it.

 

it so sad to see a extremely reputable company of top quality products go down this far

 

I cannot accept it like that.

Go to a Canon forum and read about the lenses going back brandnew for calibration.

Legendary.

Did you read the recent days that 5800 RR cars were called back for brake problems?

 

You will everywhere see problems, the way to manage them marks the quality.

I am not really content with the service because of the lack of sensors and the lack of information it gives.

They honestly fooled me,

greetings

Franz.

[ho_co]

It was those Consumer Reports glowing reports that forced us to sell Mirandas despite our better judgment.... (We only sold an occasional Leica, so maybe they had issues back then.) ...

Consumer Reports later actually printed an apology to readers who had bought Mirandas on their recommendation. Sigh.

 

The first shop where I worked retail was a pretty decent Leica shop, and we sold a lot (for a city of 250,000 inhabitants), two or three a month or so. I was flummoxed when I discovered a problem while checking a camera prior to sale (we were a full-service dealer, after all ), so I called the boss over. He was one heckuva salesman and covered smoothly for the difficulty, explaining to me later that the customer "isn't going to use [that feature] anyway."

 

I also remember one DOA Spotmatic. But initial problems with all cameras were extremely rare. My point above was simply that that happened then as now.

[rosuna]

after all the M8 missery and now the M9 problems I really wonder

 

That is a dangerous comment here. I said something similar and the party went out of hands.

 

The first months of production of those cameras have been really hard for Leica and their customers. Moreover, Leica had to deal with a huge demand for the M9, so things were difficult to keep under control.

 

Then the problems will be sorted out and the problems will calm down, I hope. I decided to wait and now I think that was a wise decision.

[imported_reinierv]

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That is a dangerous comment here. I said something similar and the party went out of hands.

 

The first months of production of those cameras have been really hard for Leica and their customers. Moreover, Leica had to deal with a huge demand for the M9, so things were difficult to keep under control.

 

Then the problems will be sorted out and the problems will calm down, I hope. I decided to wait and now I think that was a wise decision.

 

 

Never buy a product the first 6-12 months after introduction remains a golden rule

[vanhulsenbeek]

Never buy a product the first 6-12 months after introduction remains a golden rule

 

That is one of those 'golden rules' that;

 

-cheats you out of the fun

-would make you remain wondering if you're using second best when you go on a once-lifetime trip that year

-removes the factor luck from your life

 

My M9 - a #3810xxxx but one of thousands that had no problem - still behaves exemplarily

[rosuna]

I had enough fun for the rest of my life with my M8

[AlanG]

Consumer Reports later actually printed an apology to readers who had bought Mirandas on their recommendation. Sigh.

 

 

Staying on the subject of Mirandas... one of my customers was looking through the camera and the lens fell off of it. Miraculously he caught it about waist high. I examined the camera and saw that it had a lens release button on the lens itself. It could easily be depressed when focusing or changing the aperture. I refused to even try to sell a Miranda after that.

 

Our biggest problem with selling Leicas was getting the stuff. A customer special ordered an ever ready case for one and it took about a year for it to come in. So I didn't push Leicas either. This was in the late 60s and we had lots of odd Leica accessories (screw and M) that we couldn't give away at that time.

[Rick]

While in high school, I bought a Miranda Sensorex. It was all I could afford, while my friend had an Alpa, he was left handed, and his father had a Hassy 500c, he was a physician, see, some things never change. Anyway, it was a great camera and never broke.

[AlanG]

While in high school, I bought a Miranda Sensorex. It was all I could afford, while my friend had an Alpa, he was left handed, and his father had a Hassy 500c, he was a physician, see, some things never change. Anyway, it was a great camera and never broke.

 

Yeah, I'm sure some held up well. A couple of weeks ago, I saw one in a second hand store for $14.00. It was still working fine.

[ho_co]

... I bought a Miranda Sensorex....

For my taste, I always found the Mirandas clunky, but the lenses gave pretty sharp and contrasty results.

 

Actually, I found the Alpas clunky as well, but they were 'clunky by design' than 'clunky in fit and finish.'

 

And as much as the photo-community in our collective wisdom likes to put down the Miranda line, the people who bought them seemed as happy as those who bought other brands.

[Rick]

Howard, I realized I actually had a Sensomat. I couldn't afford the Sensorex. The Sensomat had a removable prism and you could put a waist level finder on it like the Nikon-F. The Sensomat was the poor man's (student's) Nikon-F.

[ozdavid]

Good news to round off this thread.

 

Customer Support at Solms have been terrific. With the co-operation of my dealer (who has been very supportive throughout) and Adeal, the Australian distributor, the two "dead" bodies were couriered back to Solms. Upon their arrival, Customer Service arranged for a replacement body to be carefully tested and then couriered to Adeal in Australia. In its' original packaging, Adeal dropped it to my Dealer this afternoon and I now have a beautiful, WORKING black M9 happily chatting to my array of lenses.

 

Though the experience of two bodies DOA was disheartening, the response by Leica as a company could not have been better in this time of short supply. As has been my experience in other dealings with Solm (CLAs, upgrades etc) over the years, the service support I have received from Germany has been friendly and helpful, commensurate with the high end product they supply. Now all we need to do is encourage quality control.......!

 

David

[jplomley]

Good for you David. Unfortunately my saga with Leica service has not been so rosy. My 28 Cron Asph was sent back coded as a 28/2.8 Elmarit Asph and had to be returned as well as two lenses which were not adjusted the first time. Total wait time is six weeks for a mistake the service department made, not me. This means I will be taking my second trip without the M system because of service delays. So far, two return trips for my M9 and 75 Cron, and now two return trips for the other lenses. I have had the M9 since August and have been able to use it a total of 2 times. At this point, there is a very good chance I will sell the entire lot of gear, realizing now the product is only as good as the support, and the support is dismal.

[ozdavid]

Hi Jeff,

 

Very sorry to hear of your troubles. They must understandably be testing your patience. I assume that you have spoken personally to the guys there? If not feel free to contact me offline.

I have been very fortunate in my dealings with them but appreciate that you clearly have not enjoyed the same experience. It is sad because the equipment when functioning is a joy to use - it is capable of giving far better than my meagre skills can extract from it!

Regards

David

[jplomley]

Cheers David. I have been in direct contact with the service department in NJ and they are aware of my frustrations over the entire ordeal. My local rep is doing everything he can to get a reasonable turnaround time on the equipment which was returned because it was not serviced correctly the first time. In all honesty though, if I am forced to take a second trip without the M system because of service shortcomings, than I will walk away from the product. Yes Leica products are incredible when they are functioning, in fact some of my very best work has been achievable because of the form factor of the M. And the lenses, when set up properly, are optical gems. I have no complaints about the quality of the product when everything is within spec. I have no complaints about Leica's progress with the digital M and some of the wonderful optics they have introduced in the past few years. All quite admirable given the size of the organization. Unfortunately, I have been let down by the service. Don't get me wrong, they are polite, communicative, and I'm sure they are doing the best they can, but there are just too many foul-ups and turn-around times border on ridiculous.

[fjheimann]

Cheers David. I have been in direct contact with the service department in NJ and they are aware of my frustrations over the entire ordeal. My local rep is doing everything he can to get a reasonable turnaround time on the equipment which was returned because it was not serviced correctly the first time. In all honesty though, if I am forced to take a second trip without the M system because of service shortcomings, than I will walk away from the product. Yes Leica products are incredible when they are functioning, in fact some of my very best work has been achievable because of the form factor of the M. And the lenses, when set up properly, are optical gems. I have no complaints about the quality of the product when everything is within spec. I have no complaints about Leica's progress with the digital M and some of the wonderful optics they have introduced in the past few years. All quite admirable given the size of the organization. Unfortunately, I have been let down by the service. Don't get me wrong, they are polite, communicative, and I'm sure they are doing the best they can, but there are just too many foul-ups and turn-around times border on ridiculous.

 

Jeff,

they are just overran by the success of the M9 and the following sells of lenses.

I was as angry as you, but took a second body, thinking of selling it after return. I am far away of this now and after receiving the first body very happy.

Everything works well now.

Understanding your frustrations I advise you to stay with the system and buy a second body, the M8s are sold by price in the moment, as a backup a good choice,

sincerely

Franz

 

With any system I have a replace

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[jplomley]

Franz, I currently have two M7's, an M8 and an M9 as well as a Mamiya 7II system. I am fully equipped, but right now Leica have three of my core focal lengths in their possession (28/35/50), returned because the job was botched the first time. This means I will need to take the Mamiya 7II to Louisiana while the Leica remain shelved at home. What the Mamiya does it does very well. Simply unrivaled in the 6x7 format, and drum scanned results up to a 16x20 inch print are on par with what I can achieve with my 4x5. But the Mamiya offers nowhere the discreteness of the Leica.