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Confessions from a longstanding Leica M and R user

leicapages

By leicapages
in Customer Forum

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leicapages

leicapages

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I have been a keen contributor in the Leica Users Group years ago as well as in the old forum and the first year of this new L Camera forum. However, since then I should confess that I have abandoned a bit.

 

In 1996 I sold off my Nikon F equipment and went for a Leica M6 titanium and Summilux 35 ASPH. That kit was quickly complemented with further titanium lenses and in 1997 the R8 with a bunch of R lenses was added. Through the years I have acquired a very substantial number of R gear, including some very expensive and even rare items, some M titanium gear as well as numerous Leica compacts.

 

But when Leica dropped the R line overnight without any viable upgrade path whatsoever, it made me angry. All those loyal users who spent many $$$ on expensive R gear were suddenly left abandoned. It is not that their systems did no longer work but it gave a bad taste.

 

I should say I have not invested at all in high end digital Leica gear, be it the DMR or the M8/9 etc, with the sole exception of a couple of "simple" digital Fuji or Panasonic made Leica compacts, that date already many years back.

Frankly, I continue to prefer film over digital by far. It is a personal choice but the whole traditional process is just more pleasing to me.

 

In quest for higher end quality solutions compared to 35mm I have first experimented with film-based Hasselblad H systems but -though quality systems- did not get the user satisfaction that I was looking for.

 

That changed drastically when I was introduced into the Rolleiflex MF systems. I have since a couple of years acquired quite a bunch of Rollei gear. Apart from higher quality one of the main reasons was that both the 6008 AF and Hy6 series have.... autofocus. Simply put and I know it is an unfair comparison given the different negative sizes, the M and R lenses are no match for Rollei Schneider Kreuznach lenses, it is even noticeable at sizes of 20x20 cm. What is also captivating, is the square 6x6 image size. There is something very special about square pictures that really makes one think differently about photographic composition.

More importantly, however, it is simply fun to work with the Rolleiflexes. Yes, they are bigger and heavier systems than Leica (albeit not so much compared to the R) so they are not suitable for all purposes. I still kept my Leica gear though that now rarily sees the light of day. If the Rolleiflexes are not an option, usual compacts such as the Leica CM or Rollei 35 do nicely and those are really small/light.

 

I am aware that Rollei has had its fair share of difficulties in surviving with a niche product but German traditional craftmanship has to be admired and deserves support. A group of old Rollei hands continues to support and develop the system. Regrettably they do not have the equivalent of a Dr. Kaufmann in terms of financial imputs. But contacts with them are very personal, cordial and direct.

 

I wish I could say that for what Leica as well. A good week ago I sent two emails to the Leica information service in Solms asking for particular information about M9 systems. I am still awaiting response. I recall the days at Leica, before the Kaufmann era, when you could count on a personalized answer within a couple of days.

 

Yes Leica is back into black figures, thanks to Kaufmann's financial investments and a number of bold (dropping the R, investing in the S, turning the M line successfully into a digital one) and not so bold (aimed at exotic prestige buyers in the Far East, which fill the financial coffers nicely) product decisions.

 

But I am not sure I like it anymore. And, yes, I am still primarily shooting film although I also have a Leaf digital back :-)

 

I am aware that these are very personal remarks and others will certainly have different views. To each his own and I fully respect that.

 

Pascal

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Lightwrangler

Lightwrangler

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A good week ago I sent two emails to the Leica information service in Solms asking for particular information about M9 systems. I am still awaiting response. I recall the days at Leica, before the Kaufmann era, when you could count on a personalized answer within a couple of days.

 

But I am not sure I like it anymore.

 

Ok, let's summarize: You sent Leica an email and they did not respond. So this is the end of your love for Leica. I see. How about giving them a simple phone-call? Usually they are on the phone promptly, super-polite and quite helpful.

 

Mike

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Paul Verrips

Paul Verrips

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So Leica has no service attitude, because you are frustrated that you wait for an answer a bit longer than a week.....

 

I feel sorry for you that their response time doesn't meet your expectation, but have you ever worked in customerservice? There are maybe 3 or 4 workers at the customerservicedesk and they have to answer all kinds of questions in the range from serious up to nagging. And there is also more work to do than answering the mail.

 

I'm an entrepreneur in the service industry and i think i know a bit about customerservice, besides to care for the customer, there has to balance between customerservice and cost.

 

Complaining about things like this gives the brand a bad name, and i think they don't deserve this!

 

Maybe Rollei is dying and they have a few customers left, so they can respond quicker.

 

It seems that we love to slowdown in photography (thats at least why i bought Leica M) but want to speed up in everything else. Please slow down and enjoy.

 

Kind regards, Paul

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leicapages

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Ok, let's summarize: You sent Leica an email and they did not respond. So this is the end of your love for Leica. I see.

 

Mike

 

Hello Mike,

 

I think you must realize yourself that your statement is quite a short-cut. The issue of slow response is mentioned in passing and does not constitute the essence of the posting. And, at no point did I dismiss the excellent Leica gear that I have accumulated over all the years. Could I please invite to analyze things more carefully before making such conclusion.

Pascal

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leicapages

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Or ask you questions here. You’ll probably have an answer within minutes. (and yes, a reference to the M9 FAQ as well ;))

 

Thank you for the offer, Jaap. Could you please inform me if the LCD display on the M9 titanium is the same as the M9 or is it the M9-P sapphire version? I do not seem to find the answer on the M9 forum or I must have overlooked something in which case I do apologize.

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TonyJ

TonyJ

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Thank you for the offer, Jaap. Could you please inform me if the LCD display on the M9 titanium is the same as the M9 or is it the M9-P sapphire version? I do not seem to find the answer on the M9 forum or I must have overlooked something in which case I do apologize.

 

The LCD on the M9-Titanium is protected by a scratch-resistant sapphire glass as with the M9-P.

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Lightwrangler

Lightwrangler

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I think you must realize yourself that your statement is quite a short-cut. The issue of slow response is mentioned in passing and does not constitute the essence of the posting.

 

Sorry, then I don't get the essence of your posting.

 

You are praising Rollei, which is ok, great cameras, no doubt. You are mentioning - for the millionth time in this forum - the dropping of the R system as Leicas fall from grace, without taking into consideration the fact the company might not be in existence anymore keeping the R-system. They tried and it did not work out, because Leica cannot compete with CaNikon and they are very well advised to not try to.

 

You cannot get "Made in Germany" for a low price. You have to make a choice. Offer high-priced niche-tools of excellent quality and get a well-funded clientele to buy them - by the same time offering the pro and the passionate hobbyist the possibility to buy some of these highly specialized tools as well - or die!

 

So, sorry, I don't get why you don't like the brand anymore, besides the fact you have had bad experience with their customer service. I offered you an alternative. Other were even more polite then me and offered direct help and advice.

 

Mike

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leicapages

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You cannot get "Made in Germany" for a low price. You have to make a choice. Offer high-priced niche-tools of excellent quality and get a well-funded clientele to buy them - by the same time offering the pro and the passionate hobbyist the possibility to buy some of these highly specialized tools as well - or die

Mike

 

Nice to see that we at least agree on something :-)

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cocker

cocker

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Ok, let's summarize: You sent Leica an email and they did not respond. So this is the end of your love for Leica. I see. How about giving them a simple phone-call? Usually they are on the phone promptly, super-polite and quite helpful.

 

Mike

 

Why don't you try reading and understanding the whole post?

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