Serviceability M8 & M8.2 displays

[DES]

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you could have just put a different engine in it. it's done all the time in the automotive scene.

 

and hence the difference between the automotive world and the camera world. the aftermarket service, options, and creativity present is massive----in the camera industry, it seems everyone is scared to touch a Leica. I think Leica should allow 3rd party makers to come up with creative solutions to problems they are currently not at priority to solve.

 

andybarton is right----the exaggeration and overly stated problems being talked about in these threads have no basis. the M8 is otherwise a serviceable camera, with only one situation---and that is the LCD. no more, no less---as stated.

 

This is way too simplistic. We have a £3000 camera body that leica has said cannot me repaired if the screen gets damaged. But don't worry M9 users you are still ok ! Sorry this is totally unacceptable.

 

As I have said Leica has to nip this "cannot be repaired" comment in the bud, by telling us although this has been an issue, we have option a, b or c for our customers, at a cost of x y and z. Not if it happens go to your local store and see what they can offer you!!!

 

Sorry guys it is just not good enough!

 

Until they get a grip on this, who is going to buy a second hand M8? Not to mention !

[farnz]

... Until they get a grip on this, who is going to buy a second hand M8? Not to mention !

Phew, that was close, you nearly mentioned it, Des!

 

Pete.

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[iedei]

This is way too simplistic. We have a £3000 camera body that leica has said cannot me repaired if the screen gets damaged. But don't worry M9 users you are still ok ! Sorry this is totally unacceptable.

 

As I have said Leica has to nip this "cannot be repaired" comment in the bud, by telling us although this has been an issue, we have option a, b or c for our customers, at a cost of x y and z. Not if it happens go to your local store and see what they can offer you!!!

 

Sorry guys it is just not good enough!

 

Until they get a grip on this, who is going to buy a second hand M8? Not to mention !

 

i bought a 2nd hand M8 last week...am very happy with it. lots of people are still buying them and using them.....not everyone is paranoid!

[farnz]

Was it the M8.1 in your signature that you bought?

 

Pete.

[iedei]

Was it the M8.1 in your signature that you bought?

 

Pete.

 

yes sir.

[bocaburger]

i bought a 2nd hand M8 last week...am very happy with it. lots of people are still buying them and using them.....not everyone is paranoid!

 

Just consider it as buying an option on a $3900 M9...best exercised before the prices of M9s drops below that

[stuny]

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B&H's lastes emailing has a product (Marshall 5" On-Camera LCD Monitor and Mounting Kits) that might be a workable solution for the few M8s that experience LCD failure -- I've not looked into it but the output from the cmaera might be able to feed the screen, thereby allowing users to operate the menu.

[farnz]

Stuart,

 

Regrettably it appears to work off a HDMI output from the camera, which the M8 doesn't have.

 

Pete.

[marknorton]

Ignoring the rebadged Panasonics, by my reckoning, Leica has been involved in 4 digital camera developments - the DMR, M8, M9 and S2. Of those, 50% are out of production. Of those cameras which are out of production, they have a perfect track record of those being out of maintenance too. That's an especially feeble track record.

 

Leica really do need to stop this amateurish approach. Whether it's a spoiled commercial relationship or an empty parts bin to blame, they need to revisit the idea of enduring value. Goodness knows we pay enough for the promise of it.

[markrune]

Ignoring the rebadged Panasonics, by my reckoning, Leica has been involved in 4 digital camera developments - the DMR, M8, M9 and S2. Of those, 50% are out of production. Of those cameras which are out of production, they have a perfect track record of those being out of maintenance too. That's an especially feeble track record.

 

Leica really do need to stop this amateurish approach. Whether it's a spoiled commercial relationship or an empty parts bin to blame, they need to revisit the idea of enduring value. Goodness knows we pay enough for the promise of it.

 

agree totally

[Guest]

Ignoring the rebadged Panasonics, by my reckoning, Leica has been involved in 4 digital camera developments - the DMR, M8, M9 and S2. Of those, 50% are out of production. Of those cameras which are out of production, they have a perfect track record of those being out of maintenance too. That's an especially feeble track record.

 

Leica really do need to stop this amateurish approach. Whether it's a spoiled commercial relationship or an empty parts bin to blame, they need to revisit the idea of enduring value. Goodness knows we pay enough for the promise of it.

 

Indeed, it is not an invitation for further investments into digital M bodies here.

Trade-in offers regarding my M8, that exclude new Leica lenses to be used on my wonderful Leica M bodies, I will not consider.

 

All Canicons had just one scandal and that was the early 1DmarkIII's Auto Focus issue.

[marknorton]

If we accept that the supply of new LCDs has indeed dried up, the obvious source of supply for replacement screens is, as suggested, the existing pool of M8 cameras.

 

I agree that Leica should buy up secondhand M8s as a source of parts. M8 owners in need of service will get used parts in their cameras warranted for, say, 3 months, but would pay proportionately less, or nothing. M8 cameras will continue to be serviceable, M8 prices will be supported and Leica's reputation will be intact even if somewhat tarnished.

 

Instead of which, they are trying to force users to upgrade at prices which are still higher than production costs so the cost to Leica is negligible. The real cost is borne by the retailers who forego profit they might otherwise have made by selling an M9 to an upgrading M8 user.

 

Overall, I think M8 users have every right to feel short-changed by Leica who have betrayed - again - the trust placed on them by their customers.

 

It's also right for Leica to be put on the spot and made to commit to spare parts availability for an acceptable period.

[marknorton]

Received in my junk email folder this morning...

 

"Dear Leica M8 User

 

Thank you for returning your camera to us for repair. Unfortunately, your camera requires parts which, due to our being even more incompetent than usual, we have failed to keep in stock and which are now unavailable here in Solms.

 

Fortunately, we have at our disposal "Team Hapless" who were last involved in marketing the Digilux 3 to an unreceptive and unenthusiastic world. They have now been deployed from their usual resting position of hiding under their desks to search the world for used M8s. We always intended that these would serve as a backup source of spare parts, distributed across a wide geographic area in case of natural or man-made disaster (the latter of which naturally excludes them being kept in Solms).

 

I am pleased to tell you that we have located a used M8 in the middle of the Sahara Desert which will provide the parts we need to repair your camera. These will be fitted for just 10% of the normally extortionate price we charge and will carry a 3 month warranty. We will start work on your camera as soon as we can persuade the delivery camel to stand up.

 

Best Regards from Solms,

 

etc"

[farnz]

I suggest you should stick to what you have a talent for, Mark: tearing down cameras.

[Guest]

...they are trying to force users to upgrade at prices which are still higher than production costs so the cost to Leica is negligible. The real cost is borne by the retailers who forego profit they might otherwise have made by selling an M9 to an upgrading M8 user...

 

My tought, too when Solms CS told me, that THEY would exchange M8 with a non-functioning LCD for a M9 or M9-P (after receiving another 2300 - 3000€ ).

Dealers will love the concept of seing new M9 cameras sold directly by Leica CS

 

That's why I second the suggestion of Solms issuing vauchers for received M8 cameras (that can be used for parts). The customer can cash the vaucher in at any Leica dealer within one year ( M10 teething problems ?) for any a Leica product: M9, M10, any a lens, Apo Televid, S2 etc.

[lct]

...Leica should buy up secondhand M8s as a source of parts. M8 owners in need of service will get used parts in their cameras warranted for, say, 3 months, but would pay proportionately less, or nothing. M8 cameras will continue to be serviceable, M8 prices will be supported and Leica's reputation will be intact...

Could we have a poll around this idea?

[erl]

An old friend of mine, she's a bit of a 'chook', her name is Henny Penny, she has two M8's. She doesn't know which one to use and therefore to keep the other one for spares. "Oh my goodness" I heard her say, "what if I choose the wrong one!"

 

"Well" I said, "if you get it wrong, the sky just might fall in!"

 

Worse still, they might both keep working. Heaven forbid.

[Peter H]

....................

It's also right for Leica to be put on the spot and made to commit to spare parts availability for an acceptable period.

 

Presumably the only way they can guarantee the availability of parts that they don't manufacture themselves is to buy two (at least) of everything at the time each camera is made. Because obviously no one can guarantee the survival of any supplier.

 

Would the resultant cost/price increase in the cameras be acceptable, or would the whole idea be too uncommercial to work?

[Guest]

Presumably the only way they can guarantee the availability of parts that they don't manufacture themselves is to buy two (at least) of everything at the time each camera is made. Because obviously no one can guarantee the survival of any supplier.

 

Would the resultant cost/price increase in the cameras be acceptable, or would the whole idea be too uncommercial to work?

 

Presumably, but not really, Peter.

Doing it like Canikon would be good enough and considered professional.

 

Henny Penny "the chook" is a practically undesguised insult of M8 owners.

Great public relation, Erl!

 

If it meant as an answer to Mark insulting the Leica team today, here's the thread about to derail again.

Carry on that way, further attempts expected but

 

the facts remain unchanged.

 

Untill Leica takes their M8 customers seriously, reflecting upon how they will treat potential M9 buyers and those of future models, too, untill then I prefer to wait and see before investing into new products of this brand.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[pop]

Presumably the only way they can guarantee the availability of parts that they don't manufacture themselves is to buy two (at least) of everything at the time each camera is made.

 

Reminds me a bit of the bloke who was caught out in the rain, standing under a tree. When somewhat asked him what he would do when the rain had soaked through the tree he said that this was scarcely a problem as there were other trees nearby.