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Serviceability M8 & M8.2 displays


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interesting. has anyone published the USD amounts that Leica are offering over here?

 

....

 

I think that any "published" cost for those swaps must be taken for what it is : not a commercial "pricelist" but a specific offer from the Service Dept., at a certain moment : it surely follows some Company guidelines, which imho are mainly dependant on the availability of bodies that "fit" the goal of offering a reasonably priced swap to a customer who has an unrepairable M8/M8.2 : now it is based on NEW M9/M9P, within some months it could be based on NEW M9P/M-E or refurbished/warranted M9... within 1 year in something again different...

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Yes, with M9(-P) production now ended, any offer will depend on what they've got gathering dust in a cupboard. I still think Leica should be buying used M8s with working LCDs and offering those or the displays from them as an alternative.

 

Zero chance of the top LCD being used. It would be an ergonomic nightmare and, besides, there's no interface (and I expect no space to create one) between the processor handling the rear panel buttons and the one writing to the LCD.

 

The M8 firmware is a can of worms only opened reluctantly when there's a new lens to support. Speaking of which, I wonder what it will do when the new R to M adapter is put on? Feign ignorance, I expect.

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I must admit to being very naive regarding digital M's. I am old enough to remember when Barnacks were contemporary and still use them. I have a iiia, iiic (k) iiic and a iiif. I also have an M2 and I have always loved the Leica brand.

 

I recently bought a lovely M8u and really never considered that Leica was treating their digital customers with such callus. I think if this continues, they will do themselves permanent brand loyalty damage. How can anyone justify the price of a Leica if its not for its reliability and factory support. I paid more for the M8 than any other camera I have ever purchased used and now I'm very concerned about its longevity.

 

Raymond

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I must admit to being very naive regarding digital M's. I am old enough to remember when Barnacks were contemporary and still use them. I have a iiia, iiic (k) iiic and a iiif. I also have an M2 and I have always loved the Leica brand.

 

I recently bought a lovely M8u and really never considered that Leica was treating their digital customers with such callus. I think if this continues, they will do themselves permanent brand loyalty damage. How can anyone justify the price of a Leica if its not for its reliability and factory support. I paid more for the M8 than any other camera I have ever purchased used and now I'm very concerned about its longevity.

 

Raymond

 

don't worry about it....just use it and enjoy it...there has been a whole lot of paranoia about this issue....more than it is worth really. congrats on your purchase!

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I must admit to being very naive regarding digital M's. I am old enough to remember when Barnacks were contemporary and still use them. I have a iiia, iiic (k) iiic and a iiif. I also have an M2 and I have always loved the Leica brand.

 

I recently bought a lovely M8u and really never considered that Leica was treating their digital customers with such callus. I think if this continues, they will do themselves permanent brand loyalty damage. How can anyone justify the price of a Leica if its not for its reliability and factory support. I paid more for the M8 than any other camera I have ever purchased used and now I'm very concerned about its longevity.

 

Raymond

 

The bad news is as you have read, and yes it's not Leicas finest moment. However, LCD's are generally very reliable so unless you damage it in some way it shouldn't be an issue.

 

If I had one I think I'd fit one of those hard plastic screen protectors for added protection against impact.

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Thanks iedei I will continue to use and enjoy it......I REALLY do love the camera. I have installed a glass protector for the screen and will of course handle it with care and respect.

 

Again thanks for the comebacks.

 

Raymond

 

Raymond, I'm thinking of getting a Leicatime half case for mine. Then it will also have the LCD cover that clips on, to protect the camera when hanging on your shoulder and taking it in and out of bags etc I think with care, there's no reason the screen should ever get damaged.

 

http://www.leicatime.com/GreyM9forLgripRearOpenWarn.jpg

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just for the record and to allay some fears, I have been using M8's and M9's since 2006 in a vast assortment of ernvironments, without babying my cameras and not one scratch, much less crack or whatever has appeared on any of them. My cameras work hard but do not get abused. When I see some cameras I am amazed at how they can have been treated. Barring accidents, there is no reason to be concerned about your LCD screen.

Edited by erl
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Raymond, I'm thinking of getting a Leicatime half case for mine. Then it will also have the LCD cover that clips on, to protect the camera when hanging on your shoulder and taking it in and out of bags etc I think with care, there's no reason the screen should ever get damaged.

 

http://www.leicatime.com/GreyM9forLgripRearOpenWarn.jpg

 

Of the three reasons I bought one that one is number two.

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  • 1 year later...

Hi all Leica Fan and Leica too!

 

I have read this thread! Don't say I am crazy becouse I am not. I have a suggestion.

 

If Leica can't change the display why doesn't Leica offer to put a contact on the camera? Then I can use the camera with some kind of mobile screen or mabe better up, connect my mobilephone or iPhone and use the screen on the phone. Leica shouldn't give up easy. So many ways to get a screen connected to the M8 even if it is not fits where it should be. To me it is better to have a camera with a screen to get into the menus, instead of not have any screen at all.

 

Better to have a camera with a screen even if it has to be connected from outside or to the mobilephone.

 

Look at the GoPro camera I get a good picture on my iPhone with that. I can see advantage to have a seperated screen to the camera.

 

It shouldn't be to hard for Leica to put a contact and put it where the bad screen is today.

 

Good Luck Leica now I give you the oppertunity to show a little bit of goodwill...

 

P.S

Sorry about my brooken english

D.S.

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Hi all Leica Fan and Leica too!

 

I have read this thread! Don't say I am crazy becouse I am not. I have a suggestion.

 

If Leica can't change the display why doesn't Leica offer to put a contact on the camera? Then I can use the camera with some kind of mobile screen or mabe better up, connect my mobilephone or iPhone and use the screen on the phone. Leica shouldn't give up easy. So many ways to get a screen connected to the M8 even if it is not fits where it should be. To me it is better to have a camera with a screen to get into the menus, instead of not have any screen at all.

 

Better to have a camera with a screen even if it has to be connected from outside or to the mobilephone.

 

Look at the GoPro camera I get a good picture on my iPhone with that. I can see advantage to have a seperated screen to the camera.

 

It shouldn't be to hard for Leica to put a contact and put it where the bad screen is today.

 

Good Luck Leica now I give you the oppertunity to show a little bit of goodwill...

 

P.S

Sorry about my brooken english

D.S.

 

First, the insides of the camera is packed with electronics and mechanical stuff, so there is no room to add the video port connector and hardware that you would need.

 

The data sent to the display would need to be translated into a format that an external device could read, so that is the problem in a nutshell. You need another board to do that and there is no place to do that and no easy connection point.

 

The cost to do that would be big and you would be better off taking that same money and applying it to a newer camera (i.e., M9 or something).

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No problem Loren, you can build the camera out on the back if you just remove the screen. When you remove the screen you get the old connectors and with a firmeware upgrade you can have, external screen on the menue. Do not make problem bigger than it is. Ofcourse a wifi on the back of the camera would be very the nices thing instead of a none working screen.

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I don't know the total numbers of M8 cameras sold, but Leica has sold 30,000 M9s.

 

Probably less M8 and M8.2 cameras in the field than that.

 

How many would be interested in that upgrade?

 

Well, those of us with working cameras probably not. Those that have defective cameras maybe, but some of those are already disposed of at Leica for trade ins.

 

So, let's just say that 20,000 M8s exist. Let's say that 15% have failed. Let's 2/3 of those are still in the field and let's say 100% of those would be willing to upgrade those for a fix.

 

The total number of upgrade kits would be 2,000 cameras.

 

Since I design and build electronics for my own business, I have an informed opinion on what the costs would be…

 

I would think 200 man-hours of design time is required (that is probably too little, but let's use that number), so we have $20,000 or so in engineering labor costs. Hardware for the first prototype is probably going to be $5,000. Now we have $25,000 in NRE.

 

Now we have to install these into the camera. We first need to train all the techs that will perform this modification. Let's put a low number of $5,000 for training expenses and documentation.

 

The hardware for the actual conversion will probably run about $250 for parts. Remember, we are doing a low production run here, so we get no cost savings for quantity at these figures. Double that for assembly and testing, so now we are at $500

 

If we add up the total NRE and training we get $30,000. Again, this number is probably far less than reality, but that is $15 per camera cost right there. Add $2000 cost for the kit using the same cost-model Leica uses on their cameras (they need to make it worth their while), and one hour of service time to install, which is $100.

 

My very low estimate for the upgrade is $2,115 per camera and you get a Frankin-M8. That's much more than what I paid for my M8. I can just buy another used one.

 

If you were smart you would take the Leica trade in allowance and run with that.

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  • 10 months later...

 

In the case that (especially electronic-) parts are no longer available, we will offer an upgrade program.

 

The upgrade program will work with both a M9 or M9-P, with a slightly different premium. Please contact your local Leica Customer Care for details should you have concerns with your M8/ M8.2 display.

 

Best regards from Solms,

 

Stefan Daniel, Director Product Management

 

I have an M8 with a failed display. I was told about the upgrade program. can you tell me how it works? Also, if the electronics are totally integrated, does the display failure indicate an electronics system-wide failure is imminent?

 

thanks

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I have an M8 with a failed display. I was told about the upgrade program. can you tell me how it works?

Welcome to the forum :). It was intended for M8/M8.2 users having the "coffee stain" issue but it could be extended by Leica eventually if your LCD was faulty. I would ask Leica if i were you.

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  • 3 weeks later...
I have an M8 with a failed display. I was told about the upgrade program. can you tell me how it works? Also, if the electronics are totally integrated, does the display failure indicate an electronics system-wide failure is imminent?

 

thanks

 

These people claim to be able to repair the display, just a ask for a quote?

Appareils photos numériques, objectifs et accessoires home, neuf et d'occasion - ecrancasse.com

best regards

Fly

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