aveshvather Posted March 25, 2013 Share #1 Posted March 25, 2013 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hi folks, I've been trying to be patient down here in NZ waiting for the first shipment of the new M. I spoke to the official (and only) Leica importer (who then distributes to the local retail stores) here who say they're still waiting for Leica to launch the M?! According to them only pre-production demo units have been issued by Leica with an April or May launch expected, and who knows how long before any cameras actually arrive in the country after that. Can anyone shed some light on this? I have a 35 and 50 Summilux on hold pending delivery of the camera which is driving me nuts! I can't find any contact details on the Leica site besides the local importer. Thanks in advance. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted March 25, 2013 Posted March 25, 2013 Hi aveshvather, Take a look here Official M 240 launch?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
chris_tribble Posted March 25, 2013 Share #2 Posted March 25, 2013 We're certainly receiving production units in the UK. The information I have is that there was a small number due for release before the end of March and that more will be available from 1 April. But the M has certainly been well and truly launched. Why not contact Leica in Solms directly? All the numbers are on the website... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted March 25, 2013 Share #3 Posted March 25, 2013 Yes, but you have to choose " Germany" in the drop-down menu for all contact details to become visible. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
aveshvather Posted March 25, 2013 Author Share #4 Posted March 25, 2013 Yes, but you have to choose " Germany" in the drop-down menu for all contact details to become visible. Thanks Jaapv, I've sent an email to customer care. Will wait and see what they say! Avesh. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mirekti Posted March 25, 2013 Share #5 Posted March 25, 2013 ...and that more will be available from 1 April. This date will be a lot of fun!! :-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenPatterson Posted March 26, 2013 Share #6 Posted March 26, 2013 In Hong Kong it's the same story. If you visit one of the four Leica company stores they have no information on the M240. They have no demos of the M240. They have no idea when they might get a demo. They have no idea when they might get inventory. They have no idea when they might get a brochure. Actually it seems they have less information than everyone else. Schmidt Marketing (the local importer) at their finest. Perhaps they are being punished for bungling the party last year where they allowed guests to shoot and capture images with the prototype cameras in spite of instructions not to allow this. You can however buy the book "Ninety Nine Years Leica - A Company History". Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
aveshvather Posted March 26, 2013 Author Share #7 Posted March 26, 2013 Advertisement (gone after registration) In Hong Kong it's the same story. If you visit one of the four Leica company stores they have no information on the M240. They have no demos of the M240. They have no idea when they might get a demo. They have no idea when they might get inventory. They have no idea when they might get a brochure. Actually it seems they have less information than everyone else. Schmidt Marketing (the local importer) at their finest. Perhaps they are being punished for bungling the party last year where they allowed guests to shoot and capture images with the prototype cameras in spite of instructions not to allow this. You can however buy the book "Ninety Nine Years Leica - A Company History". Kind of an odd way for communication channels to work given the premium nature of the product. NDA I can understand but when people are clearly buying and using a new product? Granted not in large numbers but still... I asked about why a firmware update would be released for a product which hasn't launched. No joy. I'll hope that Leica HQ can at least provide me with an estimate. Do no one but forumites hear about what's happening in Singapore? Surely in the day of ordering online local stores would at least try to find out what's going on with a new highly anticipated niche product. Not to mention try and secure a customer. Odd. Hopefully the cameras that finally arrive have lightning quick startups! ;-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pieterpronk Posted March 26, 2013 Share #8 Posted March 26, 2013 Well it's kinda difficult to launch a product when nothing new really happens that day. I can imagine a "launch" of a new camera to mean a couple new things, either: 1- On launch day a load of camera's are delivered or are suddenly availaible. Considering the M10 will continue to trickle to the customers at a snails pace unable to fill the demand for the next couple of years, this kind of launch is impossible. 2- On launch day a camera is officially in it's finished form. The M10 still has too many WB issues to be called a finished product. Still the most used appology for a fault seems to be: "this will probably be fixed with the next firmware". Iso banding might get fixed. Iso setting ergonomics might get fixed. WB will get fixed. High contrast EVF settings might get fixed. The slow evolution from beta product to finished product will be too gradual to give it a launch. 3- On launch day at least the logistics of delivery become clear. Official dealers all have a demo unit and can give well informed promises to potential customers about the time schedule, logistics and strategy of the roll out of the new product. How can a product supposedly be already launched when the two official Leica stores I have talked to didnt even know about it. Telling me the end of april. And telling me it must be beta camera's, when I told them I learned on the forums that some people already have one. The M10 was supposedly launched without any official information about that day in a couple of stores in Singapore with camera's that still seem to use beta firmware. If you really want some sort of launch day it was during Photokina. They at least made a speech about it.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjh Posted March 26, 2013 Share #9 Posted March 26, 2013 The M was introduced on 17 September 2012. It started being sold in stores world-wide on 28 February 2013. What launching needs to be done has been done; now Leica is busily manufacturing cameras to fulfill the pre-orders which, it seems, will take a couple of months. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pieterpronk Posted March 26, 2013 Share #10 Posted March 26, 2013 Don't worry about telling the salespeople of the two official Leica dealers I spoke to, since they already learned this information from me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
aveshvather Posted March 27, 2013 Author Share #11 Posted March 27, 2013 I take it Leica's email response SLA is in line with all their others? Or should I not expect a response given even their official distributors haven't heard as yet? At least the level of efficiency is consistent :-) Still waiting for a word... From Leica, the distributor, the store, fellow Kiwis, even Aussies. Anyone? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted March 27, 2013 Share #12 Posted March 27, 2013 I suspect that the small number of cameras that were released several weeks ago may not be truly production cameras in the sense that Leica staff had to be trained how to assemble, test, etc... These cameras are no doubt the ones that helped get Leica employees trained on the production of the new M. They are now out their floating around and Leica will see how they turn out and hope that there are no production problems or other issues they have not foreseen. The next batch of cameras are surely made by now or are being completed. These will represent another round of cameras that incorporate what was learned by Leica and the staff on the first batch. I would imagine this is a rolling process with more volume and better trained staff for each successive batch possibly incorporating changes - which we will most likely never be aware of. I imagine it is good not to be at the very top of your dealers list. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
John McMaster Posted March 27, 2013 Share #13 Posted March 27, 2013 I take it Leica's email response SLA is in line with all their others? Or should I not expect a response given even their official distributors haven't heard as yet? At least the level of efficiency is consistent :-) Still waiting for a word... From Leica, the distributor, the store, fellow Kiwis, even Aussies. Anyone? Leica are taking over their distribution in Australia next month so unlikely to release any Ms before then. My NZ dealer has said "I understand from the factory that most of that first batch were not intended for sale ! Supposed to be for samples and Press loaners for testing , Steve Huff and the like. Both the cameras and 50mm APO have been put off further." john Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
aveshvather Posted March 27, 2013 Author Share #14 Posted March 27, 2013 Leica are taking over their distribution in Australia next month so unlikely to release any Ms before then. My NZ dealer has said "I understand from the factory that most of that first batch were not intended for sale ! Supposed to be for samples and Press loaners for testing , Steve Huff and the like. Both the cameras and 50mm APO have been put off further." john Thanks for that John. Does this mean there'll be an official Leica store and service Centre in Australia soon? Understanding from talking to the NZ importer is that the vast majority of repair work is sent to Germany. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
John McMaster Posted March 27, 2013 Share #15 Posted March 27, 2013 In Sydney, yes Lacklands send all stuff off to Solms john Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
aveshvather Posted April 2, 2013 Author Share #16 Posted April 2, 2013 Still no response from Leica, is that normal? Or does my query not warrant one? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
John McMaster Posted April 2, 2013 Share #17 Posted April 2, 2013 My dealer said the latest from Lacklands is: > The latest delivery update on the new M is now looking like late May/June. > As and when we receive any update on this we will let you know. That is from last Thursday, I know people are asking Leica Australia when they expect to receive stock..... john Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mirekti Posted April 2, 2013 Share #18 Posted April 2, 2013 ...now Leica is busily manufacturing cameras to fulfill the pre-orders which, it seems, will take a couple of months. I truly hope this won't be more than six couple of months. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.