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Request for comment from Leica re M(240) delivery (or lack thereof)


MarkP

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How do you explain the "halt" in deliveries then?

I suspect the apparent "halt" is just selective perception from a few forum members, while in reality every week a few cameras get delivered somewhere—but, as it happens, not to waiting forum members yet, unfortunately.

 

I had the same feeling of lack of delivery when I was waiting ... which went away when out of the blue my new M arrived two weeks ago (fortunately, I was #1 on my dealer's waiting list). So—no "halt" actually. And no reason to issue a comment from Leica's point of view. They are producing as many units per day as they can and sending them out to the world as fast as they can.

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I don't. I have no specific insight in the deepest details of the production flow of the M' date=' nor do I feel a need to "explain". Actually, I don't even know whether there is a halt at all.

I see strong similarities to the rollout of the M8 and M9. And S2 for that matter.

 

Leica's production is geared to a certain number of units which is conceived for normal demand. When they get faced by a pent-up tsunami, the deliveries appear to falter, as a manual production line has no overdrive.[/quote']

 

Is the production flexibility really that unmodern? Hard to believe - but I just might have to go for a factory visit.

 

Normally there is a ramp up phase - building a platform to the dealers before the customer launch - hitting the market demand as hard as possible.

 

Missing that moment are usually seen as an economic loss. But than again. Are the owner happy with the buissness model of an "even pase" with a normal - that is Leicas decision I guess.

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Not too easy if you have a minimally automated production system where the production units are human. They have to be trained, paid, and cannot operate at maximum capacity for extended periods of time.

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Well, let's say they started producing cameras (finished ones) on February 1st as they did deliver a bunch on February 28th, the release day.

 

I think it was mentioned on these forums that Leica produces 50-80 cameras a day. 19 weeks since February 1. 95 work days. Lets assume only 50 cameras a day. That comes out to 4,750 cameras total.

 

I don't think there are that many out in the market.

 

Either their production rate is way below the estimate, or something caused the production to falter significantly.

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M's have been arriving at dealers slowly.

 

 

Which dealers? Any in the US?

My dealer saw one on Feb 28 and none since. I am not saying you can extrapolate from that, but I also have seen nothing that suggests any sort of regular deliveries have occurred for the two and a half months since the beginning of March.

 

I recognize that forum membership is not a 100% sample of the order population, but wouldn't we have heard about at least some (more than one or two) since the first deliveries?

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Not too easy if you have a minimally automated production system where the production units are human. They have to be trained' date=' paid, and cannot operate at maximum capacity for extended periods of time.[/quote']

 

Interesting - I read somewere that you have been at a factory tour? If most processes are done by hand.... I must say I like that combination of mechanical hancrafted parts with electronic integrated sensor - but that will leave the management with little less options regarding market demand.

 

But than again - producing batches - off load these to the market and ask a very high price - it can really make some sense as long as people keep paying a premium price.

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Which dealers? Any in the US?

My dealer saw one on Feb 28 and none since. I am not saying you can extrapolate from that' date=' but I also have seen nothing that suggests any sort of regular deliveries have occurred for the two and a half months since the beginning of March.

 

I recognize that forum membership is not a 100% sample of the order population, but wouldn't we have heard about at least some (more than one or two) since the first deliveries?[/quote']

 

I have a close eye to Wibergs foto and Mattsons foto in Sweden. I have spoken with Wibergs, (bought my M8 from them). From what I can understand there is only a demo M at Wibergs.

 

I might be wrong - but there seems to be very little action. Anyone in Sweden that can say they use an M?

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How do you know this. Have you talked to every dealer in the world?

 

I assume you are referring to my comment about there not being 4,750 Ms delivered worldwide?

 

No, I haven't talked to every dealer in the world, though several in the US, UK, and had my cousins that are local check in France, and Switzerland. None of them mentioned abundance of deliveries.

 

Social media is usually a good indicator as well. Not that many deliveries mentioned.

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Which dealers? Any in the US?

My dealer saw one on Feb 28 and none since. I am not saying you can extrapolate from that, but I also have seen nothing that suggests any sort of regular deliveries have occurred for the two and a half months since the beginning of March.

 

I recognize that forum membership is not a 100% sample of the order population, but wouldn't we have heard about at least some (more than one or two) since the first deliveries?

 

There is am M240 Facebook Group. And there have been several members there reporting receiving M's. One just today (My new M240 is arrived !

On va bien s'amuser !) in France.

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Not sure if there has been any halt in deliveries, in Europe at least. Got one body and two batteries in France three weeks after my order. Was a firm order though and i've put a deposit.

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There is am M240 Facebook Group. And there have been several members there reporting receiving M's. One just today (My new M240 is arrived !

On va bien s'amuser !) in France.

 

Maybe there should be a "waiters support group" too!

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To be fair, the dealers I buy from in Switzerland have seen a few trickle in since the first ones arrived at the very beginning of March. Batteries seem to be arriving too.

Just conjecturing, of course, but because things are often not just black or white, it may well be that production numbers have dropped somewhat, but definitely not stopped entirely, due to the fact that some assembly line resources have been temporarily allocated to dealing with the lug strap emergency and get it out of the way asap. If that's the case, it is likely that a large batch of semi-assembled components (e.g., some parts produced in Portugal) is just waiting for the final assembly and testing operations.

As a side note, the lugs problem seems to be taken very seriously and efficiently by Leica (perhaps the IR issue on the M8 is still an open wound?): FWIW, I sent my camera to Leica Switzerland on May 1st and, according to the repair tracking system, it arrived in Solms on May 6; repairs were completed on May 13 and it was shipped back on May 15 - I'm expecting the delivery man to show up at my door tomorrow or early next week.

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My dealer got 2 which went to one of the beat testers and has seen none since and I am basically top of his list and still without a camera so I would say that something is not right and that this is very different from the M9 rollout when things were slow but dealers were at least getting cameras. One does really begin to wonder if there is some other problem and the whole thing could so easily be sorted out if Leica had the decency to communicate what is really going on

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