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Production Issues with M240?


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We are just over three months past production launch now....I had to order my M9 two months before the introduction -the day Leica stopped denying the existence of the camera and when they started the viral 9-9-09 campaign, in order to get it three weeks after launch. Had I waited for the official introduction I would have had to stand in line for many months.

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I dont think the M9 roll out was similar to the current M240 situation. I ordered my M9 in December, 3 months after launch, and got mine in early March. At this time

my dealer had sold about 20 M9s and another dealer in Copenhagen had sold an equivalent amount.

This time they have not even had a demo-version yet, and only 2 copies have

past through the official Danish importer.

My dealer ordered 50 copies shortly after

the M240 launch, in the hope they could sell as many eventually.

The two situations look widely different from here.

 

 

I agree.

I ordered my M9 in October and got it in December, 2009 from B&H.

That was different from the current mess.

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I ordered my M9 in October and got it in December, 2009 from B&H. That was different from the current mess.

But you do understand that some who also ordered in October got theirs in March or April.

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Sure we are only about 3 months from delivery start.

But is the comparison to the M9 start really fair?

In May-June after launch in September, the M9 was on the

shelves of many dealers, and queus had largely been emptied.

Late in the summer it was said that some 40000 copies

had been delivered thus far.

The M240 production-rate will have to increase considerably

from the trickle experienced so far to reach anything like

the M9 roll out, as I rememberer it.

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I agree.

I ordered my M9 in October and got it in December, 2009 from B&H.

That was different from the current mess.

 

This proves the launches are quite a bit different right there. The M9 was announced September 9, 2009. The M typ 240 was announced Sept 17 2012. The M typ 240 did not even start shipping until late Feb, early March, with many of the launch day preorders still not fulfilled. In fact, people who ordered later than launch date still received their M9's faster than the the M type 240 is getting launched:

 

But you do understand that some who also ordered in October got theirs in March or April.

 

Now I understand at Photokina they didn't have a shipping ready product, but we are also at the 9 month mark from the announcement date itself.

 

My main question is, now that they have acknowledged the fact that they misjudged the numbers, what are they doing if anything to make sure these numbers are met? The only clear statement in their response is that they will be opening the new Wetzlar plant in 2014. If anything the statement reads as though there's nothing they can do to make M's faster.

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But you do understand that some who also ordered in October got theirs in March or April.

 

This is correct. I received mine on April 3, 2010...and this was only after giving up on my pre-order from launch and calling every single dealer in the US until I found one. It was absolutely no different than the current M situation. When I received mine in April, there were still no inventory available at dealers and this continued for months.

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You would force them to speed up the development process at the cost of quality? Anyway, with a development cycle of approx. 3 years the most we can expect in 2014 will be an M-Typ 240 -2.

 

Or, more likely an M-P.

_________________

Regards, Tom

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I only know of the delay in getting a Sony RX1 when I wanted one. I am sure they are more readily available now but for while they were hard to get. Just good to get a little perspective and it doesn't only affect Leica. I am sure it must be as frustrating for Leica as they want a satisfied customer base that has cameras in their hands and buying lenses for those cameras. Of course if you already have a body then this may not apply.

 

I put my order in for the RX1, with B&H, just after it was announced and got the camera early December, so not too bad.

______________

Regards, Tom

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....

My main question is, now that they have acknowledged the fact that they misjudged the numbers, what are they doing if anything to make sure these numbers are met? The only clear statement in their response is that they will be opening the new Wetzlar plant in 2014. If anything the statement reads as though there's nothing they can do to make M's faster.

 

Correct... the only thinkg they can do is assessing the production workflow, without cuts in the QC operations, to achieve the potential output of the factory... which is (it seems, from several sources) around 50 bodies/day. Given that they don't release any number about orders any speculation on "current" delivery time is a pure guess.

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....

My main question is, now that they have acknowledged the fact that they misjudged the numbers, what are they doing if anything to make sure these numbers are met? The only clear statement in their response is that they will be opening the new Wetzlar plant in 2014. If anything the statement reads as though there's nothing they can do to make M's faster.[/quote]

 

Correct... the only thinkg they can do is assessing the production workflow, without cuts in the QC operations, to achieve the potential output of the factory... which is (it seems, from several sources) around 50 bodies/day. Given that they don't release any number about orders any speculation on "current" delivery time is a pure guess.

 

50 a day would not be so bad. That would make 250/week or roughly 1000/month. Not sure how many orders they have, but probobly no more than 5000. So if they started in March, they could fulfill all by July / August.

 

I think it's more like 50 / week.....

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It is true that M240 orders are slow being filled, even for a camera that hasn't inspired as much enthusiasm as the M9 did. I ordered my M9 late in September 2009 so was well down my dealers list, but I got it five weeks later. I think if I ordered an M240 now I would get it just before the M-P (or M-2, M-X, M-'mine is better than yours', M-'what I wanted in the first place', etc.) is announced.

 

So the incentive reduces day by day, the enthusiasm wains, I find I didn't want it after all, I'm glad I didn't sell my M9, I get out my M2 and order some 35mm film and forget about it. Which is what Leica are facing now, the same scenario is being played out in the heads of many people with their name on a list.

 

Steve

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From what I understand, Mark is right. Much less than 10, more like 5 or 6 for the whole country, but all black.

 

I think the first delivery was 5 (one for each NZ outlet) then no more than 5 in the second and there may have been a third but I had lost interest ;-)

 

john

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