waiting for the R to M adapter

[Rick]

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I spoke to a total idiot at Leica UK last week, who said it was not his business to give me any updates as to when my dealer could expect any deliveries of R to M adapters or the MF grip...

 

Touchy, huh?

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[wlaidlaw]

Touchy, huh?

 

Rick,

 

One might hope “a guilty conscience” but from the information content of the discussion, I think that might have required too many neurons firing off at the same time, on the part of the Leica salesman.

 

Wilson

[algrove]

I collected my R-M adaptor today from Leica Mayfair, London. It has a nice solid feel, though there is a little play when mounted. It is a smarter product than the serviceable Novoflex. The latter had the advantage when I bought it of being available. But if production cranks up I reckon that save for the very price sensitive the Leica adaptor will be preferred to the Novoflex, not least because of the neat option of the tripod mount.

 

Looks like some of us might receive this "precious" thing before the 15 month anniversary of the announcement way back in September 2012. I almost forgot that Leica even offers one. Just joking.

[Rick]

Looks like some of us might receive this "precious" thing before the 15 month anniversary of the announcement way back in September 2012. I almost forgot that Leica even offers one. Just joking.

 

I'm in... I'll take one of the 15-Month Anniversary Edition adaptors. Does it come in a special edition box?

[marknorton]

There remains a real attitude problem in Leica generally and the UK in particular. I deplore the whole Bruton Place setup which is staffed by sharp-suited youngsters who know little, care less and do not remember that as little as 10 years ago, Leica was as close to bankrupt as makes no odds. If you have the temerity to call their core competences into question, they assume a position somewhere between ignorance and arrogance.

 

It's no better over at Burlington Arcade in Piccadilly where Leica have set up some sort of pop-up Christmas shop stocked with the sorts of products which people with £100k to splash on a diamond encrusted Rolex would buy as stocking fillers. I went in and bought a book - 99 years, which is quite entertaining, even at £80 - and the bubble-head behind the counter had to make two mobile phone calls to find out the price.

 

It's not a whole lot better in Germany. There, in September, someone in the factory shop told me he could give me no useful information about the availability of accessories. At least he was being realistic as to his (in-) effectiveness.

 

There are of course exceptions and Andrea Frankl comes to mind. You could not hope to deal with a more helpful person.

 

Leica has shown the most unbelievable incompetence in getting the M and its accessories to market and that may be a reflection that they would rather sell us a rebadged Panasonic.

 

If the powers-that-be would stop telling themselves how well they are doing and if Dr Kaufmann would wipe the silly grin off his face, they'd find their beloved company is being propped up by the likes of us who, time and again, are all too willing to forgive them for their incompetence.

 

It's time for some people and attitude changes.

[spylaw4]

+1 for Andrea!

[dickgillberg]

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+1 for Andrea!

[Delcredere]

There remains a real attitude problem in Leica generally and the UK in particular. I deplore the whole Bruton Place setup which is staffed by sharp-suited youngsters who know little, care less and do not remember that as little as 10 years ago, Leica was as close to bankrupt as makes no odds. If you have the temerity to call their core competences into question, they assume a position somewhere between ignorance and arrogance.

 

It's no better over at Burlington Arcade in Piccadilly where Leica have set up some sort of pop-up Christmas shop stocked with the sorts of products which people with £100k to splash on a diamond encrusted Rolex would buy as stocking fillers. I went in and bought a book - 99 years, which is quite entertaining, even at £80 - and the bubble-head behind the counter had to make two mobile phone calls to find out the price.

 

It's not a whole lot better in Germany. There, in September, someone in the factory shop told me he could give me no useful information about the availability of accessories. At least he was being realistic as to his (in-) effectiveness.

 

There are of course exceptions and Andrea Frankl comes to mind. You could not hope to deal with a more helpful person.

 

Leica has shown the most unbelievable incompetence in getting the M and its accessories to market and that may be a reflection that they would rather sell us a rebadged Panasonic.

 

If the powers-that-be would stop telling themselves how well they are doing and if Dr Kaufmann would wipe the silly grin off his face, they'd find their beloved company is being propped up by the likes of us who, time and again, are all too willing to forgive them for their incompetence.

 

It's time for some people and attitude changes.

 

There is much in this post with which I agree. But my own experience of the Mayfair shop has been entirely positive. When the lugs fell of my M240 and my lens was damaged I was quickly given a replacement and the lens repaired at no cost to myself. Of course this is what should have happened. But what struck me was the humility and helpfulness with which they listened to and dealt with my experience and their encouragement that I write to them with my views on why Leica HQ were not meeting the expectations of many in the context of the specific failed product that I had bought from them (not done yet). This customer concern matched my previous dealings with them. I should note that I have no personal of family connection with anyone in the store!

[wlaidlaw]

Leica ought to quadruple Andrea’s salary. She is by far the best advert for Leica currently. If it were not for her, I would almost certainly be using a Nikon or Sony today rather than various M’s.

 

Wilson

[gravastar]

I'm hoping a fat Christmas Bonus will be winging her way .

 

Bob.

[wlaidlaw]

Well my MF grip is on the Flying Scotsman today, winging its way down from Ffordes to me. No sign of the R to M. They have still only had the single one. Cup half full now

 

Wilson

[johnbuckley]

This is not off topic. But it will take a detour to bring various parts of this thread together.

 

Like others, I ordered an R-M adaptor on September 18th, 2012 and don't have it. I'm pissed.

 

I don't blame the dealer; the person I have dealt with is seemingly as freaked about this as I am.

 

In the U.S., the three pretty new Leica stores I am aware of are all the opposite of what Mark reports at Mayfair. With Dale Photo running the Miami store, and with the store in DC having become, in a short time, the center of a photographic community, and finally, with everything I have observed about the LA store, these are helpful, important new retail channels for Leica. (I have walked past the Soho NYC store, but not

followed it on Twitter or had dealings with it.) They don't offer repair services, which in the long run they should -- someone ought to be able to help with a stubbornly dirty Monochrom sensor, for example -- but the people involved are excellent, and things they are trying to do, from workshops to gallery shows, are fantastic.

 

For Leica to maximize their investment in these high-end retail outlets, they need to treat the staff there with the respect they deserve, which is to say, tell them what's going on with things like accessories, so they can tell us what's going on. We are all adults. This is not like Apple keeping folks from the Mac building out of the iPhone building, because they can't trust anyone with unannounced product news. This is retailers, hired to work with customers, who are seemingly as shut out of the information flow about products AlREADY ANNOUNCED as we are.

 

Leica has shown they are quite current with social media and building communities, etc. They really need to treat their retailers -- and their customers, who pay top dollar -- with sufficient respect that they inject some transparency in these long, bizarre delays.

[George Furst]

QUOTE=01af;2571284]The official retail price in Europe is EUR 250.

 

Just returned from Seoul with my R to M adapter. Yes it brought up the R menu immediately and did not revert to the M menu when I wiggled it like my felt tipped 22228 adaptor did. And the price was 475,000 Won. This converts to about 300 Euro. This included the 10% flat tax on all goods purchased here in Korea and import charges usually 20% so that means the price is smilar to that in Europe if you consider mailing charges.

 

It is certainly will built and finished like the black M and without the tripod foot looks good too. I do note that you must remove the adaptor to put the tripod foot on as there is a plastice filler that can only be removed when the adapter is off the camera. I look forward to using the foot with the 80-200 f4 lens but on the longer lens I will use the tripod foot on the lens. I thank all for the information you have provided in this forum.

[algrove]

The UK and now Korea. Well, continental Europe should be next and then maybe the US and elsewhere.

 

Rick

 

Yes, the box is super and so are the black bags for the wrench, etc.

[woorob]

Welcome to the third world.

[Jeff S]

With Dale Photo running the Miami store, and with the store in DC having become, in a short time, the center of a photographic community...

 

Likewise, good experiences at both shops. But still miss the small store experience at Heller's in DC from decades ago.

 

I sold my R lenses after Leica dropped the ball on the R. Lack of communications on the adapter (and lots more) seems all too appropriate.

 

Jeff

[chris_tribble]

+1 for Andrea!

 

++1

[efreed2754]

Oh I'm jealous. Heading out for the holidays and was hoping for the adapter which ordered same as others when announced. Dale confirmed this week none have come in and Leica has given them no heads up.

 

Agree John this is not a way to treat people, or it means they really don't know when they will get a good supply of good pieces

 

May be forced to use Novoflex; Lou or others, do you suggest getting Novoflex for the time being? Will be going through Panama Canal and not sure how long lenses should be.

 

Thanks,

 

Ed

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[wlaidlaw]

Oh I'm jealous. Heading out for the holidays and was hoping for the adapter which ordered same as others when announced. Dale confirmed this week none have come in and Leica has given them no heads up.

 

Agree John this is not a way to treat people, or it means they really don't know when they will get a good supply of good pieces

 

May be forced to use Novoflex; Lou or others, do you suggest getting Novoflex for the time being? Will be going through Panama Canal and not sure how long lenses should be.

 

Thanks,

 

Ed

 

Ed,

 

I bought a couple of low to mid price adapters, a UK made R to M and a Adriano Lolli Contax CX/Y to M. Both had problems. The R to M is wrongly aligned radially, so the top of the R lens is not at the top and the M bayonet is a little slack. The Lolli CX/Y to M has a slack Contax female bayonet. There is an interesting article by those US lens hire people showing how any tiny imperfections in the adapter, cause a large reduction in lens performance. I then bought a Novoflex.CX/Y to M Both male and female bayonets are just the happy medium between having no slack and being too tight to mount. It has a coding slot to mark in the R coding. If I did not want a tripod support, I would cancel my Leica R to M (which after 15 months may never arrive anyway) and buy a Novoflex.

 

For the Panama canal, I would have said other than standard lenses, either the 70-180/2.8 APO if you want top quality or if you want to go a bit smaller the 80-200/4. A super wide angle is good for in the locks.

 

Wilson

[efreed2754]

Ed,

 

I bought a couple of low to mid price adapters, a UK made R to M and a Adriano Lolli Contax CX/Y to M. Both had problems. The R to M is wrongly aligned radially, so the top of the R lens is not at the top and the M bayonet is a little slack. The Lolli CX/Y to M has a slack Contax female bayonet. There is an interesting article by those US lens hire people showing how any tiny imperfections in the adapter, cause a large reduction in lens performance. I then bought a Novoflex.CX/Y to M Both male and female bayonets are just the happy medium between having no slack and being too tight to mount. It has a coding slot to mark in the R coding. If I did not want a tripod support, I would cancel my Leica R to M (which after 15 months may never arrive anyway) and buy a Novoflex.

 

For the Panama canal, I would have said other than standard lenses, either the 70-180/2.8 APO if you want top quality or if you want to go a bit smaller the 80-200/4. A super wide angle is good for in the locks.

 

Wilson

 

Thanks Wilson, very helpful. Thought was patient waiting for Leica product but then... Have 18, 35, MATE etc to 135 for M and old Leicaflex 100 2.8 and 180 4.0 with APO Double Extender. Of course if had R-M adapter would go no higher than 75 on M and use 100 and 180 for teles. Perhaps just go with 135 (and good old crop a al Jaap) and await the Leica Adapter for Alaska next Summer?

 

Ed