fotofuey Posted May 10, 2007 Share #1 Posted May 10, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) Just wanted to post my experience with my new M8. I purchased a brand new camera on April 25. Charged the battery and took some images. Downloaded them to my puter and was absolutely impressed. I turned the camera off and put the camera away for a day, came back to take some more images, turned the camera on – nothing. Hmm, I thought, this is not good. Opened the base plate, removed and replaced battery, tried again, camera came back on. Took some more images. Turned the camera off for about 10 minutes. Went back to turn it on – nothing. Repeated the steps of removing battery, still nothing. Hmmm, this is really not good. Removed and replaced SD card, still nothing. I took battery out and decided to charge. It took a full charge. Replaced charged battery, camera fired up. Took some more images, put camera away. Took camera to a dinner party, took it out to take some images, turned it on, nothing. Repeated battery steps and the camera came on. Took a pic or 2 set camera down for about 5 minutes. Picked it up to take another pic, turned it on nothing. Tried the old remove and replace battery procedure, this time the little red light on back of camera came on, and stayed on. Camera would not operate but the red light stayed on. Tried remove and replace battery/SD card, red light would not turn off. Turned camera off and red light till would not go off. I let the “stuck” camera drain the battery so I could add a fresh charge. Charged the battery in about 3 hours. Turned camera on with fresh charged battery and it worked fine. At this point confirmed the latest firmware was installed and it was. Put camera away for about 1/2 hour, came back and turned it on….nothing. Well, that was enough for me. I took the camera back to where I purchased it. They called their Leica rep. They took the camera back and gave me a new body. So far all is good with the new body. I have been testing the new body for 2 days now. So far all is good. Keeping my fingers crossed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted May 10, 2007 Posted May 10, 2007 Hi fotofuey, Take a look here My M8 stopped functioning. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
jaapv Posted May 10, 2007 Share #2 Posted May 10, 2007 Good luck with your new camera. Typical for electronic equipment. If it dies it does so within the first period of use. I'm glad you got good service with an immediate exchange, this seems to be the norm. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guy_mancuso Posted May 10, 2007 Share #3 Posted May 10, 2007 Steve when it was on were you able to work the set and menu buttons or were they inoperable Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotofuey Posted May 10, 2007 Author Share #4 Posted May 10, 2007 When the camera was working, everything worked fine. As soon as the camera stopped working, then nothing would work Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotofuey Posted May 10, 2007 Author Share #5 Posted May 10, 2007 Good luck with your new camera. Typical for electronic equipment. If it dies it does so within the first period of use. I'm glad you got good service with an immediate exchange, this seems to be the norm. Thanks for your reply and wishing me luck. I do have to take exception to your comment “Typical for electronic equipment.” I know your comment was added to make me feel better in that things like this can happen to anything you purchase and I appreciate that. But as far as being a “typical” experience, I can only go by my own experience – I have many, many electronic devices as I am sure we all do; I have other digital cameras, ipod, lap top, cell phone, LCD TV, watches, clock radio…..even my car is electronic. All of the people I know personally have many electronic devises as well. I have never come across a situation where I have made a electronic device purchase, especially one so expensive as a Leica M8 that just didn’t work. I know this can happen to any device purchase and I understand that, but to say that this is “typical for electronic equipment” seems to be a a bit of a cop out. For me, that statement invites Leica to lower its standard – I know they wont, but we as consumers have to keep our standards of expectations as high as possible. Thanks for putting up with my 2 cents worth....... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guy_mancuso Posted May 10, 2007 Share #6 Posted May 10, 2007 Thanks Steve does not sound like SDS which is good in a way for the rest of us but did not help you , glad you were able to get a fresh camera. BTW what SD cards are you using Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted May 10, 2007 Share #7 Posted May 10, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) Well Steve, having my Volvo 745 Turbo deposit me on the hard shoulder of the road waiting for the ADAC Strassendienst several times some years ago has made me more cynical. In that case it took them two years to find out paint had not been removed from the contact point of a mass connection, causing powersurges that fried the complete electronics of the car. Built and bought in Götenborg too:o Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotofuey Posted May 10, 2007 Author Share #8 Posted May 10, 2007 Thanks Steve does not sound like SDS which is good in a way for the rest of us but did not help you , glad you were able to get a fresh camera. BTW what SD cards are you using That's an interesting question, Guy. I used a brand called RAW. Found out it was not on the list of recommended cards. My new camera body is is now using san disk ultra-II 2 gig. I also thought that the card may have something to do with it. Needless to say, I am a little apprehensive about putting that RAW card back in........ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotofuey Posted May 10, 2007 Author Share #9 Posted May 10, 2007 Well Steve, having my Volvo 745 Turbo deposit me on the hard shoulder of the road waiting for the ADAC Strassendienst several times some years ago has made me more cynical. In that case it took them two years to find out paint had not been removed from the contact point of a mass connection, causing powersurges that fried the complete electronics of the car. Built and bought in Götenborg too:o Well, jappv, I can indeed understand your view.....Now that its happened to me, I will probably sub-consciously have that same view point going forward........ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertwright Posted May 10, 2007 Share #10 Posted May 10, 2007 my first M8 died after 24 hours almost to the minute, the replacement has been rock solid now on 8000 frames. I can't explain it other than quality control perhaps? bought a panasonic dvd player and got it home and it would not turn on at all. Took it back and got an Onkyo, all is fine. Both of my Apple laptops have experienced screen issues after about two or three years of service. all of this to say, quality control is not what it used to be, or, the products are getting so complex that the chances of failure rise exponentially. I am not excusing Leica or anyone, I was very heartbroken when the original M8 died. beta is now shipping. alpha is now the cocktail napkin... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken_tanaka Posted May 10, 2007 Share #11 Posted May 10, 2007 Sorry to read of your troubles, Steve, but glad to see that you have been restored. It's fortunate for you that this didn't happen several months ago when replacements did not exist. I have been quite lucky --yes, I think that's the most appropriate word-- with my M8. Like many others' M8s mine has actually operated pretty normally through ~4000 frames. But varying degrees of trouble reports are rampant with this camera. Indeed, remarks to the effect that "stuff always happens to electronic devices" represent rhetorical evasions. The failure rate of these M8s is certainly far higher than any digital camera, and probably an order of magnitude higher than other consumer electronics devices. The camera's extremely high price makes this failure rate seem particularly outrageous. Hopefully if Leica continues to make these cameras they will overhaul some of the camera's engineering and manufacturing processes, perhaps outsourcing them to a more competent and competitive (i.e. non-European) company. It's truly remarkable that Leica, with its machine shop heritage, brought the M8 this far. But it's become clear that they've not yet achieved contemporary levels of product quality and consistency. Consequently it looks like we've bought into a camera with --err-- individually hand-crafted (or hand-ruined) character! Enjoy your new old M8! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotofuey Posted May 10, 2007 Author Share #12 Posted May 10, 2007 my first M8 died after 24 hours almost to the minute, the replacement has been rock solid now on 8000 frames. I can't explain it other than quality control perhaps? bought a panasonic dvd player and got it home and it would not turn on at all. Took it back and got an Onkyo, all is fine. Both of my Apple laptops have experienced screen issues after about two or three years of service. all of this to say, quality control is not what it used to be, or, the products are getting so complex that the chances of failure rise exponentially. I am not excusing Leica or anyone, I was very heartbroken when the original M8 died. beta is now shipping. alpha is now the cocktail napkin... Well, I am encouraged by your replacement Leica. I'm sure my new replacement will work fine too. "beta is now shipping. alpha is now the cocktail napkin..." What a great quote! I hope its not a trend..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotofuey Posted May 10, 2007 Author Share #13 Posted May 10, 2007 Sorry to read of your troubles, Steve, but glad to see that you have been restored. It's fortunate for you that this didn't happen several months ago when replacements did not exist. I have been quite lucky --yes, I think that's the most appropriate word-- with my M8. Like many others' M8s mine has actually operated pretty normally through ~4000 frames. But varying degrees of trouble reports are rampant with this camera. Indeed, remarks to the effect that "stuff always happens to electronic devices" represent rhetorical evasions. The failure rate of these M8s is certainly far higher than any digital camera, and probably an order of magnitude higher than other consumer electronics devices. The camera's extremely high price makes this failure rate seem particularly outrageous. Hopefully if Leica continues to make these cameras they will overhaul some of the camera's engineering and manufacturing processes, perhaps outsourcing them to a more competent and competitive (i.e. non-European) company. It's truly remarkable that Leica, with its machine shop heritage, brought the M8 this far. But it's become clear that they've not yet achieved contemporary levels of product quality and consistency. Consequently it looks like we've bought into a camera with --err-- individually hand-crafted (or hand-ruined) character! Enjoy your new old M8! Couldn't have said it better myself, Ken. Thanks! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
awoodhall Posted May 10, 2007 Share #14 Posted May 10, 2007 My M8 had a habit of recording a very thin, light vertical line on dark frames. apparent on both last 2 firmwares, both JPEG and RAW. I am awaiting a refund. The M8 was my 9th. digital camera so far, and the one that has disappointed most-cognitive dissonance and all that. M7 and G7 my current cameras. Happy now! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guy_mancuso Posted May 10, 2007 Share #15 Posted May 10, 2007 That's an interesting question, Guy. I used a brand called RAW. Found out it was not on the list of recommended cards. My new camera body is is now using san disk ultra-II 2 gig. I also thought that the card may have something to do with it. Needless to say, I am a little apprehensive about putting that RAW card back in........ Interesting I was supposed to beta test these on the M8 from Hoodman and they never sent them to me to test. it is very possible it was the card and would not rule that out. They have a new industry standard on them not SDHC but another new standard and reason Hoodman wanted me to beta test them on the M8 since i am already a beta tester for leica it made good sense i can report to both companies and such. But I never got them Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted May 10, 2007 Share #16 Posted May 10, 2007 Sorry to read of your troubles, Steve, but glad to see that you have been restored. It's fortunate for you that this didn't happen several months ago when replacements did not exist. I have been quite lucky --yes, I think that's the most appropriate word-- with my M8. Like many others' M8s mine has actually operated pretty normally through ~4000 frames. But varying degrees of trouble reports are rampant with this camera. Indeed, remarks to the effect that "stuff always happens to electronic devices" represent rhetorical evasions. The failure rate of these M8s is certainly far higher than any digital camera, and probably an order of magnitude higher than other consumer electronics devices. The camera's extremely high price makes this failure rate seem particularly outrageous. Hopefully if Leica continues to make these cameras they will overhaul some of the camera's engineering and manufacturing processes, perhaps outsourcing them to a more competent and competitive (i.e. non-European) company. It's truly remarkable that Leica, with its machine shop heritage, brought the M8 this far. But it's become clear that they've not yet achieved contemporary levels of product quality and consistency. Consequently it looks like we've bought into a camera with --err-- individually hand-crafted (or hand-ruined) character! Enjoy your new old M8! It is a fair comment, Ken, but life has not been easy for Leica compared with the more evolved products of other camera brands. Mark's thread has shown us that it is far more built up out of separate parts than the more integrated products from larger companies, so it stands to reason that the failure rate must be higher. Having said that, it is clear that they must - and probably are doing so with high priority- make a strong effort to get reliability to a higher level. Not an apology - more of an explanation. I hope you did not mean my post with "rhetorical evasions". I said: "if electronics break down it often is in the first period of use". Not an evasion at all, methinks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
papimuzo Posted May 10, 2007 Share #17 Posted May 10, 2007 Glad Steve you could get a new working one! When changing the faulty unit, do they kept the battery or the new set had another battery? My feeling when reading your description is that the battery and its electronics (which gives the charge state to the M8) could be the culprit:confused: Yes Guy I'm hardheaded:) Just an hypothesis... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotofuey Posted May 10, 2007 Author Share #18 Posted May 10, 2007 Glad Steve you could get a new working one!When changing the faulty unit, do they kept the battery or the new set had another battery? My feeling when reading your description is that the battery and its electronics (which gives the charge state to the M8) could be the culprit:confused: Yes Guy I'm hardheaded:) Just an hypothesis... I gave them the old battery back and am using a new battery Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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