Confidence Problem

[dwmackay]

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Friends,

 

I need some advice. This may not be the best forum for this post, but this group has consistently shown to have the most knowledgeable user base of any others I have reviewed.

 

My D2 is in for its second sensor replacement. I have lost confidence in my Leica and need to find a new digital alternative that I can count on. I currently own Nikon F100 with a 35-70 2.8 zoom and an 80-200 2.8 zoom. I know that an offer is pending to swap my D2 & $1,000 for a D3. I am not sure this makes sense for me. I have tried the D3 in a store for 5 minutes and did not really like the viewfinder very much. It seemed so dark I actually pulled the camera away from my eye to make sure there was not a protective sheet of plastic covering the finder. It also seemed to have a fun-house mirror effect when panning; kind of weird perspective shifting on the edges of the frame.

 

If I pass on that offer, that leaves me with $1,000 to spend (twisted logic, I know). I would like to consider something I can use my Nikon glass with as both lenses are very good, particularly the 80-200. However, neither lens will be a daily standard with a 1.5 crop factor. My interest in a DSLR is to get some control back of DOF. It seems that with the D2, if your subject is more than 15 feet away, everything is in focus, even at 2.8.

 

I am considering a D80, or Fuji S5. I would also consider another Leica, but I do not love the D3 and cannot really justify the cost of an M8 and lenses. Any advice is welcome.

 

Thanks for the help.

 

Doug M.

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[TonySx]

Here is a link to an adaptor manufacturer so you could use your Nikon glass on any 4/3 camera. Gives you a bit more of a selection........

[AlanG]

Go to a store and spend some time with the Nikon D80. Nothing is perfect. I've never used one but if you like it, then that is your solution. And you'll still have your little D2 once it is repaired.

 

Nikon D80 Review: 29. Conclusion: Digital Photography Review

[Guest stnami]

........... try a pentax K100 and some great cheap lenses on ebay............you will have change for an icecream and a quiet ale

[hamey]

Hello Doug.

 

I have been a Leica user and lover since the early 70's, but the facts are, when it comes to

Digital Cameras I would stick to Nikons or Canon, in your case it's Nikon.

I have several Leica Cameras and Lenses and I love my slide films, so I will stick with Leica.

As for Digital forget it, If they release the R10? I will seriously think about it.

At this time, except for the M8, all the Leica Digicams are Panasonics.

Take the D1,D2, and D3 what have they got in commen, well it's the red Leica Logo.

As Nothing else is interchangable.

I am seriously thinking about Canon or Nikon, I have seen some wonderful stuff from

photographers using gear from these two manufactories.

 

THINK CAREFULLY.

 

Good Luck.

 

Ken.

[sandymc]

I've been very happy with my D80 - selected on the basis of being the cheapest Nikon DSLR that would take non-AFS lenses. It's survived 300km trips through the Pilbara in the loadbed of a Landcruiser on roads that damage 30% of the industrial quality equipment sent to site, and never missed a beat.

 

But, you have to accept Nikon (or Canon) equipment for what it is, and not look at it as a Leica substitute. If buy it as a Leica substitute, you won't be happy......

 

Sandy

[Guest Bernd Banken]

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Since the seventiers I'm using Nikons, starting with the "F".

 

Last year I bought the D200 - a wonderful and easy to understand tool. It's possible to utilize old Nikkors just informing the camera with two datas, a feature which the M8 is not allowed by company decision.

 

The D3 is a dead horse, just in the last days Leica reduced the price of 2.499,00 Euro in Germany by 700,00 Euro , please think about the background. Customers who just bought this model in the last weeks have to suffer from this value decrease which will be used allways as an argument against DSLRs from Japan....

 

Leicas Lockangebote im Sommerloch | photoscala

 

Bernd

[peter55]

........... try a pentax K100 and some great cheap lenses on ebay............you will have change for an icecream and a quiet ale

 

That's what I did,well the part about getting myself the DSLR Pentax K100D. I already had several K mount lenses. I bought 4 more primes from KEH.com for a total about $100. 28 f.2.8 M42 mount , 24 f/2.8 K mount, 135 K mount and 135 M42 mount. They are in very good to as new condition.

 

I like the digital Pentax K100D as I set it to Av or M mode and it's very much like a film slr when I use my K and M42 lenses. They are the only lenses I have , no AF lenses for this camera. I don't want them.

 

I still use my M5 and all my slr/dslr Canons as well as my Nikon FM2 and Ricoh KR-5.

[Annie135]

I can understand the problem. For more than three years I have enjoyed my D2. Then the sensor blew up. Solms repaired it and all is well. The only thing is my faithful friend let me down...my trust has been shaken. Every time I use it I wonder if it is going to work.

 

I also have another couple of digitals. A D200 which I chose over the D80 because it felt more like my old favouite the F3 HP.......wish it had the same viewfinder. Another is the unheralded Sony R1. In my opinion one of the most underated digital cameras. It handles in a very similar way to a M/F SL, think Bronica/ Hasselblad with a speed grip. A bit awkward until you stick it on a tripod. But the near APS size sensor producing 29Mb files from the Zeiss T* Vario Sonnar are amazing. And even in rip off U.K. it cost a measly £350.

But getting back to the D2, I still wonder about changing to the D3. What is this price reduction The Classic Camera merchants still want full price and tell me they have never heard of a trade off offer.

 

Last but not least. Is there an adaptor for Nikon lenses to be used on the D3? Or is there another camera similar to the D3 that does?

 

Brian..

[ron110n]

Dough,

 

Sorry about the bad news with your D2. It seems that all of us in our batch is currently having a dead D2.

That includes me.

 

Go see the Pentax K10D. Also the price is not bad.

The photos, I'm pretty impressed.

 

-Ron

[dwmackay]

Thanks for all the advice.

 

I spoke to Leica USA tech services and they told me that the replacement sensor is supposed to be improved with the replacement units. It would appear as though my situation of having it fail twice is somewhat unique. In theory, I should have good relaibility from my pending repair. However, it is as Brian points out, a confidence problem.

 

In general my experience with Leica equipment seems to have been uniquely unfortunate. I have owed a number of Leica products (5 bodies, 8 lenses, D2) and every one has required service at some point, several multiple times. My R7 went in for service 3 times before I finally sold it and purchased the Nikon which has performed flawlessly so far.

 

I think that I may opt for the D80 as it seems to be the best bang for the buck in my case. Hopefully it will perform well for many years.

 

Thanks agian,

 

Doug M.

[gvaliquette]

Hello Doug.

 

I have been a Leica user and lover since the early 70's, but the facts are, when it comes to

Digital Cameras I would stick to Nikons or Canon, in your case it's Nikon.

I have several Leica Cameras and Lenses and I love my slide films, so I will stick with Leica.

As for Digital forget it, If they release the R10? I will seriously think about it.

At this time, except for the M8, all the Leica Digicams are Panasonics.

...

 

Ken.

 

Ken:

 

I just have to challenge those statements!

 

I am a relatively new Leica user (got my R9 in 2004, although I have had an (underused) M4-2 since 1978), moving on from a full Zeiss Contarex system. Leica has an excellent digital system; it is called a R9 with a DMR.

 

Oh, and I also love my slide films. I just take the DMR off my R9 and reattach the original film back.

 

Doug:

 

Your experience with Leica seems to be rather exceptional and atypical. No issues whatsoever with the R9, the DMR, the R6.2, or any of the lenses.

 

There is only this issue of the DMR firmware! But, if you shoot "RAW", it really does not matter.

 

Guy

[ronryser]

I didn't know about these failures until after finding this forum which unfortunately was after I bought a "LN" Digilux 2 from KEH.com. How prevalent is this problem? Is there any warning when this is coming or does it pretty much happen all at once. I am still covered in their 14 day grace period for a no-questions return. Should I unload it, or is this relatively unusual? I do gather from these threads that Leica has been very good about making good on these repairs even though the D2's are long past warranty coverage.

[dwmackay]

 

Doug:

 

Your experience with Leica seems to be rather exceptional and atypical. No issues whatsoever with the R9, the DMR, the R6.2, or any of the lenses.

 

 

Yes it does seem to be unusual. I have used quite a bit of gear over the years, and my Leica equipment consistently proves to be the least reliable. Here is a brief snapshot of my experiences.

 

Equipment repaired at least 2 times:

• Leica M3

• Leica 90mm Hektor

• Leica R6

• Leica R7

• Hasselblad 120 Back

• Leicaflex SL

• Leica D2

 

Equipment repaired only once:

• Leica 3g

• Leica R 180mm

• Leica R 21mm

• Leica R 50mm

 

Equipment never needing repair still in use:

• Canon Ftb & 3 lenses

• Olympus OM-10, OM-1, OM-2, OM-2n

• Olympus lenses 3x, flash, flash grip, motor drive

• Hasselblad 500 C, 500CM

• Hasselblad lenses, backs & bellows (8x)

• Sinar 4x5 p & 3 lenses

• Nikon N90, F100

• Nikon Lenses (2x)

 

 

I had always beleived that one of the hallmarks of Leica was supposed to be the reliability, but for it has not been the case. Maybe I am just unlucky with Leica. I still love the gear, I just don't count on it.

 

Doug M.

[Overgaard]

I find that Leica cameras in general has a 'glow' to them - the lenses, the hardware and the way they are used - that makes me a happier and more creative photographer.

 

Thus my solution is to have two of any essential gear. That goes for cameras, computers, mobile phones, memory cards, batteries, etc.

 

Doesn't have to be the exact same, but the extra item extra has to be able to produce the job of the first.

 

I don't always carry two, but often I have an extra nearby.

[Annie135]

The warranLeica has been very good about making good on these repairs even though the D2's are long past warranty coverage.

 

Not quite true. The warranty period for the D2 was three years. Most D2s have failed within this period. And as an aside, not all but many manufacturers who have used the Sony sensor offered the same replacement service despite most of them only having the usual one year warranty term.

 

Brian.

[mountainboy]

They should change the name of this forum to the Leica Bitching forum. Why isn't anyone satisfied with the camera they have bought? If the D2 has served you well for a number of years why change the brand? Anything to do with electronics is transitory. You should be asking yourselves one thing- Is the picture quality good. If you are happy, why get caught up on the 'new is best' roundabout. I played this perfection game with Hi-Fi ,paying telephone numbers for a cartridge that sounded better than my previous one- or so I thought. In the end I realised I should be enjoying the music not the 'sound' it was making. If the camera works for you the fine. Why bother if camera x has a bit more resolving power than camera y. The person who said ' a PICTURE says a thousand word was right'.

[zapp]

Since the seventiers I'm using Nikons, starting with the "F".

 

Last year I bought the D200 - a wonderful and easy to understand tool. It's possible to utilize old Nikkors just informing the camera with two datas, a feature which the M8 is not allowed by company decision.

 

The D3 is a dead horse, just in the last days Leica reduced the price of 2.499,00 Euro in Germany by 700,00 Euro , please think about the background. Customers who just bought this model in the last weeks have to suffer from this value decrease which will be used allways as an argument against DSLRs from Japan....

 

Leicas Lockangebote im Sommerloch | photoscala

 

Bernd

 

Nothing wrong about a rebate. The price tag of the D3 did not drop, read the article and carefully and understand that you need to supply a serial number of previously bought Leica equipment to qualify for a rebate of 700 Euros. Such rebates are very common in the US not only by Canon and Nikon, but also by Leica.

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[Ecaton]

Nothing wrong about a rebate. The price tag of the D3 did not drop, read the article and carefully and understand that you need to supply a serial number of previously bought Leica equipment to qualify for a rebate of 700 Euros. Such rebates are very common in the US not only by Canon and Nikon, but also by Leica.

 

 

Special promotions usually aim at gaining new customers/market segment or market share. The fact that the rebate is offered to existing Leica owners exclusively speaks for itself. Leicaphiles seem to be the only ones Solms expects to buy the "brick".

 

[dwmackay]

They should change the name of this forum to the Leica Bitching forum. Why isn't anyone satisfied with the camera they have bought? If the D2 has served you well for a number of years why change the brand? "

 

David,

 

I was not really logging a complaint, just an observation. My D2 has served me well in some respects, but no so well in others. The picture quality is great, the build quality is good and the controls are well thought out. However, in the 24 months that I have owned the camera, it will have been in the shop for 6 months; 25% of the time. Should I simply accept that with a smile? Would you? From what other product would that be acceptable relaibility? Leica is one of if not the most expensive standard format camera systems in the world. The hallmark of the Leica brand is craftsmanship and relaibility. I have attributed my experience to a string of bad luck and continue to buy the brand. That makes me either a good customer or a stupid one... maybe both.

 

While the intent of this thread was not to complain, based on my unique expereince regarding Leica reliability, I feel I would be well within my rights to do so.

 

Doug M.