jaapv Posted December 22, 2017 Share #41 Posted December 22, 2017 Advertisement (gone after registration) Basically Leica will arrange a pickup for any repair, especially warranty ones. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted December 22, 2017 Posted December 22, 2017 Hi jaapv, Take a look here Urgent help needed. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
wildlightphoto Posted December 22, 2017 Share #42 Posted December 22, 2017 If Leica wants a piece of the professional photographer market their service will have to be much much better than I've gotten in the last few years. 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leicatiman Posted December 22, 2017 Share #43 Posted December 22, 2017 I’m heading off this Tuesday on a 2 month assignment. I was going to bring my SL and a film M as a backup, along with a 28mm summilux, 50mm summicron, and 90mm sunmicron. Then my SL broke and ended up at Leica NJ. I was promised a loaner, but it looks like that is no longer going to happen, even though my SL is under warranty. I’m crunched for cash but can afford the CL. Is the crop sensor good enough for professional use if large prints aren’t needed? How would it perform with my 28mm Summilux as a standard prime? If I got one, I would bring the 28mm along with a 75mm summilux rather than a 3 lens kit, giving me 40mm f/2 and 110mm f/2 full-frame equivalents. Is the CL easy to manually focus, and can you zoom in to check critical focus like on the SL? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leicatiman Posted December 22, 2017 Share #44 Posted December 22, 2017 I know it's too late,but I would have gone for a digital M. You a already have great lenses! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlashGordonPhotography Posted December 22, 2017 Share #45 Posted December 22, 2017 Basically Leica will arrange a pickup for any repair, especially warranty ones. No they won't. Not from my place, anyway. So that means not "ANY" warranty repair. You are stuck in a very Euro-centric way of looking at Leica service. For the rest of us it's just not happening that way. A few points... 1. It's nearly impossible for a mere mortal to register as a Leica professional. There is no place or link on the website for a pro to register. 2. Leica Australia know me, well. They have sent my gear with instructions that I am a full time working photographer, known to them. Nothing. 100 days for an SL repair. Why is is that I can't "register" locally, especially given that Leica Australia is a wholly owned subsidiary of Leica Camera AG. 3. Not to disparage you or your profession but something is wrong when a dentist gets "pro" service and a working photographer can't. Canon's CPS works because it's accessible and consistent. If I register with Canon Australia via the easy to find form on their website, I am then vetted, approved and registered world wide. Then no matter what the issue the service times are similar, loaners are organised and I can expect consistent treatment no matter where I am. So please stop telling us how good Leica's service is. It isn't. And how you need to register because it's made so difficult to do. Or that I should have to jump through hoops, because Leica has a subsidiary here that should be able to talk to Germany. As someone who owns pretty much every brand of camera available today, I can tell you that in Oz, Leica's service is the slowest, most erratic and most inconsistent service there is on the market here. Basically it's crap. Gordon p.s. And just for a bit of fun, I received an email from Leica Aus this week. The SF64 they've had under warranty for a month is going to Germany with an estimate of 90 days..... God help me if I needed it to actually get some work done. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Csacwp Posted December 25, 2017 Author Share #46 Posted December 25, 2017 (edited) I live in the USA, so I cannot send anything to Wetzlar. It all has to go to the black hole that is Leica NJ. There is no way to register as a professional with them, and even if I could, I doubt it would help much. Edited December 25, 2017 by Csacwp Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
graphlex Posted December 25, 2017 Share #47 Posted December 25, 2017 Advertisement (gone after registration) Leica NJ will also provide a UPS shipping label for a repair, if you ask. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Csacwp Posted December 25, 2017 Author Share #48 Posted December 25, 2017 They do, but they do not provide loaners or consistently faster service for professionals who cannot be without their cameras for 9 months. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted December 28, 2017 Share #49 Posted December 28, 2017 I live in the USA, so I cannot send anything to Wetzlar. It all has to go to the black hole that is Leica NJ. There is no way to register as a professional with them, and even if I could, I doubt it would help much. Why can't you send to Wetzlar??? It is just one FEDEX-day away... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted December 28, 2017 Share #50 Posted December 28, 2017 (edited) Jaap, I think you have to fill in some lengthy customs forms, so that import duty is not charged on the value of the item in both directions, into Germany and then back into the USA. At one time you had to post a bond as well but I think that requirement is no longer valid. Wilson Edited December 28, 2017 by wlaidlaw Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted December 28, 2017 Share #51 Posted December 28, 2017 Yes, but AFAIK the courier services are pretty efficient in such matters. Leica should have no problem returning correctly either. I would not be surprised if they arranged a pickup for pros either. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott kirkpatrick Posted December 28, 2017 Share #52 Posted December 28, 2017 My experience (from Israel, not from US) is that the shipper to Germany needs to create export documentation to record that the camera went out for repair. FedEx does that for me. Then if FedEx were the returning shipper, all would be taken care of. Leica likes to use UPS or DHL, however, so there are some phone calls required to get the shipping out carrier to send me the forms that I can then transfer (by email) to the returning carrier. This is for a country that does have duties on incoming new equipment (a VAT of 17% or more). The US doesn't impose a duty on an incoming still camera, so it could be even simpler. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Csacwp Posted December 28, 2017 Author Share #53 Posted December 28, 2017 The U.S. just recently began imposing a duty on optical lenses, so for lens repairs I would get charged a few hundred dollars by the government. No duty that I know of for camera bodies. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted December 28, 2017 Share #54 Posted December 28, 2017 For repairs as well? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted December 28, 2017 Share #55 Posted December 28, 2017 The way it used to work was that you posted a bond with the carrier or customs, which was then returned when the item concerned was re-exported. You can probably do it now by just leaving a credit card. Back in the late 60's before UK was in the EU, where a company I part owned, was a UK agent for Alpine racing engines, when engines had to go back to Dieppe for rebuilding, our bank would deposit a letter of credit with French customs, which was cancelled on the return of the engine to the UK (even though the engines were originally French). We should have in theory, had to pay import duty to UK customs on the service charge for the engine but never actually were asked to do so. When we took a formula 2 car to Europe in the 1960's, with all the requisite tools, spare parts and tyres, we used to travel with a large lever arch file of customs carnets and a letter of credit, guaranteeing that we would re-export all the items back to the UK. It would take two hours or more to clear customs. The Brexiteers have conveniently forgotten all this nonsense we had to put up with, before the UK joined the EU and will have to cope with again in the future, because of their ignorance. Wilson 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Csacwp Posted December 29, 2017 Author Share #56 Posted December 29, 2017 For repairs as well? Writing “for repair” on a customs slip is a common way of trying to get around duties. Our customs rarely lets one get away with it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted December 29, 2017 Share #57 Posted December 29, 2017 Writing “for repair” on a customs slip is a common way of trying to get around duties. Our customs rarely lets one get away with it. Aren't you supposed to include the appropriate paperwork? Obviously, if one uses Leica's pick-up service the whole problem gets taken care of. Anyway, it would not harm to contact Leica Wetzlar Customer Service and get registered as a professional. They might still do so, despite it being unfindable on their website. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Csacwp Posted December 30, 2017 Author Share #58 Posted December 30, 2017 I don’t think you understand (maybe I am not being clear). I have contacted Wetzlar before and they refuse to help since I am in the USA. They always refer me to Leica NJ. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted December 30, 2017 Share #59 Posted December 30, 2017 Yes, I get that, but have you tried to register as a professional with them? They will ask for proof of business, publications, etc. After you are registered you will get the optimized service, but not before - at least it used to be that way, until very shortly ago. I cannot find the relevant page on the website right now but it is worth asking if it is still offered. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pixelman Posted December 30, 2017 Share #60 Posted December 30, 2017 The U.S. just recently began imposing a duty on optical lenses, so for lens repairs I would get charged a few hundred dollars by the government. No duty that I know of for camera bodies. I don’t believe this is correct. The US treats cameras and lenses as duty free independent of country of origin. Csacwp, if you have some very new info on this please share, but I don’t think this is an issue. I have also Recently shipped lenses for repair to the US (and back to Canada) with no issue be clearly stating the item was to be returned for repair. The UK is much more complicated on repairs, but if you follow the documentation process you are ok there too. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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