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Copied from the Warrantee section of the downloadable PDF on line manual

"Please note: The splash water and dust protection coating is not permanent and will diminish over time. The user manual contains instructions on how to clean and dry the camera. The warranty does not cover liquid damage." Page 15

I took this from here: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4378503

does anyone know if this is the same for other cameras, or is Leica just being hyper conservative?

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25 minutes ago, bags27 said:

Copied from the Warrantee section of the downloadable PDF on line manual

"Please note: The splash water and dust protection coating is not permanent and will diminish over time. The user manual contains instructions on how to clean and dry the camera. The warranty does not cover liquid damage." Page 15

I took this from here: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4378503

does anyone know if this is the same for other cameras, or is Leica just being hyper conservative?

This is the same not just for other cameras, but anything water resistant (ie. wrist watches, flooring, clothing, etc.). Chemical coatings and finishes fade, seals and gaskets deteriorate... it's inevitable.

Edited by Flilow06
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I'm considering selling my recently purchased Q-P and buying the Q2 primarily due to the water sealing. I will use the camera almost exclusively for general travel photography and like the reassurance of water sealing. That said I wonder if I am reading too much into the Q2's ability to withstand moisture intrusion. I realize it's not designed to be dunked into the ocean nor left out in a monsoon rain, but the warranty disclaimer that the coating will degrade over time gives me pause.

  

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Reading the dpr post got me curious so I had a look at the X-U, SL, and M 240/10 manuals, all of which are purportedly weather-sealed.

X-U has a whole page dedicated to its IP68-rated weather sealing (p.94), but no mention of it 'diminishing over time'.

Other than that, none of the other manuals mention weather sealing at all.

 

Edited by jay.
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Bizarre. The Q isn't made out of waxed cotton or leather is it? What is this 'coating' I wonder? 

Most weather sealed cameras are sealed with rubber O rings and gaskets to keep water out of the parts where it could otherwise get into the camera. 

Do Leica sell cans of their weatherproof coating to reapply and 'top up' the weather resistance?

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My guess is that Leica uses seals AND the coating.  The lens barrel is thicker to accommodate these seals, most likely.  Leica says that the coating will diminish, but I'm not necessarily thinking that this is the only weather protection they've implemented in the Q2.  If the coating is all they've done, I'd be disappointed too, but I can't imagine that's the case. 

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  • 2 months later...
On 3/26/2019 at 11:56 PM, Matsaly said:

I'm considering selling my recently purchased Q-P and buying the Q2 primarily due to the water sealing. I will use the camera almost exclusively for general travel photography and like the reassurance of water sealing. That said I wonder if I am reading too much into the Q2's ability to withstand moisture intrusion. I realize it's not designed to be dunked into the ocean nor left out in a monsoon rain, but the warranty disclaimer that the coating will degrade over time gives me pause.

  

I bought a Q2 a couple of months back, and brought it with me to Morocco. Spent a day in the Sahara, and used the Q2 to take pictures. Sand got onto the camera (as expected), due to just being out in the desert, but it affected the dials and the macro lens rotation. Brought it to the Leica store to get it cleaned up, but had to have it sent to the repair centre. They are now saying the warranty is void due to sand damage... which I think is crazy as the sand damage is purely because their weather sealing didn't work.

So yeh, be warned — in reality, Leica do not stand behind their weather sealing claim.

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The weathersealing is clearly defined in the IP rating 52  claimed by Leica, which means that dust may not enter in sufficient quantity to interfere with normal operation. You certainly have a clear case for warranty.

 

5	Dust Protected	Ingress of dust is not entirely prevented, but it must not enter in sufficient quantity 
to interfere with the satisfactory operation of the equipment; complete protection against contact.

 

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2 hours ago, Ready Set Joe said:

I bought a Q2 a couple of months back, and brought it with me to Morocco. Spent a day in the Sahara, and used the Q2 to take pictures. Sand got onto the camera (as expected), due to just being out in the desert, but it affected the dials and the macro lens rotation. Brought it to the Leica store to get it cleaned up, but had to have it sent to the repair centre. They are now saying the warranty is void due to sand damage... which I think is crazy as the sand damage is purely because their weather sealing didn't work.

So yeh, be warned — in reality, Leica do not stand behind their weather sealing claim.

 

This is disappointing news. I recently tired of the Q2 wait and cancelled my spot in line for the Q2. Instead, I purchased the Q-P, which I received yesterday. Thinking I'll keep a keen eye on this thread and matter. I intend to buy the Q2 once it's readily available. 

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On 3/26/2019 at 9:53 PM, bags27 said:

Copied from the Warrantee section of the downloadable PDF on line manual

"Please note: The splash water and dust protection coating is not permanent and will diminish over time. The user manual contains instructions on how to clean and dry the camera. The warranty does not cover liquid damage." Page 15

I took this from here: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4378503

does anyone know if this is the same for other cameras, or is Leica just being hyper conservative?

If the liquid IP rating is only 2, it is only resistant to spray coming in at a maximum angle of 15º from vertical, which means Leica can never guarantee against moisture damage. This is true for many other "weather resistant" cameras as well. One should always check the IP rating if this aspect is relevant.

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This is very troubling news. I understand a manufacturer doesn't want to assume all risk imposed by a user in the field, but from the description of the circumstances encountered by the OP , I would make an argument for warranty coverage.

What bothers me most is that I expect (perhaps naively) that a luxury good carries with it a commensurate level of service. I have a Mont Blanc pen which I used daily for over 15 years. When it needed servicing I took it to the retail store and it was sent back to the manufacturer for service. The factory essentially rebuilt my pen and it was in as good a condition as new when I got it back. Communication was responsive from the factory and the retailer even gave me a loaner pen to use during this period. I can't imagine Leica dong that.

 As Jaapv stated -escalate this to the highest level . Lets us know how they respond. 

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  • 4 months later...

Just an update on my issue with sand getting into my Q2: I raised the matter with the Leica store manager about the voiding of the warranty. He in turn apparently escalated it to his manager / someone more senior, and they decided to fix the camera for me free of charge as a gesture of goodwill.

I’m still convinced it should have been covered under warranty, but given the outcome haven’t pressed the point. It was over four months in the service centre before I got the camera back in my hands.

I should say, given that the camera was a couple of months old when I brought it with me to Morocco, it wouldn’t have been an issue with the weather sealing degrading over time (one would think).

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49 minutes ago, Ready Set Joe said:

Just an update on my issue with sand getting into my Q2: I raised the matter with the Leica store manager about the voiding of the warranty. He in turn apparently escalated it to his manager / someone more senior, and they decided to fix the camera for me free of charge as a gesture of goodwill.

I’m still convinced it should have been covered under warranty, but given the outcome haven’t pressed the point. It was over four months in the service centre before I got the camera back in my hands.

I should say, given that the camera was a couple of months old when I brought it with me to Morocco, it wouldn’t have been an issue with the weather sealing degrading over time (one would think).

Hi, I think the Store did you proud, weather sealing and The Sahara are IMHO 2 different kettles of fish.. The Sahara being a very harsh environment ,  one to which I would not subject any camera,  maybe a waterproof rubber sealed  unit would have been more appropriate.. L

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"Just an update on my issue with sand getting into my Q2: I raised the matter with the Leica store manager about the voiding of the warranty. He in turn apparently escalated it to his manager / someone more senior, and they decided to fix the camera for me free of charge as a gesture of goodwill..."

It's good to hear that your Leica dealer made things right.  It does not sound like you abused your Q2, but merely used it in a reasonable manner in a less than desirable environment - which the camera should have been up to the task of successfully performing in without trouble to begin with.

I am in agreement that Leica Wetzlar should have taken care of this; in failing to do so, L/W dropped a seriously big turd in the punch bowl.  If this causes even a few prospective buyers to pass on the Q2, L/W will have lost much more revenue than a few hours of repair work would have cost them.  Come on, L/W - think things through before you make these decisions!

Maybe the best way to proceed is for Q2 owners to not count on the weather sealing to protect the camera from dust entering and damaging the camera?

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