how long will my two m262 cameras last?

[Guest]

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One was bought new 18 months ago and the other used recently.

There is no equivalent in the M10 range of cameras and the move to touchscreen,small batteries etc are as unappealing as live view and EVF's .

I like the D version concept but much prefer the ability to review images that the 262 has.

So realistically and on balance how many years will my 262's continue to function?

 

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[earleygallery]

Impossible to say, it depends how you use them and how long the shutters last (shutter life is rather variable). Leica aim to offer repairs for cameras for 10 years after production ceases, but the cost of repair at some point will outweigh the cost of a newer camera.

[jdlaing]

>10 years.

[rivi1969]

If you dropped on concrete it could last one day, if you take good care of it, many years. My M8 will be14 years young next September, my M9P just turned 9 this month, and we will celebrate my Canon's 5D 15th birthday next month. All 3 look and work like new.

[Guest]

I would settle for 10 years in the digital age i must admit and would take anything beyond that as a bonus.

I am a keen amateur chasing my grand kids around and taking night city/harbour shots mostly as well as some daytime landscapes so not heavy use.

Minolta x-700 1982-2014

Olympus pen ep-5 2014-2019

Leica m262  2019-

Although the lenses were very good i disliked the endless menu and all the mod cons of the o;ympus but love the m262 its so tactile and simple.

[earleygallery]

2 minutes ago, steve 1959 said:

I would settle for 10 years in the digital age i must admit and would take anything beyond that as a bonus.

I am a keen amateur chasing my grand kids around and taking night city/harbour shots mostly as well as some daytime landscapes so not heavy use.

 

No reason they shouldn't last that long or most likely a lot longer, but anything can fail unexpectedly. Don't fret about it, just enjoy your cameras.

[darylgo]

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M9 bodies are as old as 11 years, almost. Leica continues repairs. My M240 is 7 years and continues as new. Difficult to assess longevity. Leica is exemplary in their long term support. 

[Good To Be Retired]

I wish I could discipline myself not to buy another camera long enough to worry about such issues

[Herr Barnack]

Quote

how long will my two m262 cameras last?

That depends on a lot of variables. 

Here is a discussion about shutter life of the M 240 which may be of help: 

Nikon and Canon rate their pro DSLRs at 200,000-300,000 shutter cycles.  Having a reputation to maintain, I would expect any recently made M camera to last for 200,000 cycles.  As long as you don't drop it in a lake or on pavement or take it to a war zone and get it shot or blown up, that is.

If your take reasonably good care of your M262s and don't abuse them, I would expect at least a 10 year life span.  If/when the shutter(s) finally die, send them in to Leica or to DAG and have a new shutter mechanism installed, resetting the life expectancy clock.

Or just upgrade every five years.  You know you want to...  😎

[Guest]

8 minutes ago, Good To Be Retired said:

I wish I could discipline myself not to buy another camera long enough to worry about such issues

Thing is the 262 is perfect for me and no other design since is similar bearing in mind i like to review images on the screen but want nothing to do with live view,EVF and touchscreen.

 

[Good To Be Retired]

17 hours ago, Herr Barnack said:

 

Or just upgrade every five years.  You know you want to...  😎

5 years would be an improvement for me

[Gregm61]

Bought my M262 new in Feb, 2016.

Sent it to Leica once early on to have the rangefinder aligned. Later I sent the camera and a new 135mm f3.4 APO Telyt-M to DAG, who adjusted the CAM in the lens to work as accurately as possible with that body. I now can focus that lens very accurately wide open with the M262 and, a bonus, my M4 as well.

The two batteries I’ve used with the M262 since day one still charge to show 100%. I expect needing to replace at least one of those, if not both, long before the body wears out.

 

[Gibbo]

Are they still working?

[Guest]

12 hours ago, Gibbo said:

Are they still working?

Who are you aiming that question at?

[Gibbo]

Your good self 😊

[Guest]

14 hours ago, Gibbo said:

Your good self 😊

They still work,,thing is i used my minolta x-700 from 1982-2014 before switching to digital so i have no grasp of life expectancy in digital cameras although i realise they do not last as long as the 32 years my x-700 has.

Ps i know that minolta outsourced later x-700 models to other companies and are known to have a capacitor failure problem but mine was an early model.

I will be using my two m262 bodies for as long as they last so i was looking for approx life expectancy opinions which has been helpful.

[Jeff S]

I wonder a lot more about whether my body will be working in 10 years.  
 

Jeff

[Ko.Fe.]

Any repairable equipment will lasts as long as where are parts and service are provided.

I worked at one of the few remaining manufacturing sites in Canada, which still has everything. R&D, manufacturing and full RMA, service.

Basic electronics parts are not manufactured locally, but sourced from global manufacturing. Turn around from manufacturing to defunct is getting shorter and shorter. 

It means Leica will loose access to basic parts in shorter time. Will they be able, willing to use alternatives, nobody knows.

So, ten years is very realistic approximation for how long two cameras will lasts before major repair will be needed.

Many cameras with electronics seems to last longer than ten years. Two additional factors kicks in on this age.

Batteries availability. Which could be solved by 3D printing and miniature power banks.

Storage cards. You can't walk in to the store and buy CF card. Few years ago it was possible. 

How big is going to be market if at all for old type batteries and old types memory cards nobody knows.  

I guess, we could stock pile memory cards, but it is not going to work with batteries.  

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[Guest]

My plan with my 2 m262 cameras is to buy a couple of batteries in two or three years time,i now have three batteries.

Of course i will have to keep an eye on availability until then in case i need to buy earlier.

 

[RayD28]

I personally believe Leica will stock parts for you m262 for a long while.  Down the road you can pick up a cheap beater for a source of parts in case they do run out.  Another option is to send one to Leica for refurb in seven to 10 years.  If no bugs develop in the refurb then send the second one in for refurb.  

Just a thought.

Ray