framecontrol Posted October 6, 2020 Share #1 Posted October 6, 2020 Advertisement (gone after registration) So I was ripping around in an off-road vehicle in Sedona and taking some beautiful landscape photos with my Q2. All of that off-roading caused the Q2 to get covered in some fine dust and sand and while the camera worked fine, you could feel the dust inside the aperture ring and dial—it was just a little grindy and you could tell it needed to be cleaned, but otherwise it was perfect. The camera got shipped off to Leica in New Jersey and 2 weeks later they came back with a repair starting point of $2,600! Apparently, they didn't open up the camera or anything and just do a general look at things and an assumption prior to the true estimate. My shop told me they wrote very basic notes - "Damages by sand - Need to adjust auto focus, replace parts, check, adjust, clean" - it seemed very templated. They did not say what parts needed to be replaced (according to my shop.) They did say shipping was included. Just wanted to see if anyone has any suggestions. Maybe the actual repair will cost less? Should I push back on them? Do I have other options outside of Leica? Thank you! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted October 6, 2020 Posted October 6, 2020 Hi framecontrol, Take a look here The repair estimate on my Q2 is $2,600. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
jaapv Posted October 6, 2020 Share #2 Posted October 6, 2020 Normally the repair estimate is the price. In this case there is nothing stopping you asking for a more detailed estimate, just call them. I have never heard of an estimate by Leica being a "starting point" I would certainly challenge them on this, as the camera is supposed to be weathersealed.. If you do not get a satisfactory answer, demand the camera back and send it to Wetzlar yourself - taking care that you follow customs requirements for repairs. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nico4444 Posted October 6, 2020 Share #3 Posted October 6, 2020 4 hours ago, jaapv said: the camera is supposed to be weathersealed Pretty big oversight here. From Leica's website, the Q2 has an IP rating of 52, which means that it is dust protected, but not dust tight and also protected against vertically falling drops of water with enclosure tilted up to 15 degrees from the vertical. Basically, the Q2 is sealed enough for accidental minor spillages of dust and water droplets, but it is by no means weathersealed and it is not designed to be used in harsh conditions. OP has done goofed, because it is well-known sand is equipment killer. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herr Barnack Posted October 6, 2020 Share #4 Posted October 6, 2020 12 hours ago, framecontrol said: So I was ripping around in an off-road vehicle in Sedona and taking some beautiful landscape photos with my Q2. All of that off-roading caused the Q2 to get covered in some fine dust and sand and while the camera worked fine, you could feel the dust inside the aperture ring and dial—it was just a little grindy and you could tell it needed to be cleaned, but otherwise it was perfect. The camera got shipped off to Leica in New Jersey and 2 weeks later they came back with a repair starting point of $2,600! Apparently, they didn't open up the camera or anything and just do a general look at things and an assumption prior to the true estimate. My shop told me they wrote very basic notes - "Damages by sand - Need to adjust auto focus, replace parts, check, adjust, clean" - it seemed very templated. They did not say what parts needed to be replaced (according to my shop.) They did say shipping was included. Just wanted to see if anyone has any suggestions. Maybe the actual repair will cost less? Should I push back on them? Do I have other options outside of Leica? Thank you! The only camera that I know of that could endure the conditions you describe with no ill effect is the Nikonos V. It is a watertight camera designed for use underwater down to depths of 35 feet. Leica NJ's estimate of $2600 sounds like it is a complete rebuild, returning your Q2 to as new specs. Apparently a lot of sand found its way into the camera and damaged or destroyed a lot of moving parts, requiring a lot of replacement parts, cleaning and many hours of work. I don't think Leica NJ is attempting to bleed you - its going to be an extensive job to salvage your camera. The only way I would take a camera other than my Nikonos V into the environment you describe would be to take it in a small Pelican box or a waterproof dive bag like the Ewa-Marine DUS-3. I would stop the jeep, wait for the airborne dust to clear, carefully dust off the container the camera is in and then remove it to make my photographs, replacing the camera and sealing it in its container before continuing to "rip around." That is the only way to avoid the situation you now face. While taking proper measures to ensure the protection of your Q2 in an environment with flying sand and dust is inconvenient, IMHO doing so is nowhere near as inconvenient as having to pay 51% of the original cost of the camera to have it salvaged. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted October 7, 2020 Share #5 Posted October 7, 2020 Still, and estimate "from $2600" without any attempt at itemization is rather lame and, IMO, unacceptable. Whether the damage was avoidable is beside the point. I wonder if the OP's insurance company will accept it. BTW, from the poster's description the sensor-lens unit will have to be replaced, at a minimum. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndreasG Posted October 7, 2020 Share #6 Posted October 7, 2020 $2600 - this is certainly exceeding the actual manufacturing cost of the camera. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhoToad Posted October 7, 2020 Share #7 Posted October 7, 2020 Advertisement (gone after registration) vor 4 Stunden schrieb AndreasG: $2600 - this is certainly exceeding the actual manufacturing cost of the camera. Interesting, you seem to have got information on this. Just out of curiosity: what are the manufacturing costs of the Q2? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nico4444 Posted October 7, 2020 Share #8 Posted October 7, 2020 28 minutes ago, PhoToad said: Interesting, you seem to have got information on this. Just out of curiosity: what are the manufacturing costs of the Q2? That is just an estimate. There is no way to know that information unless given directly by a Leica official, which won't ever happen. You can always try to estimate by looking up resources costs, but that can be a daunting and, quite honestly, pointless research. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgk Posted October 7, 2020 Share #9 Posted October 7, 2020 On 10/6/2020 at 9:44 AM, jaapv said: ..... the camera is supposed to be weathersealed. Dust is not weather. Dust, depending on its constituents (silica potentially in this case) can be very abrasive and cause substantial damage. My guess is that any components likely to have been affected by abrasive dust ingress will be replaced and no attempt will be made to repair them. And FWIW 'waterproof' cameras are not rustproof - dust, when abrasive, is likely to damage the waterproof ('O' ring) seals and cause further damage as it enters the camera - I have owned numerous Nikonos cameras and would not use them in hi dust environments - they suffer from being used in sandy conditions underwater and need regular servicing. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndreasG Posted October 7, 2020 Share #10 Posted October 7, 2020 vor 33 Minuten schrieb nico4444: You can always try to estimate by looking up resources costs, but that can be a daunting and, quite honestly, pointless research. Yes, go to the German Federal Gazette (Bundesanzeiger), download the various Annual Reports of the Leica Camera AG and make your analysis based on Personnel costs, costs of goods etc. Certainly not precise for each camera model, but an approximation, that can be refined with some engineering/purchasing know how. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
codocee Posted October 8, 2020 Share #11 Posted October 8, 2020 A towel to wrap while not shooting is prerequisite for all my cameras in all conditions. Maybe anal but helps my resale down the road. What precautions did you take when the camera was not in hand? Was it hanging on a neck strap or merely laid down in the vehicle? A little insight into any protection measures you took could be helpful to other forum members going forward. That estimate and more specific circumstances could be priceless. Hoping the best to on the repair! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
framecontrol Posted October 8, 2020 Author Share #12 Posted October 8, 2020 I really appreciate everyone's help on this. By and large, I did something totally stupid and didn't protect the camera. Lesson learned and a mistake I'll never make again. Luckily, I filed a claim with my renters insurance policy (I use Lemondade.com) and they covered the entire repair. With my policy, I didn't even have a deductible. Looking forward to getting my Q2 back 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuny Posted October 9, 2020 Share #13 Posted October 9, 2020 Good news. Please let us know how long it takes to get your Q2 back Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nico4444 Posted October 9, 2020 Share #14 Posted October 9, 2020 1 hour ago, Steven said: Isn't the Q2 weatherproof? I know its not a go pro, but a bit of sand ? did you bother reading the replies at all? 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted October 9, 2020 Share #15 Posted October 9, 2020 (edited) I don't think sand is 'weather'. Edited October 9, 2020 by earleygallery 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nico4444 Posted October 9, 2020 Share #16 Posted October 9, 2020 7 minutes ago, earleygallery said: I don't think sand is 'weather'. Ever heard of a sandstorm? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted October 10, 2020 Share #17 Posted October 10, 2020 1 hour ago, nico4444 said: Ever heard of a sandstorm? I have but I'm not sure many people would be wandering around taking photos during a sandstorm. A quick look on the Leica store website shows the Q2 to have an 'IP52' rating. This means https://www.rainfordsolutions.com/ip-enclosure-ratings-and-standards So no sandstorms then. Sorry but it's really a case of user error. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nico4444 Posted October 10, 2020 Share #18 Posted October 10, 2020 5 minutes ago, earleygallery said: I have but I'm not sure many people would be wandering around taking photos during a sandstorm. A quick look on the Leica store website shows the Q2 to have an 'IP52' rating. This means https://www.rainfordsolutions.com/ip-enclosure-ratings-and-standards So no sandstorms then. Sorry but it's really a case of user error. did you bother reading the replies at all? We have already discussed this and we have all come to the conclusion that it was user error with the OP coming to terms with it and solving the repair cost issue. Nowhere in Leica’s website it says the Q2 is weatherproof, because that would be false advertisement. Weatherproof is not the same as weather resistant. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BlackBarn Posted October 10, 2020 Share #19 Posted October 10, 2020 15 minutes ago, nico4444 said: because that would be false advertisement Don’t think that bothers Leica.....have you read the M9 one advertised as a ‘life time of use’..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted October 10, 2020 Share #20 Posted October 10, 2020 21 minutes ago, nico4444 said: did you bother reading the replies at all? We have already discussed this and we have all come to the conclusion that it was user error with the OP coming to terms with it and solving the repair cost issue. Nowhere in Leica’s website it says the Q2 is weatherproof, because that would be false advertisement. Weatherproof is not the same as weather resistant. I did yes, but you seemed to contradict yourself. Glad we all agree. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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