LEICA CAMERA KOREA LTD

[JASPERIMAGE]

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I just purchased a Brand New Leica SL2 in Scotland. 

However, I noted that the box is actually marked Leica Camera Korea Ltd

I registered my New Camera with Leica and no probs, however, I did find that it only had Firmware 2 within and allegedly there was no update, however, I knew that there was, downloaded same and it updated ok.

I THOUGHT THAT A LEICA CAMERAS WERE MADE IN GERMANY

Why Leica Cameras Korea Ltd

[Pintpot]

Google Leica camera Korea ltd & you'll find Leica are all over the place.

My Dlux 7 states on the base - Made in China - 

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[jaapv]

What is marked on the camera?  

[JASPERIMAGE]

17 minutes ago, jaapv said:

What is marked on the camera?  

Leica. 

To all intents, it appears to be a Genuine Leica, however, if all Leica's are made in Germany why have marked on bob - Leica Camera Korea Ltd

[Al Brown]

47 minutes ago, JASPERIMAGE said:

I THOUGHT THAT A LEICA CAMERAS WERE MADE IN GERMANY

Leica Cameras were also made in Canada and Portugal for a long time and Panasonic rebranded Leicas were lately made in China.

[JASPERIMAGE]

39 minutes ago, Pintpot said:

Google Leica camera Korea ltd & you'll find Leica are all over the place.

My Dlux 7 states on the base - Made in China - 

I did that, it comes up with NOTHING, yep, they have a Shop in Korea.

Have actually sent an email to Leica Customer Support.

Will see what they have to say.

[jaapv]

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Maybe the box is made in Korea. I can assure you that your camera will say "made in Germany" There are NO non-genuine Leica digital cameras. 
Having said that, the parts supply is global nowadays. "Made in Germany" only means that the final assembly is done in Wetzlar (and - most importantly- the design). Should you open the camera up, you will see many parts marked "Panasonic" and quite a few generic ones  - mostly made in China. Not only with Leica, similarly with other brands. Camera factories are mainly assembly plants with an R&D department nowadays.

Actually, I think that Leica Korea ltd is the importer and that the name of the importer is supposed to be on the box for legal reasons.

[beewee]

Not sure if the shop you purchased in Scotland is an authorized reseller. It sounds like the camera you bought could be a grey-market item which are legitimate and genuine products but sold in a market which for which it was not intended. This tends to be more common in places like Hong Kong where there are both official/authorized retailers and unofficial Leica retailers. The unofficial retailers can be reputable and they do sell genuine products but often at a lower price because they source their products destined for other markets and often sell at a reduced price from other local authorized retailers. An example of this is rangefinder.com.hk which has a good reputation but they are not an official Leica retailer.

Personally, unless I’m going to get a 20+% discount from a grey-market dealer, I’d probably go for the used market if it’s priced well and in as-new condition or pay full price from an official Leica retailer to get a 3yr passport warranty from Leica.

[frame-it]

the box from the Leica stores here does say Leica camera Korea, but its an extra sticker with import details, NOT printed on the box, the print on the box says made in germany

[Stuart Richardson]

I agree. It sounds like your reseller sourced the camera from Korea. There is nothing inherently wrong with that. They may not have had stock in your local distributor (UK I would assume), or perhaps it was cheaper for them. It could also be the distributor itself that got it from Korea if there was an oversupply there and a shortage in the UK. The cameras are all the same, though there are sometimes different plugs, but mostly Leica cameras all come with world plugs anyway. You are welcome to ask your store or customer service about it, but don’t worry about getting an inferior product. They are all finished in Germany and started in Portugal (where Leica has had a high tech factory for decades). 

Edited May 4, 2022 by Stuart Richardson

[BernardC]

No need to worry. The box it came in was probably originally meant to go to the Korean importer, but the camera inside will be the same as any other SL2.

The firmware would have been current at time of manufacture. Dealers sometimes load the latest firmware as a courtesy, but it's always a good idea to download any available updates when you buy a camera/computer/phone/(anything with firmware really).

[jaapv]

Leica does not make guarantee probleMs about grey import fortunately.

[LocalHero1953]

I received a new Q2 today, bought in the UK (also Scotland, from ffordes). The bottom of the inner (presentation) box also says Leica Korea Ltd. But this is underneath just one of a series of symbols. This appears to be a 'KC' mark, a standard for electronic equipment using wireless communication. I haven't investigated further, but I guess the Leica Korea name is there as the company that has been granted the KC mark for an import.

So, no need to worry!

This site explains the standard: http://kostec.org/eng/domestic/rf.php

 

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Edited May 5, 2022 by LocalHero1953

[laowai_]

It's  very likely that the battery is made in Korea. 

[jaapv]

My bet is Indonesia  

[LocalHero1953]

Wherever it's made (and the Q2 is made/assembled in Germany, like the SL), it would need the KC mark for import into Korea. Leica just prints the boxes so they can be sent anywhere.

[Ba Erv]

1 hour ago, laowai_ said:

It's  very likely that the battery is made in Korea. 

The SL/Q2 batteries are made by Panasonic Energy Wuxi Co in China. 

[Ray Im]

Hi, 

I am a Korean American artist in NC, US. I know about KC mark. KC mark basically means a National Integrated Certification for the communication equipment in South Korea. It is a same thing like CE mark in EU. I believe that Leica uses wifi module parts made in Korea since Korean letters under Leica Camera Korea Ltd. means "Specific Low Power Wireless Device."