M10-P Leica Repair USA (NJ) Image Electronics complete

[EricJangg]

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I just wanted to share some updates and thoughts about Leica Repair USA.

Recently, I purchased a used Leica M10-P, but immediately the camera started having issues. The LCD would display a checkerboard pattern if live view was on for a while or if the camera was exposed to a lot of heat. Since I bought the camera abroad, there wasn’t much I could do about it. (A word of caution: be careful when buying an expensive camera abroad. I don’t recommend it—lesson learned.)

I contacted Leica Repair in New Jersey and dropped off the camera. They were able to reproduce the issue and gave me a repair estimate of around 1300 USD, with the main cost being labor and a motherboard part called "Image Electronics Complete."

The Image Electronics (motherboard) is part of the camera's capturing electronics. It helps create and store the images and also generates the pictures you see on the LCD.

They told me the repair would take about two months, and I should be getting my camera back soon. However, about a week ago (almost 2 months have passed), they emailed me saying that the necessary component (the motherboard) is out of stock, so there will be a delay in the repair.

So far, I appreciate their responsiveness in replying to my emails and providing updates. However, I am a little concerned about the longevity of the Leica M10 series in general. I expected Leica to support their cameras for a while, especially considering the support they’ve shown for the M9 and M8. It also seems like the M10 and M11 models often have software or hardware issues that weren’t present in the M240 or M8. While Leica is expanding into fashion and heavily marketing through influencers, I feel sad that some of the craftsmanship and quality control Leica once stood for seems to be slipping. I love Leica and its history, and I've purchased many film and digital cameras from them. I just hope they stand behind their products more, especially given the premium price they ask for them.

I may sound a bit negative, but honestly, I do love the M10-P and hope to have it back in my hands soon. In the meantime, my Leica M8 and MP are still going strong. I just wanted to share my thoughts and see how everyone else’s Leica cameras are holding up.

(P.S. My brand new MP also had a motherboard issue, so I sent it back to Germany a month after purchasing it brand new from Leica (under warranty).)

Edited October 2, 2024 by EricJangg

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[LocalHero1953]

I've heard this 'the part we need is out of stock' excuse for Leica's slow repair times so often now that I'm sceptical. 

[Smudgerer]

Yes, with all the energy that Leica is investing in new products it is unfortunate, ( to say the least ), that they seem to have done very little, if anything, to address the inexcusable and often frustrating long service times for their products. They, Leica, are fortunate to have a very patient and forgiving customer base that despite expressing anger at the abysmal Customer Service experience seem to keep returning to the brand none the less.

[Crem]

20 hours ago, LocalHero1953 said:

I've heard this 'the part we need is out of stock' excuse for Leica's slow repair times so often now that I'm sceptical. 

I doubt the manufacturer of the m10 sensor is still making more of them. Same with whoever made the board it sits on. If Leica has run out of these boards they may be refurbishing dead ones in batches. Probably some specific components on it can be replaced and the board is good again. Total speculation obviously, but it is one of the reasons I sold off my M10-D.

[LocalHero1953]

2 hours ago, Crem said:

I doubt the manufacturer of the m10 sensor is still making more of them. Same with whoever made the board it sits on. If Leica has run out of these boards they may be refurbishing dead ones in batches. Probably some specific components on it can be replaced and the board is good again. Total speculation obviously, but it is one of the reasons I sold off my M10-D.

The excuse has been given for lens repair delays as well.

This is why manufacturers should plan to hold enough stocks for future repairs. (And the M10 models are not known to break down more than others). 

Edited October 4, 2024 by LocalHero1953

[Crem]

5 hours ago, LocalHero1953 said:

The excuse has been given for lens repair delays as well.

This is why manufacturers should plan to hold enough stocks for future repairs. (And the M10 models are not known to break down more than others). 

Oh I know all too well. I had a defective lens I had to send in (new out of the box). Management is clearly focused on pumping out new items and not into quality control, product testing, and repairs. 

The m10 models have always been reliable for me. In no way do I think they will die early in general. That said I don’t trust Leica to plan for such events. This is why instead of stocking up on millions of euros of spare m10 boards they probably will charge customers $1300 to refurbish old boards. Most electronic parts can be fixed given enough money and time. 

[EricJangg]

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On 10/3/2024 at 3:13 AM, LocalHero1953 said:

I've heard this 'the part we need is out of stock' excuse for Leica's slow repair times so often now that I'm sceptical. 

If that were the case, I would be very disappointed in them. They've had my camera for more than two months, and now they're saying the parts needed are out of stock, which sounds suspicious

[tobey bilek]

They have had long repair times since my first Leica in 1980.  Nothing new.  I think they have trouble getting good people.

[lm_user]

Something I hear often from companies.   “We can’t find good people.”    More accurate statement would be: “We can’t find good people for the wage we are offering.” 

[EricJangg]

Just a little update: I still haven't received my camera. When I contacted them to check on the status, they told me they would put my name on the Leica M10 and M10P borrower list. There are three people ahead of me, so I'm not sure if I'll receive the loaner or if the repair will finish first. I also mentioned that I'm part of LFI, and they gave me a 15% discount, which is great. While this is good news, I still hope to get my camera back by the end of this year.

They said they ordered two boards that I needed from Germany months ago, but they haven't received anything yet. So I'm unsure whether to blame Leica Germany or Leica USA for the slow turnaround. I'm just trying to keep faith that everything will be taken care of.

But in hindsight, I wonder what a professional would do. My main occupation is research in brain diseases, so while I miss my Leica, I can get by with film Leicas. But what would a professional photographer do in this situation? It would be a real disaster.

[jdlaing]

A professional would have a backup.

[Stephen.s1]

Two of 'em.

Eric I'm sorry to hear about your problems.  I'm one of the M10/M10M owners who have never had any sort of glitch.  Lucky?...

I'm in North Branford... just next door to you.

[lldd]

I sent my M10-R to NJ to have the baseplate tightened.  It took 4 trips.  They twice scratched the trim that surrounds the viewfinder, and sent it back once with the rangefinder completely out of calibration.  It took a call to a local Leica dealer, who knew the service manager in NJ and contacted her for assistance.  Even she provided minimal information.  24,000 miles of air travel and months of waiting to fix a baseplate.  I've owned various M cameras consistently since 2009.  That ended today, as I just dropped it off at FedEx to send to MPB for cash.  For me, the two primary reasons to own a Leica are reliability and unique image quality/look.  Since neither of those any longer apply to the brand, there's simply no reason to continue to put up with their poor service.  I'll miss the camera, but not the company.

[codocee]

I have a M262 that has never blinked and a MM with 13 spots all over the images above f/4. I missed the Leica “goodwill” effort but decided against the $1500 repair when Leica so generously offered it. I live with the monochrome at f1.4-f/4 and if needed, I’ll fix it in post.

I’ve decided my money with Leica ends when these classics fail. Battery availability will probably do in the 262 before anything else. It has been flawless.

[Helge]

Am 4.11.2024 um 12:50 schrieb lm_user:

Something I hear often from companies.   “We can’t find good people.”    More accurate statement would be: “We can’t find good people for the wage we are offering.” 

At least for Germany your statement is pretty wrong. Germany has a major issue with the availability of work force in all levels of qualification.

And Leica pays pretty well.

[EricJangg]

On 11/14/2024 at 1:32 PM, lldd said:

I sent my M10-R to NJ to have the baseplate tightened.  It took 4 trips.  They twice scratched the trim that surrounds the viewfinder, and sent it back once with the rangefinder completely out of calibration.  It took a call to a local Leica dealer, who knew the service manager in NJ and contacted her for assistance.  Even she provided minimal information.  24,000 miles of air travel and months of waiting to fix a baseplate.  I've owned various M cameras consistently since 2009.  That ended today, as I just dropped it off at FedEx to send to MPB for cash.  For me, the two primary reasons to own a Leica are reliability and unique image quality/look.  Since neither of those any longer apply to the brand, there's simply no reason to continue to put up with their poor service.  I'll miss the camera, but not the company.

I am very sorry that happened to you. A quick update from my side: after waiting eight months, I finally got my camera back. However, the leather was not properly attached, so I sent it back to Leica. No one informed me that I needed to submit the repair form again, so they just held onto my camera for two weeks. I repeatedly asked for an update on the status, and only after two weeks did they re-enter my camera into the system. I finally got the camera back after 3 weeks or so. 

I took a picture and immediately noticed a huge dead pixel line, which I’ve never seen before on this camera. I can only assume that during the repair, they somehow managed to damage the sensor.

Originally, I sent the camera in due to erratic noise appearing in live view (LV) after about 15 minutes. Now, the noise appears after 30 seconds, and sometimes even after just 5 minutes. So essentially, after eight months, and paying $1300, I received a camera with a broken sensor and a new motherboard that didn’t even fix the original issue.

Apparently, this is the new "Leica Experience." I'm currently in contact with them again, and they’re telling me they will fix the dead pixel issue (a huge black line across the image) with a firmware update… which I find completely unacceptable.

I think this might be the last straw. I’ve loved Leica since 2005. I still have my M3, M4-2, MP (bought new), M8, and M10-P. But today, I think my support for Leica has ended.