fotografr Posted November 12, 2006 Share #1 Posted November 12, 2006 Advertisement (gone after registration) "Solms--Leica Camera AG announced this morning that they will cease operation at the end of this month. The reason for this action, according to company officials, is the severe erosion of confidence in the company as evidenced by cancelled orders for their new venture in digital imaging, the Leica M8. Company officials explained further that, in an ironic twist, members of a web forum supported by the company fueled a wildfire storm of controversy over reported problems with the M8, which quickly spread to other web forums causing a collapse of the company's stock value." Relax. The above statement is NOT true. But the way several people on this forum have been acting, it may not be far off. I'd like to suggest that the people who have been spewing all the rumors and accusations just back off for a while, give Leica time to work out the problems with the M8 and stop acting like jilted boyfriends out for revenge. Here's an even more novel idea: Pick up a camera, make some images and post them on the Photo forum. It's been kind of lonely over there lately. If you look at the numbers, they generally show around 120 members viewing the Digital forum while around 10 are on the Photo forum. I guess that indicates how much easier it is to sit around and piss off than it is to actually go out and take a few good pictures. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted November 12, 2006 Posted November 12, 2006 Hi fotografr, Take a look here Leica To Close . I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
hyper67 Posted November 12, 2006 Share #2 Posted November 12, 2006 I agree Leica needs our support to get by this one. However to the defence of the people on this forum it is through them that we not only learnt of the problems but also that I believe pressurized Leica into coming out with an official statement. If the engineers are doing their best and I belive they are I think the overzealous marketeers have dealt a blow to the company. A blow that we will have to help heal by showing our support as we wait for the fixes. and yes those that have the camera go out and bring us back some great pictures. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vivek Iyer Posted November 12, 2006 Share #3 Posted November 12, 2006 I'd like to suggest that the people who have been spewing all the rumors and accusations just back off for a while.. Couldn't agree more. The fellows who calimed the '"perfect" digital camera ought take their statements back. The so called "reviewers" also could use some honesty. The IR leak issue is a minor problem. Current owners of the M8 can easily take care of it by using the appropriate IR cut filters. Some of the folks should pipe down the hysteria realted to filter use. For heaven's sake this is after all digital capture that is going to go through several electronic interations before the image hits the print medium. So, forget the film days and the puritanic ways of thinking. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
R10dreamer Posted November 12, 2006 Share #4 Posted November 12, 2006 Brent, you about made my heart stop. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexr Posted November 12, 2006 Share #5 Posted November 12, 2006 It is rather harsh to accuse those of have highlighted the problem of wanting to "kill" the company. If anything, by pointing out the issues they are helping the company from killing itself. We all wish for Leica to continue, and keep making superlative instruments. But is is surely not the fault of people willing to invest 5000$ in their latest camera if the camera is (at present) not fully operational. That is a Leica problem. Ultimately they have all the answers, survival or non-survival depends on them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hyper67 Posted November 12, 2006 Share #6 Posted November 12, 2006 I wonder if all the lights are on at Solms as we speak? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leicamann Posted November 12, 2006 Share #7 Posted November 12, 2006 Advertisement (gone after registration) Brent...doesn't this remind you of former times about the D1, D2, DMR and if it was possible before the R8, R9, M and M7..same doomsday scenario every time. I know that Leica will iron out these issues and the M8 will become legandary. Oh ..when the M8 issues are ironed out..keep in mind there will be "M8 mania and a flood and preponderance of M8 images for some time":D Regards, Leicamann Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andym911 Posted November 12, 2006 Share #8 Posted November 12, 2006 " But the way several people on this forum have been acting, it may not be far off. I'd like to suggest that the people who have been spewing all the rumors and accusations just back off for a while, give Leica time to work out the problems with the M8 and stop acting like jilted boyfriends out for revenge. . mmm..interesting, 'rumors and accusations'..can you provide a few examples? andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
clayh Posted November 12, 2006 Share #9 Posted November 12, 2006 Virtually all of the reported problems with the M8 are actual problems. Not rumors. I swear that Leica has one of the most loyal customer bases I have ever seen. Even in the face of incontrovertible evidence that they have turned out a substandard product, and asked columnists not to report these problems, there is a chorus of "It's not their fault, give them a chance!". They gotta love that kind of loyalty in the same way the alcoholic loves the long-suffering spouse who defends their loutish behavior as 'being misunderstood'. "Solms-- I'd like to suggest that the people who have been spewing all the rumors and accusations just back off for a while, give Leica time to work out the problems with the M8 and stop acting like jilted boyfriends out for revenge. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
R10dreamer Posted November 12, 2006 Share #10 Posted November 12, 2006 If my spouse took pictures as well as a Leica does I would have to agree with you. But she doesn't. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmr Posted November 12, 2006 Share #11 Posted November 12, 2006 Brent, let me check I've understood... you're suggesting that we use our cameras to take some photographs, present them in the photo section, and then actually comment constructively on each others' work... my dear boy, what can you be thinking, don't you know there's a war on. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotografr Posted November 12, 2006 Author Share #12 Posted November 12, 2006 mmm..interesting, 'rumors and accusations'..can you provide a few examples? andy Read the thread about Michael Reichmann's review. It finally had to be locked down by the moderator. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vivek Iyer Posted November 12, 2006 Share #13 Posted November 12, 2006 I was a bit surprised to see that locked up. No one was hurling anything at LL "review", IMO. Locking that thread has not enhanced the credibility of LL or any other "reviewer" who kept quiet. What they did was bad for their business and it would transcend Leica M8. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotografr Posted November 12, 2006 Author Share #14 Posted November 12, 2006 Virtually all of the reported problems with the M8 are actual problems. Not rumors. I swear that Leica has one of the most loyal customer bases I have ever seen. Even in the face of incontrovertible evidence that they have turned out a substandard product, and asked columnists not to report these problems, there is a chorus of "It's not their fault, give them a chance!". They gotta love that kind of loyalty in the same way the alcoholic loves the long-suffering spouse who defends their loutish behavior as 'being misunderstood'. These same loyal customers pay no attention to what reviewers have been saying about the positive aspects of the M8. Both Sean Reid and Michael Reichmann ended up buying them for themselves--in spite of the problems. I'm not making a blanket accusation here because it's true that some forum members have been simply trying to provide accurate information about the M8 problems. But there are quite a few who seem to have lost their sense of balance and fairness and are causing such irreperable harm to Leica that the company may not be able to recover no matter what solutions they come up with. "Virtually all of the reported problems with the M8 are actual problems. Not rumors." Re-read the thread about the Michael Reichmann review--the one that has now been locked down. The "rumor" reference is about what people are saying about the actions of individuals at Leica Camera AG--not about the camera's problems. Those are real and have been acknowledged by everyone involved. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vivek Iyer Posted November 12, 2006 Share #15 Posted November 12, 2006 Brent, Instead of defending some incomplete "reviews", point to the giants like Jack Flesher. He does not post much anywhere but whatever he posts is always substantial. Jack isn't making any money off of his posts on the inetrnet unlike some other socalled "reviewers". Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giulio Zanni Posted November 12, 2006 Share #16 Posted November 12, 2006 I was about to faint...... Leica M has always been the premier tool for photojournalism or social documentary photography. Almost all legendary Magnum photographers shot historical pictures with the Leica M, which has seen all the conflicts of the past 60 years...so, without offense to anybody, I don't understand why Leica didn't use photojournalists to test the camera instead of....some wedding photographers :-o Giulio Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
R10dreamer Posted November 12, 2006 Share #17 Posted November 12, 2006 Giulio, You better start ducking. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted November 12, 2006 Share #18 Posted November 12, 2006 ...I'd like to suggest that the people who have been spewing all the rumors and accusations just back off for a while, give Leica time to work out the problems with the M8 and stop acting like jilted boyfriends out for revenge... OK for giving Leica some time of course but it is quite fortunate that some of us have discovered the bugs so soon IMO. Better this than class actions don't you think so? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andym911 Posted November 12, 2006 Share #19 Posted November 12, 2006 Brent, With all respect to your point of view, it is posts like yours that will give Leica the confidence to charge for the retrofit/ filters or whatever it takes to get the M8 'roadworthy'. This display of sympathy and understanding for LEICA is exactly what the average user like myself does not need. If I get a $300 bill for the three I/R filters I will need, it will be because of posts like yours. Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotografr Posted November 12, 2006 Author Share #20 Posted November 12, 2006 Brent, Instead of defending some incomplete "reviews", point to the giants like Jack Flesher. He does not post much anywhere but whatever he posts is always substantial. Jack isn't making any money off of his posts on the inetrnet unlike some other socalled "reviewers". ALL I'm trying to do is get people to relax a bit and give them a chance to work the bugs out. This stuff has spread from our forum to several others and the loss of credibility for Leica will hurt all of us in the end. Some people are so vitriolic in their remarks it seems they would have Leica just fold up and never bring another product to market. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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