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Milton Keynes stuns with its efficiency - again!


wlaidlaw

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I really loved that grey steel look on the M9. Am I so wrong? It looks really nice on the photos in their site...

 

Yes but so does synthetic mashed potato on TV adverts.

 

I am now wondering whether to phone up Arta down in Nice to see if they have a grey demo one in stock and go and have a look at it if they have. I know they had a black one in and I could take my chrome 35 Lux to see what the combo looks like.

 

Wilson

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I really loved that grey steel look on the M9. Am I so wrong? It looks really nice on the photos in their site...

 

You're not wrong - it looks great - a subtle change from the brighter chrome finish. The demand for it IMO speaks for itself.

 

YMMV of course - but don't knock it until you have seen it.

 

Interesting that the Leica shop indicates upcoming a la carte options - I expect that they won't actually appear (if ever) until the initial demand burst has been satisfied and production can settle down.

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I have just looked at the Leica website again and I agree that the grey M9 looks good on that. I note that the model they show there has the early M8 rubber covering. I assume this is an error and that all the production ones actually have the leatherish vulcanite, irrespective of whether black or grey paint. I really dislike that industrial rubber covering and have replaced it with Cameraleather Rollei Black Magic on my M8, which to my eyes is a huge improvement both in appearance and handling.

 

Wilson

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I note that the model they show there has the early M8 rubber covering. I assume this is an error and that all the production ones actually have the leatherish vulcanite, irrespective of whether black or grey paint.

 

I think you assume wrong. The demo I played with is a production model and had the old M8 leatherette on it.

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I think you assume wrong. The demo I played with is a production model and had the old M8 leatherette on it.

 

Ian,

 

What with the Humbrol paint job and rubber covering, which gets very slimy in hot weather, I am wondering if I have got this wrong and I should have taken the black one that was on offer. I thought Leica had worked out that virtually nobody liked the rubber covering on the original M8, which is why they changed it on the M8-2. One really does wonder where Leica's head is at.

 

Wilson

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What you describe as "rubber" covering is really the same hardened material as the vulcanite, just with a finer texture. I know this because I have never had an M8, only M8.2, and examined the grey camera in the shop to find out how that felt.

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Andy,

 

I am calling it as I see it - a very frustrated customer. This is a camera I will keep for many years (I still have my IIF bought new by my father in 1953), so I will wait for a grey one. I suspect one of my main lenses will be my 35 Summilux which is chrome. I don't mind black lenses on a chrome/grey body but I don't like chrome lenses on a black body. If Leica UK did not have a grey body to send to my dealer they should have said so in the phone call last Thursday. I suspect it is just a cock up and I hope they will get it sorted out.

 

I am afraid pretty much all my dealings with MK over years have been rubbish. NJ got very heavily criticised last year and now seem to be improving. If nobody tells MK in a public forum that their performance is unacceptable, they will never improve. Writing letters to them seems like water off a duck's back. My meeting with Stefan Daniel last year, where this was one of the subjects I was going to raise, got cancelled on the morning of the meeting, after I had driven to Solms and paid for an overnight stay. What else can I do?

 

Wilson

 

 

Wilson

 

You are absolutely right to post your experience. The transparency of facts provided through the forum .....force the issues to management. When you present facts on your experience(verse the more subjective "service is bad argument " .....you contribute to positive change.

 

You like many of the forum members have a lot invested in Leica and I believe your purpose in this post is to create some positive action.

 

I can still remember the many times I was told that " lens calibration was an isolated issue..and that few complained" . I think I had the "only back focusing 50 summilux in the world at one point". Never completely gone ..those issues have been aggressively addressed by Leica.

 

Without some level of the push back......the new "standard of performance " will be " you take whatever you can get and be damn happy you got anything at all" . I don t believe this is anybody's best interest.

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Wilson, having had a play this afternoon in the new Mayfair shop I can reliably inform you that the grey one looks like shit. I'd keep the black one if I was you.

 

I second the above comment.I was in David Stephens shop in Manchester last night and was able to examine a black paint M9 and the grey M9. Colour is all about personal preferance but I was informed that the Black paint finish on the M9 will be harder wearing than the grey paint finish. My own first choice would be Black chrome (M6 quality not M8 version) second choice silver chrome.If I order one soon I will go for black paint but still undecided.

Brian

 

ps If Steve Unsworth reads this ,sorry about the typo in prev post.David won`t be bothered he only wants my money ( grin):D

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Ian,

 

What with the Humbrol paint job and rubber covering, which gets very slimy in hot weather, I am wondering if I have got this wrong and I should have taken the black one that was on offer. I thought Leica had worked out that virtually nobody liked the rubber covering on the original M8, which is why they changed it on the M8-2. One really does wonder where Leica's head is at.

 

Wilson

 

I think that its about having something extra to offer on the M9.2. When the M9.2 comest as surelly as the sunrise they will have a saphire screan and Silver chrome finish as an option.

Almost forgot, an earlier upgrade for M9 for the screan.I am not knocking Leica as such but their business is ultimatly not making cameras but making money. ( the same as every other manufacturer of any product).No point in making the best of anything if you can not sell it at a profit.

Brian

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I better 'fess up. I have changed to a black one after reading your helpful posts and speaking to a couple of dealers. Kicking myself because if I had made this decision a few days ago, the M9 would be in my hot stickies right now. Of course the black M9 that Leica UK sent out in error for me, is now in some other happy user's hands and I will have to wait for the next delivery. My fault, I should have looked more closely at the Leica website but it just did not occur to me that they would put different covers on the two colours. If they now send a grey one for me, I will take it and change the cover to Rollei black magic like my M8 from Cameraleather. Do people think the cover is identical to the M8 or are the lugs or any other items in a slightly different position.

 

Wilson

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