New M8 Unuseable

[Latecomer]

I took delivery of my M8 approximately 24 hours ago. When I got it home, after charging the battery for almost 3 hours, I cranked up the camera and began to take pictures. They were beautifully sharp but after half an hour, just as I was beginning to get really excited, the camera turned itself off. I removed and reseated the battery and turned on again. The battery indicator registered full charge, but after maybe 15 minutes the camera turned off again.

Subsequently the time before the camera turns off has become shorter and shorter. Now it is only a matter of seconds, so it is effectively useless. I don't think this is just a battery problem because whenever the camera is actually on the indicator shows full charge. With one exception ... I left the battery in the camera overnight, with the camera switched off and this morning the indicator showed no charge. After giving the battery another full charge the camera has reverted to yesterday's behaviour.

I am bitterly disappointed.

 

[gregg]

Crazy! This NEVER happens with my M6. 😉

Seriously though, send/take it back for a replacement. Sounds like defective firmware as the M8 has been a stellar performer in all other regards for many people.

 

[Nachkebia]

I hate when that happens, now you have to wait another month 😀

 

[egpj]

Man that sucks! Send it back and hope for the best. In the mean time, if you still shoot film then go out and have fun with a film M.

 

[John Robertson]

For the money I would be well pissed-off, as a retired pensioner, I just cannot afford to take the risk with this, so the chances of me ever having one is now zero!!

 

[Socke]

It could be a battery problem. I've had that with various LiIon battery powered devices from notebooks to iPods.

Your description sounds very familiar.

 

[jaapv]

Not typical.But I suppose it can happen.It is, after all, an electronic gadget. Just ask your dealer to exchange it for the next one in. Your excitement will mount again.

 

[Nachkebia]

Electronic gadget! LOL what a termin .... M7 is also electronic? 😀 and add god damn M8 to your equipment list! 😀

 

[summilux]

i had this problem with my r-d1s too, maybe a battery problem, i just ignore it and charge the battery whenever I can, the problem did not return afterwards, so you can either return the camera, or let the camera/battery a little run in time.

 

[Ken Tanaka]

Sorry to read of your disappointing situation. If it makes you feel any better you're not alone. I've read at least two other similar reports since the M8 hit the street and one personal acquaintance has experienced a power-chain short that affected images.

Since it's a scarce item it has to go back to the elves in Germany now? Well, perhaps you'll see its return by spring.

If I had just dropped $5,000 on this camera I'd be deeply disappointed by the problem but absolutely foaming if I had to now send it back to the Motherland for repair! Hey, come to think of it, all of the "early adopters" had to send theirs back!

Well, since you claim to have "Too many cameras. Too little time." you should be able to keep yourself entertained.

 

[Bill58]

Wouldn't you think that a factory turning out $5,000 cameras could test each one thoroughly before they went out the door, rather than let the customer do it for them?

 

[Sailor Ted]

First I am sorry to hear about your problem however it could be a battery and as with any electronic devise if you are going to have an issue it will most likely be right away.

Second anything negative that happens with the M8 will be blown out of all proportion in these threads especially by a handful of people with no other reason to be on the M8 board but to ridicule the M8 and it’s users.

Third if this were a common problem it would be reported ad nauseam.

Forth for those who feel the only good Leica is a film Leica you are incorrect. The market has resoundingly rejected this and film cameras will continue to loose favor among consumers and therefore film cameras will be less and less profitable for companies like Leica to pursue- exclusively. Of course there will be a niche market for film lovers for years to come and I for one am glad of it. However if we want anything other then cheap Bessa film bodies and used Leicas let’s hope the M8 is received with the respect its IQ and design deserve.

Lastly I do hope this sorts it’s self out either with a battery, an overnight charge, or a new body. I can tell you from a die hard Leica film guy I have never enjoyed a camera so much as I do my M8.

Cheers,
Ted

 

[Latecomer]

Thanks folks for your comments. I have stopped weeping, pulled up my socks and put on a happy face.

I just know I have the right camera to meet my needs.

Cheers

 

[RML]

This does really sound like a battery problem.

I use 1 Epson battery and 2 generic NP-80 batteries with my R-D1. The Epson still works flawlessly but the generic ones don't. Even after having them charged overnight, 1 is empty the moment I turn on the camera. The other is nearly empty and works for less than 25 shots (with no chimping). These batteries I got at the same time as my Epson battery.

Either you battery is old and should never have been used, or it's faulty and should never have been gone through QC. Either way, try a new battery first and see how that works. It could be a camera problem but a new battery should make that clear quickly. If the camera is at fault, return it and have it replaced or repaired under warranty.

 

[Ken Tanaka]

This does really sound like a battery problem.

I use 1 Epson battery and 2 generic NP-80 batteries with my R-D1. The Epson still works flawlessly but the generic ones don't. Even after having them charged overnight, 1 is empty the moment I turn on the camera. The other is nearly empty and works for less than 25 shots (with no chimping). These batteries I got at the same time as my Epson battery.

Either you battery is old and should never have been used, or it's faulty and should never have been gone through QC. Either way, try a new battery first and see how that works. It could be a camera problem but a new battery should make that clear quickly. If the camera is at fault, return it and have it replaced or repaired under warranty.

This is an M8...the batteries CAN'T be "old"! Also, to "try a new battery first" he'll probably have to buy a new M8 since Leica has not provided an adequate spare battery supply in the market.

 

[RML]

Of course the batteries can be old! My guess is these are just standard batteries, produced by the ton, but just labelled Leica. Epson did the same thing for the R-D1. Canon, Nikon, etc do the same for every single model they bring to market. Why would Leica do differently?

You can't get a spare battery for the M8? Sounds a bit odd to me but I guess you know more than I do. However, that makes me wonder how people will fare when away from a power socket for an extended period.

 

[Socke]

There are not many companies capable of producing LiIon cells and a couple more putting those cells in a nicely finished plastic shells.

Leica is none of either so the batteries must be from a second source, but it would fit traditional german engineering if they had a special shell designed to fit their body. Designing the battery compartment for an off the shelf battery would be too easy 🙂

 

[RML]

Designing the battery compartment for an off the shelf battery would be too easy 🙂

Sounds like a job for Porsche Design. 😛

 

[Ken Tanaka]

Sounds like a job for Porsche Design. 😛

At a list price of $110 for each 3.7v, 1900 mAh battery it looks like they already are Porsche, or Ferrari, or Bentley.

But of course I know that they're better batteries than those of any other digital camera. Being Leica's they're awesome.

 

[Ben Z]

anything negative that happens with the M8 will be blown out of all proportion in these threads especially by a handful of people with no other reason to be on the M8 board but to ridicule the M8 and it’s users.

Again with the defensive personal attacks Ted?

Nothing anyone could add to "I just bought a $5000 camera and it doesn't work and there are none at the dealer to swap so I'll have to send it to Germany and be without it for perhaps a couple of months while it depreciates and I'm losing interest (or maybe paying interest) on the money I spent " that would blow it out of proportion. It's already at the high end of the disappointment scale I would think.

But the problem isn't the M8, it's the supply situation. If he'd just bought a Canon or Nikon DSLR and had the same problem, he'd be able to send or take it back to the dealer and they'd give him another one (assuming he didn't buy from some fly-by-night internet "store"). And he'd be able to try a different battery to see if that was the culprit. At some point in the not distant future there will not only be a better chance of getting a bug-less unit, but if there are problems out of the box there will be a good chance of getting a quick swap-out, just as is the case with the film M bodies. Leica dealers are among the best in terms of customer service, but right now their hands are fairly well tied because the supplyline is not up to speed.