M8 just gave up

Gid

Gid

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Received my M8 on the 25th Jan. Apart from the known issues it has performed wonderfully. Used it last night and downloaded the images this morning - everything fine. Put the SD card back in the camera and switched on. Card light started flashing and didn't stop. Switched off and on again. No battery status or shots showing on top LCD. Press the shutter and nothing shows in VF and shutter won't trip, but card light flashes. Check menus and its all reset to original selections (apart from date and time. Changed battery, changed card, reformatted card, tried the reset option etc, but no joy. What a bummer. The images out of this camera are outstanding (apart from magenta), but 10 days and it fails is not good. It has certainly dented my confidence.
 
You might try a camera reset: turn the switch off; remove the battery; turn the switch on; turn the switch off; put the battery back in.

If that doesn't do it, and you're _sure_ the battery is charged, sounds like you'll need to contact Leica.

Keep us posted.

Jeff
 
Remember we have the Sale of Goods Act in the UK. If you decide you want a refund rather than a repair, don't let the dealer fob you off or claim that you have to take the problem up with the manufacturer. Retailers have a legal obligation to provide goods that are fit for purpose and ten days doesn't really cut it in this respect. Having said this, the M8 still seems to be in short supply in the UK and you may get a working M8 quicker if you send your 'broken' one back to Solms.
 
I've done all the recommended resets. What happens now is that if I switch it on without the battery in and then put the battery in, it switches on and comes up with the bottom cover off warning. The top LCD then works OK and I can take a shot (shutter speed showing), but the menu doesn't work - nothing, no image review, no set etc. If I then switch the camera off and back on, nothing. The QC on this thing is diabolical - way worse than my R-D1.

I'll phone the dealer tomorrow and see what my options are. I can put up with the other stuff because the image quality is that good, but if I can't rely on it then .................
 
Gid: I am sorry to hear about your bad expereince with an M8. Get your money back and think it over whether you want another M8 or not.

Raid
 
Have you tried another card? From what I've read over at the Leica forum, some people's troubles with cards have made them think their cameras were broken.
 
Gid, sorry for your troubles. I'm not meaning an insult here, but did you do all you've done, not realizing, with the bottom cover off?
 
The image quality issues are insignicant compared to the reliability questions IMO.

I'm intending to take mine on a four week photo tour later this year and thousands of pounds will be wasted, and a long standing dream will become a nightmare if the M8 lets me down.

Reliabilty is the key issue to be watched. Many owners claim this is a chance worth taking for everything it offers. BS in my view. It has to work as well as any other digital camera. One might be wise to take a backup body on any assignment, but would two of these be a near guarantee I wonder, .... or maybe three?

Best of luck to you with your camera.
 
There are some card issues, as Nick suggested. Reformat the card on your computer and try it again. If you can't see a menu, that's another problem; to get a really good reset, you can turn off the "battery saver" function for the camera (for which you have to use the menu), put the battery in, turn it on, and let it use up 100 percent of the battery. That seems to do another kid of reset, in which the camera recognizes that the battery is dead. There seem to be occasional problems when a nearly-dead battery is in the camera and it's turned back on; the power level is wrong somehow and it upsets the electronics...

JC
 
rolo said:
I'm intending to take mine on a four week photo tour later this year and thousands of pounds will be wasted, and a long standing dream will become a nightmare if the M8 lets me down.
Click to expand...

I'll address this as someone who travels 200+ days a year. There is no camera on earth I would rely on singly for an unrepeatable trip with important photo ops. Even if the M8 was not still in beta and glitches showing up regularly I would want some form of backup. You bought an early M8, that's water under the bridge, so if it's still working fine by the time your trip comes around, take it and use it. Pack a film M body (if you still have one) and a dozen 36-exp rolls of ISO-400 C41 film (if you won't be where it's readily available) and relax and enjoy your trip.
 
I've tried both of my cards (both sandisk Ultra II 1GB). I've tried both of my batteries. I've tried just about every suggestion that I can find on the net.

Basically it has to go back to Leica or the dealer - I haven't made my mind up about whether or not I want to persevere beyond this or just take the money and go elsewhere. It is a real shame, because the image quality is excellent - superb detail. However, there are so many compromises ............... This does have the potential to be an outstanding camera, but there is a way to go yet.

I really appreciate all the comments from you guys - doesn't make the camera work, but eases the pain.

Now if only I hadn't sold my M6 and MP last Thursday :bang:
 
Gid said:
Put the SD card back in the camera and switched on. Card light started flashing and didn't stop. Switched off and on again. No battery status or shots showing on top LCD. Press the shutter and nothing shows in VF and shutter won't trip, but card light flashes.
Click to expand...

People are very quick to fault the wrong equipment, just like "Customer Service" of most software companies default the caller to clueless mode; both scenarios are wrong.

This happened to me with one SD card (guess? It was a Lexar card which I then immediately traded for an ATP card).

It certainly sounds like your SD card does not like the M8 (or the other way around). Get another SD card (tip: get one made in Taiwan; for some reason, I've never had any issues with any flash memory made in Taiwan)
 
Gid,
I too would be frustrated however take a look at the links below- were I in your shoes I'd at least have another go after all if you like the camera and would have been happy had this not occurred then perhaps you just have a case of common EFR as referenced below.

http://www.standardics.nxp.com/quality/efr/

http://www.ncsd.necel.com/opto/english/faq.html

As supply catches up with demand I'm sure Leica will have the time to more thoroughly test each M8 and thus catch a higher percentage of cameras whose internal electronics are prone to EFR. For now Leica is under intense pressure to fill the pipeline as well cash flow I'd imagine (being a small niche high end manufacturer I have empathy for Leica.) The real issue is how Leica deals with EFR problems- do they offer you a new camera or do they give you the run around? This is also cause to purchase your camera from a good dealer and not someone who washes his or her hands after your check is cashed. It should however be assumed that after your camera passes the critical EFR period, say 2000 exposures, you've got as reliable a digital camera as you could hope for but only time will tell. It should also be assumed that if you do get a EFR unit that Leica will stand behind you and their camera- please let us know if this is so Gid assuming you stick with the M8.
 
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It is suprising to me how many people are willing to accept the flaws and unreliability of this camera. Leica has unbelievably loyal customers. The known "flaws" are one thing and we patiently wait for filters and a firmware upgrade.

The unreliablity issues are now a whole other problem with more problem cameras being reported everyday.

I guess I have been lucky and only had two "freeze ups" one of which was fixed by simply taking the battery out and replacing. The second required the battery being left out overnight before it reset. I have also had sudden battery drain where the battery goes from full to dead in about thirty images. I have charged and drained the battery a couple of times and the problem has not happened again (yet)

The shills say all digital cameras have teething problems -I guess I have been fortunate owning at some stage a Nikon D1x, Canon ID MkII, I DsMkII, 20D and 5D with only experiencing a single easily corrected "freeze up" on my 20D

Here's hoping Leica solve these issues soon!
 
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Gabriel M.A. said:
People are very quick to fault the wrong equipment, just like "Customer Service" of most software companies default the caller to clueless mode; both scenarios are wrong.

This happened to me with one SD card (guess? It was a Lexar card which I then immediately traded for an ATP card).

It certainly sounds like your SD card does not like the M8 (or the other way around). Get another SD card (tip: get one made in Taiwan; for some reason, I've never had any issues with any flash memory made in Taiwan)
Click to expand...

I'm using Sandisk Ultra II 1 Gb. Worked absolutley fine until this morning, so whilst I take your point and if I had another card I'd try it (I'd try anything) I'm not convinced that in this instance its the card.
 
Gid said:
I'm using Sandisk Ultra II 1 Gb. Worked absolutley fine until this morning, so whilst I take your point and if I had another card I'd try it (I'd try anything) I'm not convinced that in this instance its the card.
Click to expand...
Cards do fail. Try to find someone who has another SD from another brand.

I had one of my Canon SLRs "die" once; it was a Simpletech CF card that just literally stopped working, after a few years of use, although it worked absolutely fine during my last two trips to Europe.

imo, I think you should exhaust that possibility before you send it back; there can only be two outcomes: 1) it's the card; 2) it's the camera (which you already think it is).
 
rolo said:
The image quality issues are insignicant compared to the reliability questions IMO.

I'm intending to take mine on a four week photo tour later this year and thousands of pounds will be wasted, and a long standing dream will become a nightmare if the M8 lets me down.

Reliabilty is the key issue to be watched. Many owners claim this is a chance worth taking for everything it offers. BS in my view. It has to work as well as any other digital camera. One might be wise to take a backup body on any assignment, but would two of these be a near guarantee I wonder, .... or maybe three?

Best of luck to you with your camera.
Click to expand...

Take a backup camera. Sounds like that trip is too important to be able to count on just a single one - even a reliable old mechanical M body by itself.

/Ira
 
raid said:
Gid: I am sorry to hear about your bad expereince with an M8. Get your money back and think it over whether you want another M8 or not.

Raid
Click to expand...


Once the M8 is out of beta phase it hopefully will be a great camera. Many issues can be fixed with firmware updates.
The IR problem will have to wait for M8.2 or M9. That is what I am waiting for.

Tough decision to make, many did, unfortunately more problems show up on a regular basis.


Andreas
 
Ben Z said:
I'll address this as someone who travels 200+ days a year. There is no camera on earth I would rely on singly for an unrepeatable trip with important photo ops. Even if the M8 was not still in beta and glitches showing up regularly I would want some form of backup. You bought an early M8, that's water under the bridge, so if it's still working fine by the time your trip comes around, take it and use it. Pack a film M body (if you still have one) and a dozen 36-exp rolls of ISO-400 C41 film (if you won't be where it's readily available) and relax and enjoy your trip.
Click to expand...
I travel some 110 days a year. (No little feat since there is only 220 working days per year in a Norwegian work calendar with 5 weeks payed holiday, - by law, etc.) I use my Canon 1Ds II regularly on trips - and used the 1Ds before that.

Read my lips: I have/had no problems whatosever, ever... From icy cold winters here in Norway to swealtering heat & humidity of the jungles in Malaysia.

To take a film body along in todays terrorist-scared and over-controled airports is hardly an option anymore. Try fast film through a security scanner! Only bringing film along in today's digital world awakes suspicion. Have a nice trip!

Just face it: Leica M8 is a scandal! And there is more than two years ahead before any other M-bayonette digital camera will come along (ref. Stephen Gandy).

If ever.
 
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