M8 sold out

[Olsen]

I went to the Leica importer today to pick my two Leica lenses that has been to Solms for code tagging & bayonet replacement. Behind me comes a Leica customer who wants a M8 'fast'. He was answered that 'the whole city' (Oslo) is 'dry' and has been so for up to a month; there is no M8's available. We are now in the middle of the summer holiday here in Norway and the Leica importer Farnes/Interfoto runs on reduced staff. The guy behind the counter had 'no idea' about when new M8s would be available again.

I interprit this as a good sign; that Leica must have sold more M8 'than they reckoned with'...

 

[garethc]

Yes, the signs seem to point to the fact that the M8 is selling very well. That said, they seem to be readily(ish) available in England, or at least London. The London Camera Exchange were even selling three 'demo' units for £2500. Demo units that hardn't actually ever been used with a lens on!

 

[raid]

I prefer to wait for an upgraded M9 or M10. Then the chances of needing repair so quickly will be down.

Raid

 

[Joop van Heijgen]

I prefer to wait for an upgraded M9 or M10. Then the chances of needing repair so quickly will be down.

Raid

I agree; unfortunately the M8 is technically not a very reliable camera!

All the owners of the M8 who I know have to bring the M 8 for repair!:bang:

 

[Mackinaw]

All the owners of the M8 who I know have to bring the M 8 for repair!:bang:

How many M8 owners do you know?

Jim B.

 

[HAnkg]

I prefer to wait for an upgraded M9 or M10. Then the chances of needing repair so quickly will be down.

Raid

Each new camera is a whole new ballgame with different chip, electronics and software. Canon has been at it longer then anyone and has had spectacular success, yet the new 1d MK III which is by all acounts an incredible camera has some serious issues with autofocus that the MK II didnt have. When you are dealing with software and electronics there is no guarantee the next version will have more or less problems then the previous. The more ambitious and innovative the designers the more likely there will be bugs. The early buyers or should I say beta testers find out how trouble free or not a new digicam is.

 

[Joop van Heijgen]

How many M8 owners do you know?

Jim B.

I know 5 owners. A time ago there was a workshop of the Leica dealer (in the Netherlands) with Leica M8 and other Leica cameras and lenses!
I spoke with a few users of the M8. They got the M8 since dec. '06.
All of them had small or big problems with the M8.
A repair in Solms will take about ten weeks!

The R8/9 appeared to have less problems with the digital-module!

The concept of the M8 is fine; but it has still not yet the reliability of the mechanical M- Leicas! A question of time we hope....

 

[GrahamWelland]

I think it's important to compare the experience of M8 buyers TODAY vs the first crop of early adopters who got the first generation of M8s that Leica took back and fixed.

I've had mine since January and it has had no problems whatsoever. There were some earlier firmware bugs that got fixed when Leica released new firmware.

 

[anselwannab]

There was just something about Norway having the greatest proportion of millionaires per capita in the world. I wonder if that has anything to do with the lack of M8's?

Mark

 

[raid]

Mark: I heard somewhere that Hong Kong has the highest proportion of billionaires per capita. They have quite often Leica sales there.

 

[grduprey]

My M8, bought in February has been flaw free from the start. Still performs just as expected. Why wait, there will mostlikely not be a FF version for the forseeable future, and really who cares? image quality is great as is, goout and buy a M8 and start enjoying RF photography now.

Gene

 

[Olsen]

There was just something about Norway having the greatest proportion of millionaires per capita in the world. I wonder if that has anything to do with the lack of M8's?

Mark

That's right, but still Norway hasn't been a good market for Leica. There is far more Leicas 'per capita' in Sweden and Denmark. I can only speculate why.

It is easy to become a dollar millionaire in Norway. You just had to buy a house or a flat in sentral Oslo in the late 70' or early 80' for, say, a million NOK, duly and pay down you loans - and sit and wait, untill the value exeends 5,7 million NOK, a pritty ordinary price for a home in Oslo today. Then you are a dollar millionaire.

 

[jaapv]

I know 5 owners. A time ago there was a workshop of the Leica dealer (in the Netherlands) with Leica M8 and other Leica cameras and lenses!
I spoke with a few users of the M8. They got the M8 since dec. '06.
All of them had small or big problems with the M8.
A repair in Solms will take about ten weeks!

The R8/9 appeared to have less problems with the digital-module!

The concept of the M8 is fine; but it has still not yet the reliability of the mechanical M- Leicas! A question of time we hope....

You didn't speak to me, my cousin and about three other Dutch users I know... I have two bodies. One had a minor electronic problem, the other was a November camera that had to be updated. In both cases turnaround by Solms was twelve days including shipping.Any other problems - not with the seven cameras I know of....Both my M6 and M6TTL which I bought new in the past had to be returned to Solms for RF adjustment. Turnaround was about three weeks back then.

 

[Joop van Heijgen]

You didn't speak to me, my cousin and about three other Dutch users I know... I have two bodies. One had a minor electronic problem, the other was a November camera that had to be updated. In both cases turnaround by Solms was twelve days including shipping.Any other problems - not with the seven cameras I know of....Both my M6 and M6TTL which I bought new in the past had to be returned to Solms for RF adjustment. Turnaround was about three weeks back then.

Than you are lucky! Even the M8 had no big problems, you had problems with them! For a camera of more than €4000,-......

The M6 en M6 TTL (new) gives always RF adjustment problems!

In 1977 my M4-2 had the same problems.....

You can't use your camera for 3 weeks. You find that acceptable for a camera of €2500,-?

Leica has big quality and service problems!

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

I prefer to wait for an upgraded M9 or M10. Then the chances of needing repair so quickly will be down.

I'm also waiting for an upgraded hydrogen car. Then the chances of needing repair so quickly will be down.

 

[jaapv]

Than you are lucky! Even the M8 had no big problems, you had problems with them! For a camera of more than €4000,-......

The M6 en M6 TTL (new) gives always RF adjustment problems!

In 1977 my M4-2 had the same problems.....

You can't use your camera for 3 weeks. You find that acceptable for a camera of €2500,-?

Leica has big quality and service problems!

I only missed one body for the upgrade for one week and one body for a problem that did not make it unusable -just inconvenient, for one week.As I could pick my timing in both cases that was no big deal and better than my unusable sixes for three weeks...🙂

My cousin just bought one and it is flawless, I know three others that bought theirs and never looked back. I think we are running into non-representative statiscal samples here - both of us.

 

[Joop van Heijgen]

I only missed one body for the upgrade for one week and one body for a problem that did not make it unusable -just inconvenient, for one week.As I could pick my timing in both cases that was no big deal and better than my unusable sixes for three weeks...🙂

My cousin just bought one and it is flawless, I know three others that bought theirs and never looked back. I think we are running into non-representative statiscal samples here - both of us.

Look at your own posting on the Leica forum : http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/digital-forum/29419-so-died.html

 

[Richard Marks]

Hi
I think the problems have been massively exagerated. Certainly the first bacth or so had some teathing problems, but I know there were initial probelms with QC for Leica MP (A lot had a space between the eye piece and its surounding mount and needed sending back for cleaning. These things are soon forgotten in the grand scheme of things. Do yourself a favour and give one a try.
best wishes
Richard
(oh and mine works just fine)

 

[Olof]

I know 5 owners. A time ago there was a workshop of the Leica dealer (in the Netherlands) with Leica M8 and other Leica cameras and lenses!
I spoke with a few users of the M8. They got the M8 since dec. '06.
All of them had small or big problems with the M8.
A repair in Solms will take about ten weeks!

The R8/9 appeared to have less problems with the digital-module!

The concept of the M8 is fine; but it has still not yet the reliability of the mechanical M- Leicas! A question of time we hope....

Without these customers which bought and will buy a M8, there never would be a chance for am M9 or M10 😱

 

[Joop van Heijgen]

Without these customers which bought and will buy a M8, there never would be a chance for am M9 or M10 😱

Zitat:
Zitat von Joop van Heijgen http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/digital-forum/29419-so-died.html#post307928
And the feeling with the MP......
Hi' Joop,

Exactly - we Emmaters are not alone in our frustration!

I realise Leica is a little, struggling cottage crafts company - but I do hope they're taking note of out pleas for just a bit of an improvement in:

a) quality control and;
b) customer care.

The latter being the more important in the longer term.