Horrifying prospect for any digital M8 8.2 owner!!!

[jtullar]

Hmm... I have a question then, I still have 1 year on my warranty. I bought a brand new M8 in march '11. I got a great deal on it but damn now I cant even get parts replaced LOL. What a bunch of BS Leica. I was looking at M9's but now im not sure. The whole thing is starting to turn me off quite honestly.

 

[user237428934]

I can't see why "A camera for life!" is a lie. It's a most enjoyable camera to capture life. If they really meant that the same camera should be a companion for your whole life they would give a lifelong guarantee.

I have a car that was only produced for 2 years due to lack of market success. The manufacturer never used this type of motor anymore. While I don't have problems with normal repairs I doubt that I could ever get a replacement motor. Does not really bother me because it's now 7 years old and has to go 2-3 more years before I replace it anyway.

I don't think that a company has every replacement part for every item sold. What if the LCD breaks two times in the life of some camera? Do they have to put two LCDs on the shelf for every item sold? Remember that we bought a camera from a small manufacturer. If this "risk" freaks you, then buy from the biggest sellers only and thats Canon or Nikon, no one else.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

I have a car that was only produced for 2 years due to lack of market success. The manufacturer never used this type of motor anymore. While I don't have problems with normal repairs I doubt that I could ever get a replacement motor.

I bet you could. In the USA, the law REQUIRES car makers to keep parts availability for TEN YEARS after the car is made. The EU or Germany most likely have similar laws.

 

[rxmd]

Doesn't that simply mean that the M8 is now where, say, the all-film, all-mechanical R6 has been for a while? (Limited supply of a key spare part, in the R6 case the shutter).

Sounds like it's time for a reality check.

 

[Lss]

Would it be possible to use the M8 sans screen ?

Not really the way they designed the interface. The highlighted menu option defaults to the item that was last used, which means you (or someone else handling the camera) can srew it up in the field.

The other older digital rangefinder, Epson R-D1 is reported to have problems with the connection to the screen (not the actual screen dying!) due to the swivel mechanism. It can however be used without a functioning screen (assuming the buttons continue to work), as this has been taken into account in the design of the menu system. Probably not by accident.

On the other hand, the probability of the screen failing on the M8 in the short term is quite insignificant. A fun little sanity check almost anyone can do: first count the number of LCD screens you have had in your house during the past 10 years and then the corresponding number of dead screens.

 

[dougi]

Hmm, under Australian consumer law we generally have:

"Repairs and spare parts

When you purchase a product the manufacturer or importer must provide spare parts and repair facilities for a reasonable time after purchase. This applies even if you did not purchase the goods directly from the manufacturer or importer.

How long is 'reasonable' will depend on the type of product.

This guarantee does not apply if you are advised at the time of purchase that repair facilities and spare parts will not be available after a specified time."

Given Leica's marketing around "forever etc" and no statement regarding a support period, they might have some difficulty.

 

[rxmd]

Given Leica's marketing around "forever etc" and no statement regarding a support period, they might have some difficulty.

Did Leica really market the M8 as "this camera is forever"?
Aren't people just projecting their own romantic ideas about mechanical Leicas upon Leica's marketing of their digital cameras?

 

[Jamie123]

Did Leica really market the M8 as "this camera is forever"?
Aren't people just projecting their own romantic ideas about mechanical Leicas upon Leica's marketing of their digital cameras?

They do actually say 'built for a lifetime' in their current marketing: http://us.leica-camera.com/photography/m_system/m9/

 

[Keith]

Compact, Built for a Lifetime, and Enduring in Value

It is not rare for a Leica to become its owner's lifelong companion. This also applies to the digital Leica M9 and equally to the M9-P: despite the considerably larger sensor, it has been possible to maintain the compact body size of their predecessors, the Leica M8 and M8.2. With dimensions of only 139 x 37 x 80 mm, the Leica M9 and M9-P retain the ideal size of the M series and the unique honor of being the world's smallest full-format digital system cameras. The full-metal housing, made from a high-tensile magnesium alloy, and a top deck and bottom plate machined from blocks of solid brass, provide perfect protection for their precious inner mechanisms. The digital components and shutter assembly of the M9 and the M9-P are similarly constructed with a lifetime of endurance in mind. Free updates ensure that the cameras' firmware always embraces the latest developments. In short: an M camera is not only an investment for life, but also a lifelong companion.

What a wank! ... sorry that slipped out! 😱

😀 😀 😀

 

[DamenS]

What a wank! ... sorry that slipped out! 😱

😀 😀 😀

Hey - at least they supply free firmware updates which embrace the latest developments, like ... um ... like ... well you get what you pay for and they're FREE !!

 

[rxmd]

"The digital components and shutter assembly of the M9 and the M9-P are similarly constructed with a lifetime of endurance in mind"

Thanks Jamie & Keith. Looks like a pretty bad piece of advertising!

 

[Keith]

Hey - at least they supply free firmware updates which embrace the latest developments, like ... um ... like ... well you get what you pay for and they're FREE !!

I'm through being tactful about this. These digital Ms are overpriced show ponys and not a genuine photographic tool designed to survive in the real world ... sure they take great photos but so does a D800 at a fraction of the price.

I can't believe I came very close to buying an M9 several months ago ... what was I thinking? This current situation with the M8 LCD is a joke and if you bought an M8 new when they came out the joke is on you. Lets not forget that this is the same camera that was released to the waiting world with the unique ability to turn blacks into purple! Oops! ... oh sh!t! Sorry, we never noticed that ... we'll send you a couple of IR filters to make it better! 🙄

 

[Archiver]

One of the reasons I've been so hesitant to make a digital Leica purchase is the understanding that it is essentially a camera that could only last me a few years. The IQ and megapixles are enough to last 50 years, but the parts will only be around a few. It's not just $5k+ for an M9, its also the acceptance and understanding that eventually (for one reason or another) you will literally not be able to use it. One day I will take the plunge, just not today.

Leica markets their digital M's very clearly as a 'camera for life'. The problem is that they are talking about the life of the camera, not the owner! They have long had the romantic reputation of a camera that will last for a lifetime, but that notion died the moment they went digital. And such is the same for any other digital camera. Would you spend $5000+ on a non-Leica camera that will eventually die? That's the question.

I bought the M9 two years ago. Since then it has had one shutter service - under warranty, thank goodness - but has otherwise been fine. I expect it to last at least another 6 or so years before repair equals the cost of replacement. In the meantime I will have been able to use all of my lenses as they were intended. shoot with a form factor that I love, and make images that fill my little heart with joy. At $1000 per year to shoot unlimited images for nine years, that seems pretty good to me!

I do hope, though, that the M9 is affordably serviceable for as long as I want to keep shooting with it.

 

[Archiver]

famous quotes .....

John Howard ... "There will be no GST!"

Julia Gillard ... "My government will not be introducing a carbon tax!"

Leica ... "A camera for life!"

😀 😀 😀

"A dingo ate the spare LCD screens."

 

[Keith]

"A dingo ate the spare LCD screens."

LOL ... that was good! 😛

Poor Lindy ... poor M8! 🙁

 

[jaapv]

Hmm... I have a question then, I still have 1 year on my warranty. I bought a brand new M8 in march '11. I got a great deal on it but damn now I cant even get parts replaced LOL. What a bunch of BS Leica. I was looking at M9's but now im not sure. The whole thing is starting to turn me off quite honestly.

Just hope the screen breaks down under guaranty. Leica will give you a free M9 in that case.🙄
(And at a hefty discount if you are out of guaranty)

 

[IEDEI]

I'm through being tactful about this. These digital Ms are overpriced show ponys and not a genuine photographic tool designed to survive in the real world ... sure they take great photos but so does a D800 at a fraction of the price.

so that's why you stalk the digital M forums? to remind everyone who has one that they are "overpriced show ponys"? rrrright. seems more like trolling the way i see it, sir.

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

Did Leica really market the M8 as "this camera is forever"?

Yes, yes they did. Then, after many M8s had been sold, they fired the CEO and backtracked on this.

Aren't people just projecting their own romantic ideas about mechanical Leicas upon Leica's marketing of their digital cameras?

Perhaps. But there is an expectation that is (was) derived from their sales pitch.

Now's the time for Cosina to go, "hey, we've got this thing in the works..."

 

[Roger Hicks]

I'm through being tactful about this. These digital Ms are overpriced show ponys and not a genuine photographic tool designed to survive in the real world ... . . . :

Dear Keith,

The danger with ceasing to be tactful is that others may return the compliment. Those of us who think the M9 IS worth the money are, for the moment, being polite. You might wish to consider doing the same.

Cheers,

R.

 

[skibeerr]

so that's why you stalk the digital M forums? to remind everyone who has one that they are "overpriced show ponys"? rrrright. seems more like trolling the way i see it, sir.

Seems to me it takes one to know one 😎 tough if I compare your number of posts to Keith's....... need I say more.

love and kisses,

Wim