Leica M-E: back ordered for 14 months

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Dear all,

I fail to understand how the Leica M-E, announced in September 2012, is still back ordered by the majority of camera stores in the word today. Has Leica gone to sleep? If anyone could explain the delay, I'd be much obliged.

Cheers, Peter
 
Peter Wijninga said:
Dear all,

I fail to understand how the Leica M-E, announced in September 2012, is still back ordered by the majority of camera stores in the word today. Has Leica gone to sleep? If anyone could explain the delay, I'd be much obliged.

Cheers, Peter
Click to expand...

I bet they sold out of most of the first run of that camera. The owners for the most part are pretty low-key. The only place where it is really discussed regularly is on the German part of the LUF. Yet, I've noticed that there are more than I had expected. Leica must have devoted production facilities to the M.

But it seems that Red Dot in the UK has one; probably others, too.
 
Leica is a relatively small company with a small production staff. Therefore the smallest delay creates a domino effect of delays.

Also, the fast reiteration of Leica digis has disrupted the assembly line changing from one digi model to the next. Then, restarting the cycle in short order. In the past this was not an issue since the analogue's life span reached into years. Not the case now.
 
Terribly irresponsible by Leica production and marketing managers. These cameras have become more or less made to order and is anyone's guess to when they might receive theirs. Sadly the ME will be superseded before the final order is filled.
 
Just a note. My Leica M9 has been stuck in the workshop for the last 2 months due to a sensor coating degradation problem. The reason given was the lack of sensors. I can rightlfully imagine that the ME will be delayed as well.
 
The former USSR joke: A guy pays down the amount necessary for the purchase of a Russian car. The guy behind the counter takes his money and declares: "delivery in ten years". The guy says: "morning or afternoon". The guy behind the counter says: "who cares, man". The buyer says: "well it matters because the plumber is coming in the morning".
 
leica supplies to different markets based on preorder numbers. whichever market has the highest preorder numbers gets first priority.
 
Hmm Ominous sign for M9/ME owners?

If there is trouble with supply of parts to build how in the hell can they provide future repairs/service ?

With the M8 in mind this seems like a bad situation.
 
CameraQuest said:
My guess is the sensor.

Stephen
Click to expand...

As I recall, Kodak sold their sensor business to a private equity firm. With the M-E market so small, and even Leica going CMOS, it's hard to imagine a bright future for the M-E. I miss my M9 and was considering an M-E, but I really don't think it makes sense at this point, even assuming I could find one.

John
 
And the M240 isn't exactly flying out the factory doors despite the seemingly large backlog of orders.

Of course this camera's sensor comes from an entirely different supplier. But I wonder; issensor production is also an issue with the M240?
 
willie_901 said:
And the M240 isn't exactly flying out the factory doors despite the seemingly large backlog of orders.

Of course this camera's sensor comes from an entirely different supplier. But I wonder; issensor production is also an issue with the M240?
Click to expand...

It took two weeks for me to get an M240 from order to delivery.
 
NazgulKing said:
Thanks for the link. I have heard hear say from some quarters about the problem, but it seems that an entire batch of sensors was defective or were made with poor tolerances.
Click to expand...

The problem is with the M9 and the M9-P produced two years later. So I do not think it's a problem of a lot of sensors, unfortunately.
 
albertospa said:
The problem is with the M9 and the M9-P produced two years later. So I do not think it's a problem of a lot of sensors, unfortunately.
Click to expand...
It depends how long it took for them to realise that their manufacturing techniques produced the problems and corrected for them. The previous owner of my M9 had problems with the sensor and the sensor was replaced last year. So my sensor belonged to a batch that obvious had some defective parts.
 
Got my M-E today

Got my M-E today

My coffee stained M8.2 / M.E. upgrade arrived today. It had been backordered since Oct. I was worried there for a bit….especially after reading this thread! Looks and feels awesome. K
 
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