bokenikon
Newbie
Considering the purchase of a Leica M. I see factory refurb ones with 1 year warranty available, and then there are brand new one's (slightly below MSRP) with a full 2 year. Depending on the spread in prices between the one's with a 1 year warranty and the one's with a full 2 year, I am trying to figure out which one is a better deal.
Or, in other words, what can go wrong typically on an M camera and has anyone had experience getting it fixed, and how much $$ was it?
Is it tossing the dice to get one with a 1 year warranty?
Or, in other words, what can go wrong typically on an M camera and has anyone had experience getting it fixed, and how much $$ was it?
Is it tossing the dice to get one with a 1 year warranty?
Duane Pandorf
Well-known
I have no idea what the difference in price you're considering paying btwn a used with one year or full two year warranty but if it was me I'd spend the extra money to buy a new one with full 2 year warranty.
bokenikon
Newbie
Recent sold Ebay auctions show about $5800 to $6100 for a factory-refurb with 1 year warranty. Full MSRP is $6995 but I'm getting the impression they can be had for a little less. A reputable official dealer claimed they could sell me a brand new one mid 6000's.
Pioneer
Veteran
Everybody seems to have different experiences but I kind of think that warranty repairs are a very small part of the entire pool. I am approaching 2 years now with my M9 with nary a stutter to the shutter.
To be completely honest the only digital camera I own that has had any problem at all was my Pentax ist DL2. The focus motor finally died after 9 years of steady use. Since I had already installed a Katzeye focus screen a couple years prior it really was not that much of a tragedy. In fact, I think I actually like it better now.
What warranty you end up wth may depend on where it was purchased. My refurbed M is coming with the 2 year warranty. I sincerely hope that I don't need it.
To be completely honest the only digital camera I own that has had any problem at all was my Pentax ist DL2. The focus motor finally died after 9 years of steady use. Since I had already installed a Katzeye focus screen a couple years prior it really was not that much of a tragedy. In fact, I think I actually like it better now.
What warranty you end up wth may depend on where it was purchased. My refurbed M is coming with the 2 year warranty. I sincerely hope that I don't need it.
remphoto
Established
Bought a factory refurbished M8 a some years ago and it arrived DOA. I was preparing to go on vacation in a few weeks and Leica was totally uncooperative regarding expediting repair or replacement -- said it would take 4-6 weeks and there was no flexibility. i returned, it got my money back and swore off Leica digital since.
Roger Hicks
Veteran
hepcat
Former PH, USN
My M9-P came to me with about 9 mos of the original two year warranty left, and I extended it for a year but haven't needed it. In fact, the only failures I've ever experienced with any camera was the focusing motors in Canon 20-105 USM lenses. Not that you can't have a problem; some have... but the odds are greatly in your favor.
jaapv
RFF Sponsoring Member.
That is a problem with your dealer. They should stand behind their sale and sort it out with Leica, if necessary in retrospect, after caring for you.
V-12
Well-known
Yes that sounds like a dealer problem and a bit baffling why Leica get the criticism.
As for warranty, I think like much electronic equipment the faults tend to appear sooner rather than later, and for major failures like sensor damage caused by manufacturing faults (as with the M9 cracked sensors) Leica tend to repair them free of charge when the camera is out of warranty. If there is nothing like the Passport scheme on a new camera where you are then perhaps the one year warranty will be enough, if there is the Passport scheme I'd go with a new camera.
V
As for warranty, I think like much electronic equipment the faults tend to appear sooner rather than later, and for major failures like sensor damage caused by manufacturing faults (as with the M9 cracked sensors) Leica tend to repair them free of charge when the camera is out of warranty. If there is nothing like the Passport scheme on a new camera where you are then perhaps the one year warranty will be enough, if there is the Passport scheme I'd go with a new camera.
V
Phil_F_NM
Camera hacker
I bought a factory refurb'ed M8 with a 1 year warranty and during that year the camera was away twice for sensor remapping due to hot pixel lines. As soon after it came out of warranty, I sent it in to have the rangefinder calibrated. Nothing else had happened to the camera, the RF was just off a bit. When I was told the estimate of just over $600USD for this I explained that all I needed was the RF calibrated and from Sherry K. that is less than $100 (but she doesn't work on digital Leicas, or didn't at the time.) Anyway, I talked them down to $480 and had to sell the camera just to pay for the service.
I also bought an M9, brand new and on the third day of ownership, it went back to Leica for remapping hot pixels and the annoying vertical lines. It was away almost three months. The better part of a year of trouble free operation then it had to go back and this time it got a new sensor. That was about three months away as well. Then I had a shutter fault in either late 2011 or early 2012 and the camera went away again, this time for a new shutter. All of this was under warranty and during the 20 months I owned the M9, it was away at Leica just one week shy of 10 months. So I had to get out from under that camera quick since I didn't want to pay an extra 300 Euro for a year of warranty when the track record of that body showed that I could be only shooting it 50% of that year. I sold the camera for quite a bit of cash and a Nikon SP in trade. I also needed a reliable tool, so it had to go.
The digital Leicas are fantastic when they work and work well. When all the headaches are gone, they are great. But the headaches are big ones and those, combined with Leica's customer service that certainly didn't treat me like I had bought their flagship camera from them brand new, convinced me that Leica will never get any more money from me.
Phil Forrest
I also bought an M9, brand new and on the third day of ownership, it went back to Leica for remapping hot pixels and the annoying vertical lines. It was away almost three months. The better part of a year of trouble free operation then it had to go back and this time it got a new sensor. That was about three months away as well. Then I had a shutter fault in either late 2011 or early 2012 and the camera went away again, this time for a new shutter. All of this was under warranty and during the 20 months I owned the M9, it was away at Leica just one week shy of 10 months. So I had to get out from under that camera quick since I didn't want to pay an extra 300 Euro for a year of warranty when the track record of that body showed that I could be only shooting it 50% of that year. I sold the camera for quite a bit of cash and a Nikon SP in trade. I also needed a reliable tool, so it had to go.
The digital Leicas are fantastic when they work and work well. When all the headaches are gone, they are great. But the headaches are big ones and those, combined with Leica's customer service that certainly didn't treat me like I had bought their flagship camera from them brand new, convinced me that Leica will never get any more money from me.
Phil Forrest
btgc
Veteran
If one shoots a LOT as a job or for fun
or
has disposable cash to spend for a hobby
then M is the way.
Otherwise it's a choice of preferences (say, don't like scanning etc).
or
has disposable cash to spend for a hobby
then M is the way.
Otherwise it's a choice of preferences (say, don't like scanning etc).
sig
Well-known
go for 2 years warranty. Less worry.
