dcsang
Canadian & Not A Dentist
I was on the phone with Merkle Camera today and am a bit disappointed with distribution of Leica M240's to our tiny little country (Canada) and that small city without a Leica Shop or Leica Boutique (Toronto).
I was told by the sales guy at Merkle (where I have have a deposit and been "on the list" for the last few months) that they don't expect any M240 deliveries until next year.
Yep.. NEXT YEAR.
He stated that Leica is moving their factory from Solms back to Wetzler and this is compounding a delay for delivery to non-Leica retail outlets (i.e. regular camera stores). He stated that Leica Stores get the camera first, then Leica Boutiques and lastly any other retail stores that deal with/sell Leica. I cannot (obviously) confirm that this is the case or the cause for the delay but the fact that he's stated that he doesn't expect any until next year in Toronto is awfully frustrating.
I guess the only "good" thing about this is that I can continue to save my $$$$ towards a purchase of a camera that will be almost 2 years old (from a technical perspective) when I eventually buy it.
Anyone else still waiting or deciding on giving up?
Cheers,
Dave
I was told by the sales guy at Merkle (where I have have a deposit and been "on the list" for the last few months) that they don't expect any M240 deliveries until next year.
Yep.. NEXT YEAR.
He stated that Leica is moving their factory from Solms back to Wetzler and this is compounding a delay for delivery to non-Leica retail outlets (i.e. regular camera stores). He stated that Leica Stores get the camera first, then Leica Boutiques and lastly any other retail stores that deal with/sell Leica. I cannot (obviously) confirm that this is the case or the cause for the delay but the fact that he's stated that he doesn't expect any until next year in Toronto is awfully frustrating.
I guess the only "good" thing about this is that I can continue to save my $$$$ towards a purchase of a camera that will be almost 2 years old (from a technical perspective) when I eventually buy it.
Anyone else still waiting or deciding on giving up?
Cheers,
Dave
One would think Leica would have beefed up production from the M9. After all they have only had nearly four years since the M9 was introduced to get their act together with regards to production.
Instead, they write up these sales memos. Not sure how something can become 'extremely popular' when they have barely shipped any.
Instead, they write up these sales memos. Not sure how something can become 'extremely popular' when they have barely shipped any.
N.delaRua
Well-known
This seems also to be the case with the X100s... I don't understanding releasing a product and spending so much money on marketing a product that you can't even get to customers.
The X100S is a different situation; rather than production problems as with Leica, it's just extremely high demand world-wide. They've shipped tens of thousands in the same time frame that Leica has shipped *maybe* a few hundred...
FrozenInTime
Well-known
Quite frankly the dealer's and Leica's excuses smell of bull****.
You don't just stop production and decide to wait for a new factory to be completed just after a major introduction. Keeping cash flowing is crucial to any business and if that's not happening it must be because of something outside their control.
There is likely to be a technical, probably sensor yield, issue they are trying not to admit to.
You don't just stop production and decide to wait for a new factory to be completed just after a major introduction. Keeping cash flowing is crucial to any business and if that's not happening it must be because of something outside their control.
There is likely to be a technical, probably sensor yield, issue they are trying not to admit to.
Roger Hicks
Veteran
Of course, training skilled workers and paying them a fair wage has nothing to do with any of this.
Cheers,
R.
Cheers,
R.
JRminox
Established
Perfection takes time...or is it that to keep prices up you need to throttle production while fanning demand. Ask any Ferrari dealer how it is done.
sepiareverb
genius and moron
The Ricoh GR is still backordered too.
Roger Hicks
Veteran
That's irrelevant. It's only Leica who are obliged to deliver immediately to the financially overprivileged and intellectually challenged (note that "and" is used conjunctively rather than disjunctively). For consistent back orders of a product that is not designed for a mass market, see Morgan cars: http://www.morgan-motor.co.uk/technical/faq.phtml If you don't want a Moggie, buy a bloody Chevrolet.
Cheers,
R.
icebear
Veteran
Hi Dave,
with that point of view you should better stay away from Leica. They have never been at the cutting edge of technology ever since the M3.
If you never reach the level of "good enough for my purpose" and consequently give up on comparing to the "latest and greatest", then you'll never be happy
.And no, I'm not on any list to get an M. The M9 is good enough for me...
icebear
Veteran
+1 but at first you need to find suitable people who are willing to take the training for such a meticulous job.
Who of the young generation being raised with video games, I-pod, I-pads and I-whatever has an attention span longer than 5 minutes to focus on a single task when multitasking is what everyone is raving about.
You don't assemble a rangefinder mechanism and adjust it to micron tolerances in 10 minutes.
People who are willing to do that and can actually do it on a constant daily basis, are not growing on trees.
sepiareverb
genius and moron
sepiareverb
genius and moron
Perhaps part of the master plan in that electronic viewfinder thingy of the M9 Hermes or whatever special edition it was?
icebear
Veteran
Only if you skip the optical RF completely and only focus "on sensor" with live view, then you are out of the miserable mechanical tolerances that are currently required (for lens AND body).
swoop
Well-known
I'm trying to hold out on the typ240 until the inevitable revision. It's happened to the M8 and M9 so I figure the chances are pretty likely that the new M is going to get refreshed after about 18 months. I've owned three Leica's and never had a "special" version. My hopes for the upgraded edition are
Black dial and menu pad with black paint body
Non-logo top plate
Classic frame lines option with brightline window (no LED)
Removal of dedicated buttons for video & focus peaking
Black dial and menu pad with black paint body
Non-logo top plate
Classic frame lines option with brightline window (no LED)
Removal of dedicated buttons for video & focus peaking
dcsang
Canadian & Not A Dentist
Hi Dave,
with that point of view you should better stay away from Leica. They have never been at the cutting edge of technology ever since the M3.
If you never reach the level of "good enough for my purpose" and consequently give up on comparing to the "latest and greatest", then you'll never be happy
And no, I'm not on any list to get an M. The M9 is good enough for me...
Actually it IS good enough for me - having used the M7s for weddings I am well aware of what I need this camera to do and how I expect it to perform - my disappointment is in the fact that after announcing it in September of 2012 and slowly shipping since March we're met with "Won't be in stock until 2014".
Regardless, it's the ONLY full frame digital range finder out there (unless someone else can create an m-mount digital RF - and as much as we here at RFF would whine about that - it has yet to appear) so it's not so much "is it good enough for my purposes" as much as it's "what other choice do I have if I want an m-mount digital rangefinder. . . "
Cheers,
Dave
dcsang
Canadian & Not A Dentist
My guess?
That revision will be announced just as the M240 begins shipping (again)
Of course the revision will, itself get announced and then take 18 months to get to any store shelves.
Cheers,
Dave
Roger Hicks
Veteran
Dear Dave,My guess?
That revision will be announced just as the M240 begins shipping (again)
Of course the revision will, itself get announced and then take 18 months to get to any store shelves.
Cheers,
Dave
Oh, you cynical fellow. Not unrealistic, though...
Cheers,
R.
you know, that delivery priority is just not fair.
sounds like Leica wants to squeeze out the the independent Leica dealers -- the very people who have kept them in business all these years.
Stephen
skibeerr
Well-known
Dont you train your workers before a release?
From a business point of view I understand that they do not want to sit on to much stock but build what is already sold.
It's the marketing drivel that is annoying.