Jelico
Member
yanidel
Well-known
100% reliability does not exist. You will always find someone with a problem. Yet, compared to the initial M8 introduction, I have the feeling that the M9 is pretty much problem free.
Tom Diaz
Well-known
OK, I read them, and thank you.
I have to say: there may be lots more where these are coming from. However, if those are the worst problems I ever have, I'll be happy enough.
Tom
downstairs
downstairs
Plenty of people in L.Camera Forum seem to have M9s. Where are ours?
Jelico
Member
I wouldn't say "plenty", there is only 40-50 reported in total...
swoop
Well-known
I went to a shop the other day and the attendant said he couldn't give me a specific number on what their wait list was like. He wasn't allowed to. But he did say it numbered in the dozens. And that they get sporadic shipments in differing quantities from Leica. On average about 3-4 M9's per week.
I bought my M8 in April '07. 7 months after release. And even then I had to wait a week after ordering for a shipment to come in. I imagine there will be limited availability for a long while. Especially considering the effort Leica is putting into production rather than slapping them together as they did with the M8. And figuring that demand is even higher this time around.
I bought my M8 in April '07. 7 months after release. And even then I had to wait a week after ordering for a shipment to come in. I imagine there will be limited availability for a long while. Especially considering the effort Leica is putting into production rather than slapping them together as they did with the M8. And figuring that demand is even higher this time around.
Last edited:
Jelico
Member
3-4 cameras a week for only one dealer is great news if it’s true. I just don’t understand Leica. They been producing M8 for years and M9 is basically the same camera mechanically so there is no excuses why the production level is slow. If its completely new model, well, yes, it’s understandable. We are talking about app. 1000 employees set up (together with Portugal), and they are producing couple of hundred cameras per week, if so.
Fine, just complaining, I will be happy to receive mine, but at the moment this waiting is killing me.
Fine, just complaining, I will be happy to receive mine, but at the moment this waiting is killing me.
wolfhound
Newbie
I am in the same situation here in Brussels. They are also saying mid-october (so this week). Mine was ordered 07/09 and paid for in full. I also agree, it's frustrating that Solms is a couple of hours drive from here and the things are being delivered to the other side of the world
veraikon
xpanner
A german "blogger" who lifes in Portugal [imho nota realy sympathic one ]
blogged about an article in the portugese newspaper "o publico" from 04.10.2009
http://briefeankonrad.blogspot.com/2009/10/volle-auftragsbucher-bei-leica-in.html
Main informations from the article
There are about 6000 preorders
The daily production of raw bodies and body parts in Portugal is about 50 -60 pieces
From other sources we know at Solms the camera production is running in two shifts 6 days the week.
blogged about an article in the portugese newspaper "o publico" from 04.10.2009
http://briefeankonrad.blogspot.com/2009/10/volle-auftragsbucher-bei-leica-in.html
Main informations from the article
600 M9 units were made (end of september)
There are about 6000 preorders
The daily production of raw bodies and body parts in Portugal is about 50 -60 pieces
From other sources we know at Solms the camera production is running in two shifts 6 days the week.
Jelico
Member
I am in the same situation here in Brussels. They are also saying mid-october (so this week). Mine was ordered 07/09 and paid for in full. I also agree, it's frustrating that Solms is a couple of hours drive from here and the things are being delivered to the other side of the world
Every dealer that I spoke to told me mid of October for orders made in September. Are there going to be thousands of M9 delivered this week...? I doubt it.
Well, we are here for a long wait ......
Avotius
Some guy
M9's are avalable in China now, no back order, probably because the price here is 68,800 RMB, or about 10,080 dollars. Ridiculous.
wolfhound
Newbie
I agree that the "mid October" date seems to be mentioned everywhere BUT:
1. as it is mentioned everywhere, maybe this time it's true !
2. I doubt very much that there a re "thousands" on order... hundreds I could go with but not thousands. I seem to remember seeing somewhere that the sales estimates are on average about 12000 M cameras per year. ok there will be a bit more demand at the start of the life of a product.
yanidel
Well-known
I tend to believe Leica has been building a large batch of M9's to be delivered in one go in Mid-October. Why ? Because in cities like Paris where you have more than 10 Leica dealers, you obviously do not want to create disparities that one by one deliveries create. If dealer A gets M9's and B does not, first dealer B is pissed and customers of dealer B ask why dealer A gets them and not B. Information runs very fast on forums, so a good solution is to deliver all dealers at the same time in similar quantities. This is maybe why that mid-October date has surfaced in several instances.
tester
Member
I have response from my friend in HK who is local photo supplier:
"No hope on M9. Leica HK had one and was sold quickly. There is a long waiting list for M9. I think you can wait easily for 3 months and still may not get one"
Regarding M9 available in China....are you pretty sure that is not a fake?
Regards Chris
"No hope on M9. Leica HK had one and was sold quickly. There is a long waiting list for M9. I think you can wait easily for 3 months and still may not get one"
Regarding M9 available in China....are you pretty sure that is not a fake?
Regards Chris
Jelico
Member
On Leica User Forum M9s started to appear for orders placed on 9/9/09 and just after that date. They have by now 50 units reported. Considering that pace I guess for us who ordered it end of September delivery date will be end of October.
There won’t be any big batches, Leica is delivering as they make them, so…small quantities coming on regular basis.
There won’t be any big batches, Leica is delivering as they make them, so…small quantities coming on regular basis.
wolfhound
Newbie
Jelico;1165623Considering that pace I guess for us who ordered it end of September delivery date will be end of October.[/QUOTE said:I don't understand how you work that out. At least two of us here ordered on or before launch date and are still waiting... that's 6 weeks ago. And I guess many more orders were received in the days and weeks following the launch.
However I was thinking along the same lines and for the same reasons as yanidel, that a large batch is coming.... and coming soon hopefully.
I know the waiting is should be an enjoyable part of the journey but I hear this little voice in my head saying "Are we nearly there yet ?"
Jelico
Member
I don't understand how you work that out. At least two of us here ordered on or before launch date and are still waiting... that's 6 weeks ago. And I guess many more orders were received in the days and weeks following the launch.
However I was thinking along the same lines and for the same reasons as yanidel, that a large batch is coming.... and coming soon hopefully.
I know the waiting is should be an enjoyable part of the journey but I hear this little voice in my head saying "Are we nearly there yet ?"
From what I saw on Leica forum and other forums this was pretty logical conclusion. Of course there will be dealers with late deliveries and my calculation could miss for a week or two (meaning late, not earlier of course), but I sure that there won’t be any big batches. Reason for it that M9 appears sporadically on daily basis which indicates that there is no batches, but Leica is delivering as they make them….and that is happening veeeery, but veeeery slowly. So far 50 reported on Leica forum and the same people reported them on other forums.
If you watched videos from Leica factory it is evedent that the testing procedure takes minimum 20 minute and I saw only one testing bench (in all videos and pictures from the factory), with manipulation time it comes to 30 minutes (probably). So in 8 hour shift with lunch break they can test 14-15 cameras. With two shifts (I doubt it) they are getting to 30 pcs per day. Take away cameras that don’t pass the test…(this I can't guess). With 22 working days production comes to 660 cameras per month. With 500 bigger Leica dealers (and there are surely more) all over the world…it just doesn’t look promising.
And I don’t see waiting as a joy, but I hope that the early problems will be sorted out by the time I get mine.
amoz
Established
This thread just took it away. Here I was, hoping to pick one up at B&H while passing through NYC next month... :-|
wolfhound
Newbie
Yes, I did watch that video. But I can't really understand how you work out the 30 minutes testing from an 18 min video which contains both assembly and testing. Maybe you are talking about a different one.
Of course I don't know anything about the Leica factory but I did see in an interview that they sold approx 1000 M cameras per month (or I think it was 12000 per year that was mentioned), MP, M7, M8 etc. This of course means that they have the capacity to build at least 1000 units per month. Also I guess that production of the MP and M7 are pretty much put on the back burner these days and most if not all effort is put into M9 production.
I'm not saying it is a joy, but for me at least there is a kind of exiting anticipation, which is an experience I kind of enjoy... but I'm not a pro and it is my first M, or will be one of these days
Jelico
Member
Four weeks after ordering and paying, I dropped from number 7 to number 6 on the list. If it goes like this I will get my M9 in ....5 MONTHS