Zeiss 'attitude'

[sper]

Sorry for you trouble. I've dealt with their sales reps a few times and they've been nice. You catch somebody on the wrong day and they're going to be completely different from how they usually would be.

I wouldn't take it as an indicator for the whole company.

 

[dovevadar]

hmm... ZM are all constructed in Japan that might be the reason the Germans cannot be bothered. No?

 

[MCTuomey]

i've dealt with richard schleuning at zeiss u.s. he has been very responsive and helpful on a couple of lens repairs.

 

[ERV]

Remember how hard they fought putting cupholders in their cars? The thought of a Big Gulp sitting between the seats of one of their sports sedans must have driven them nuts! 😀

Resisting change- This is also one way to explain why a Leica M body has looked the same for the last 50 years!

 

[noimmunity]

I feel very sorry for the OP's experience, but just wanted to pipe in with my own very happy experience dealing with Zeiss customer service in Oberkochen. They straightened out a Biogon 35/2 for me free of charge, out of warranty.

Also, when I needed to adjust my C Sonnar, Cosina (Zeiss's manufacturing partner) in Japan handled it with no fuss.

 

[Bob Michaels]

Give Zeiss credit for not copyrighting the ZI camera body manual so it can be distributed via PDF on line. Interestingly, the ZM lens manual is copyrighted.

Or, does anyone even think about copyrights when downloading things like this? I mean we are the one who scream the loudest when one of our photos is misappropriated. I have always found it odd when someone complains about their photos being stolen when they are using a stolen copy of Photoshop or Lightroom.

 

[Keith]

I can't think of why a manual would be necessary ... it's not like they really tell you much of any use these days.

I bet the manual doesn't tell you that it's near impossible to read the meter readout in bright sun ... or that the RF patch all but vanishes if you move your eye a fraction away from the ideal position, which incidentally is also the position that the readout gets difficult to see in any light! 😀

 

[tlitody]

the manual used to be downloadable from the zeiss site but I can't find it anymore.

 

[Tim Gray]

Or, does anyone even think about copyrights when downloading things like this? I mean we are the one who scream the loudest when one of our photos is misappropriated. I have always found it odd when someone complains about their photos being stolen when they are using a stolen copy of Photoshop or Lightroom.

I agree with the latter part of your statement. Software should be paid for if the maker wants to be paid for it.

However, I really don't see any harm in sharing a camera manual. I'm kind of surprised a company would have a problem with sharing an electronic copy. Likely the only people who want to see it already own the camera or are thinking of getting one. I can't imagine any nefarious uses of a pdf copy of a camera manual...

Regardless, if the company doesn't want it out there, that's their right. Unfortunately for them, the pdf was available on their website at one point, and once it's out there, it's out there.

 

[tlitody]

possibly these people have done a deal with zeiss to sell manuals no longer in production and object to them being given away online whilst still in production.

http://www.oldtimercameras.com/search/mfrsearch.asp?MainMfr=117

how can they sell copyrighted material without a release from the copyright holder?

Can't find the zm on there but you can bet it will be when its out of production.

 

[ramosa]

Actually, I'm not surprised. I sure wouldn't expect Leica to send me manuals for a used lens that I buy on RFF or wherever. They don't make money off used sales, after all. However, as others have recommended, there's lots of good information online. I seek it out actively for all of my gear, new or used.

 

[kossi008]

Well, they may not make money out of the guy they send an electronic copy of a camera manual directly.

But:
(1.) they are not spending money either. The e-mail turning down the customer request costs them the same 30 man-seconds.
(2.) they are not really preparing to make money off this potential customer in the future with this kind of behavior. Who knows, the guy might want a new lens for his used body soon?

That being said, my experience with them is nothing but positive. Probably caught someone on their bad day...

 

[silverbullet]

When I bought two years ago a mint Leica MP from a certified dealer, the manual was missing. Asking Leica after some weeks for the manual in order to complete the set of this cam, Leica was not able to provide an original printed manual.

Only PDF download was possible.....

 

[jawarden]

BTW, as an obvious disciple of the digital age, have you ever dealt with Apple? Their personalized customer service is first rate - one key to their success.

I've dealt with Apple a few times, and their service was absolutely abysmal. Perhaps you caught one employee on a bad day?

🙂

At any rate I'm glad you found a manual for your new rig. As I'm sure you know by now, there's almost nothing in it. It's the briefest manual I have, except for a Holga.

 

[bwcolor]

i've dealt with richard schleuning at zeiss u.s. he has been very responsive and helpful on a couple of lens repairs.

I Emailed Mr Schleuning complaining that one of my Ikons lacked the zero diopter viewfinder cover. He responded that it probably fell off in use, but that he would send me one. He was probably right, but he certainly stepped up to the plate and gave me the benefit of the doubt.

 

[Krosya]

Dont know about Zeiss, but doesnt nearly every company have a PDF manual availble on their site? Current and in many cases old products. I've found manuals and other things such as driver files for scanners,etc. And they dont seem to be worried about the copyright.

 

[David Murphy]

jawarden,

I guess the rest of the computer world does not agree with you:

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/17/apple-tops-pc-customer-service-rankings/

I've dealt with Apple a few times, and their service was absolutely abysmal. Perhaps you caught one employee on a bad day?

🙂

At any rate I'm glad you found a manual for your new rig. As I'm sure you know by now, there's almost nothing in it. It's the briefest manual I have, except for a Holga.

 

[jawarden]

jawarden,

I guess the rest of the computer world does not agree with you:

I said my service experience with Apple was bad, not the whole planet. See the difference?

The point I was making was that my personal experience with Apple customer care has been bad, but I'm not assuming their organization suffers from shoddy customer care; I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt.

I don't know if there is a problem with Zeiss customer care based on what we've heard here. As I said before, perhaps the OP caught an employee on a bad day. Perhaps I caught some Apple people on a bad day too. No reason to tar and feather Apple (or Zeiss) based on a sample of one.

 

[Roger Hicks]

A lot depends on luck and attitude at the time of the inquiry. We're all human and we all respond differently to different things at different times. Sometimes we ask more or less tactfully, too.

Cheers,

R.

 

[thrice]

Still waiting for an update to the light leaking issue with my 25mm Biogon and 50mm C-Sonnar. Richard Schleuning and Dr Hubert Nasse are both aware of it and Dr Nasse said a solution would be developed and I would be kept in the loop. That was about 8 months ago.