Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2007/01/05
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Hi Joe, I was told by two reputable repair persons to have all repair work sent through a dealer or authorized repair person. It seems taking this rout worked well for me on the two occasions I've sent equipment in for repair. I also went this rout when repair work went to Germany. This was for non digital work. Chris Saganich At 01:04 PM 1/5/2007, you wrote: >Esteemed group, > >I have lurked on the LUG for several years now, posting from time to time >but rarely. > >I have used Leica camera's since I was 5 years old (have proof!) having >started >shooting with my Father's M2 way back in the late 1950's. I now have one >of most >every model Leica made (and a few duplicates) until the M6 era and use >them from >time to time. Saying this just to give the list some history, I am not new >to using a >Leica and have owned and used them for over 45 years. > >Almost two years ago I was browsing the LUG email list on a Friday and saw >a list >member selling a Digilux 2. We chatted a bit and after 10 days or so had a >like new >camera in my hands. Fell in love immediately and still feel the same way >about the >camera. > >I travel for a living and took it out with me last spring. We were in a >shuttle in London >and the driver forgot to latch the rear door. My camera bag, along with >others, went >rolling out the rear door when he took off. We stopped and put everything >back in the >car and continued to the airport. The drivers company agreed to make >everything >right and they have paid the repair bill for the camera and bag. > >Upon arriving home found that the on/off switch on the Digilux 2 was >stiffer than >normal so I sent it into Leica USA. Asked them to please email me when >they had an >estimate as I travel for a living. > >Over a month went by and no email. I returned home from being in Hong Kong >and >Singapore for two months to find a letter from Leica. Then found another >one telling >me to please respond or they would return the camera. Noted right on the >first repair >invoice were the notes "please email estimate to xxxx" but for some reason >they did >not send me an email. > >I then called Leica and gave them a credit card number for the repair. >Again asked >them to please email me when it was shipped out as I did not want the >camera to be >left sitting at my doorstep as UPS does at times, especially if I was out >of town again. >Not a problem I was told. A month or so went by and no email. I head out >of town >again and guess what? The camera was shipped to my house with no >notification >what so ever. Luckily a friend was there to pick up the notice before the >camera was >returned to the sender and call UPS. > >Opening up the package I found the on/off switch to work perfectly. I then >charged >the battery and inserted it and a memory card into the camera and turned >it on. >Worked great and I proceeded to take a pic or two to try it out. > >While holding it up to my face I noticed a popping inside the back of the >camera, >about an inch below the on/off switch. You could hear and feel it, and it >reminded me >of a flash unit recharging. Never seen nor had that happen before inside >any camera. >Sounded like a capacitor charging, then discharging, over and over again. >After a >minute or so the back of the camera on the right lower side started to get >warm so I >removed the battery and memory chip and it stopped. > >Hmmm, could be a bad battery so I charged my extra battery (both genuine >Leica >batteries, no clones here) and inserted it in the camera. Nothing out of >the ordinary at >first so I turned the camera on again and waited. After a minute or so the >popping >started again. Again the back of the camera started to get warm. Something >was not >right with the camera and I was not going to have it burn up like the >laptops we have >seen on the nightly news so I turned it off and removed the battery. > >Sent the camera back to Leica in New Jersey with a description of the >problem. No >word for weeks. Finally I call. The gent I need to talk to is too busy to >talk to anyone >right now. Left my number. Two days later he calls and says that there is >nothing >wrong with my camera. I ask him about the popping noise and heat in the >back of the >case. He says that there is no problem with the camera. I tell him to put >a battery in >the camera, turn it on and let it sit for a few minutes. He says that they >will do this >and get back to me in a day or so. I have not heard back from him since, >and its >been over 3 months. > >Finally I call Leica again and talk to someone, but not the boss. They say >that they >will get to the bottom of this and get back to me. Someone calls and tells >me that >they are working on the camera and that they will get back to me. Finally >after the >camera had been at their facility for weeks I receive an email from >someone telling >me that it was being shipped back. I asked about the problem and they say >that >"there was nothing wrong with the camera." > >Guess what? I return home around Christmas after being overseas for two >months >again and after charging the battery once again insert it into the camera. >Same >damm thing with both batteries. I have shown this to two separate >photographers and >both say that they would not trust the camera and that eventually >something is going >to burn up inside. Also a friend has a IR digital therometer. We let the >camera stay >on for a minute and recorded the temps. Top part of camera was about 74 >degrees, >while the area below the switch was 80, then 90, finally up to 100 degrees >before >switching it off. Clearly something is getting hot in this area and its >not good. > >Am really at wits end on this. I have used Leica camera's all my life and >they are the >best that they are, however my experience with Leica USA has really soured >me at >this time. For many years I lived in Germany and used the Leica Factory >repair >service and they were excellent. I had hoped for the same excellent >service and >assistance from Leica USA but between their lack of communication and poor >service I am starting to feel that its time to send anything needing >repair to Germany. >If the camera had "no problem" then why was it kept at the repair facility >for over a >month? Why no communication? I am paying for this, its not a free service, >yet they >act like they are doing me a service to take my money and then return a >non-useable >camera. At least the camera worked before I sent it in, just with a sticky >on/off switch. >Now I cannot even use it. > >Has anyone ever had anything like this happen with their Digilux 2? Any >suggestions >as to what to do here? I cannot use the camera as it is. Does anyone feel >that this >could be two separate batteries defective and causing this? > >Really would appreciate some suggestions here. > >Thanks in advance, > >Joe Abrahamson >Phoenix Arizona > > > > >_______________________________________________ >Leica Users Group. >See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information Chris Saganich, Sr. Physicist Weill Medical College of Cornell University New York Presbyterian Hospital chs2018@med.cornell.edu Ph. 212.746.6964 Fax. 212.746.4800 Office A-0049