[Leica] Question: M8

[jsmith342 at gmail.com (Jeffery Smith)]

Let me be the misfit, the devil's advocate, the misanthrope, the heretic. I
bought my M8 using a credit card (error, since I'm still paying for it each
month at 19% interest). The first time I tried to use the camera, I got card
errors. Tried different cards. None worked. I contacted Leica USA and got a
response that I had to use only those cards listed on the Leica site, that
most card manufacturers don't follow the rigid standards that were set up
for that sort of card. I did rob a 2gb card from another camera that worked.
Whew...for a while.

Two weeks later, I took my M8 to show it off to two of the local Leica guys
here. DOA. Every attempt to use it gave me a "shutter fault" message. Others
on the LUG had gotten this, and I spent several days trying "fixes" to get
it back to operating condition. Each time I got it to work, it would go
belly up within 2 or 3 frames. Now is where things got bad.

Numerous emails to the Leica USA technical support people went ignored. So,
I tried calling the fellow in charge of Leica repairs. He is the only person
I know of who has "just stepped away from his desk" every single time anyone
calls. In short, he could not care less about whether my camera was living
or dying. After two weeks of listening to his secretary's parrot-like
excuse, I finally got in touch with the president. He apologized and
referred it back to the fellow who is always just stepping away from his
desk. When I was back to square one for a week again, I contacted the
president again. He then bypassed his crackerjack service manager and
referred the case to someone who could actually give a f**k. They sent me a
functioning camera after receiving my dead one.

Not only did that entire experience turn me off to the M8, it turned me off
to photography in general. I haven't used the M8 since, and barely use
anything else. I was going to sell the M8 at a loss, but when I realized
just how much of a loss it would be, I decided to pack it up in its original
box, and put it in the back of my closet next to my boxed Rolleiflex gold
Aurum. I would rather never use it again and not have to go through what
Leica USA put me through. My PAW died at about the time my M8 died, but I'm
hoping to resurrect the PAW in January. I have made the decision to go back
into the classroom, which will give me much more time to burn film.

I apologize if it seems that I'm having a Lehrer moment. My intent is not to
disparage anyone or anything, but to let you know that sometimes Leica's
service after the sale can get one out of five stars.

-- 
Jeffery L. Smith
New Orleans, LA