Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/12/21

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Subject: [Leica] Leica M8 -- too fragile for the real world - or don't sweat while using it...
From: joseph at yao.com (Joseph Yao)
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 2009 02:57:12 +0800

Hi Nathan,

I have had similar experience with Leica USA supplied equipment - you would
be surprised Leica AG is, on the whole, pretty ignorant when it comes to
various 'Passport Warranty' schemes offered by its distributors.  In my
case, I sent a lens to Solms for repair and they sent me an estimate in the
region of a thousand Euro.  I got Leica USA involved and the repair fee was
waived eventually.

We consumers tend to think 'Leica is Leica', but in reality Leica AG and
most of their distributors are very independent of each other.  Even within
Leica AG, the sales and service departments are quite independent of each
other too.

I am sure your M8 will eventually be repaired free of charge, but it may
take a while for Leica AG and Leica UK to settle a few issues.  You may like
to get in touch with Leica UK in the meantime.

Make no mistake, German consumer electronics are relatively flaky.  I have
had my fair share of electronic-related problems with Leica, Grundig,
Blaupunkt, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, BMW.....  Problems not usually or
commonly associated with Nikon/Canon, Lexus/Toyota/Honda etc.  Most of these
problems are climate related, as my territory is rather humid.  I keep all
my photo equipment in humidity-controlled rooms and this seems to help.
Ideally I would like my M9 to be as robust and weather-proof as my D3/1Ds Mk
III, but the reality is that it is not, and I have learned to be more
careful with it.  It goes straight into an electronic dry box after each
shoot.

Let's hope your M8 will be fixed soon.

Cheers,

Joseph


On 12/22/09 2:27 AM, "Nathan Wajsman" <photo at frozenlight.eu> wrote:

> Hi Joseph,
> 
> I suppose you are right but I also suspect that Leica UK would have sent 
> it to
> Solms, so I do not see what I would accomplish by sending the camera from
> Spain to the UK, for Leica UK to forward it to Germany. Leica is Leica.
> 
> If they give me a hard time over this, then I will really be p****d off. I 
> am
> used to dealing with Spanish government bureaucracy but I expect better 
> from a
> commercial enterprise which needs every customer it can get.
> 
> Cheers,
> Nathan




Replies: Reply from mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner) ([Leica] Leica M8 -- too fragile for the real world - or don't sweat while using it...)
In reply to: Message from photo at frozenlight.eu (Nathan Wajsman) ([Leica] Leica M8 -- too fragile for the real world - or don't sweat while using it...)