Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/09/16
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Geoff wrote: > Made in Germany does not make me cringe. Worth waiting to give the > M9 be > widely distributed and in use before any judgements on reliability I > think? Well, maybe I was too broad, but nevertheless Leica spent alot of its good will releasing the M8 before it was ready and they are going to have to earn it back. One way they can do that is by making sure that the M9 and X1 are relatively trouble free. I really *WANT* them to do that. Regards, Dick On Sep 16, 2009, at 6:16 AM, Geoff Hopkinson wrote: > To provide a point of reference, (using Stefan Daniel's stated > production > rates) Leica made and sold in the region of 30,000+ M8 and M8.2 > cameras. > Only Leica knows what the actual failure rates were, despite internet > conjecture. For sure they had to correct widely reported faults in > some > early production. The actual numbers are very properly commercial in > confidence for Leica themselves. I think that the camera matured and > the > product became a reliable tool. Really the M8.2 was for refinement > rather > than fault correction. Now the M9 looks to offer a large step > forward from > that in features. > Made in Germany does not make me cringe. Worth waiting to give the > M9 be > widely distributed and in use before any judgements on reliability I > think? > > > 2009/9/16 Richard Taylor <r.s.taylor at comcast.net> > >> Mark - What we've heard is actually opinions from a couple of guys >> who have >> professional insight into industrial processes that ring true to >> this >> professional as well. What has to be done to achieve an acceptable >> failure >> rate in released cameras built under different processes is well >> known. >> (Settling on the acceptable failure rate isn't easy, either, since >> the >> lower the rate the higher the cost of the camera.) >> >> If Leica has learned from their experience, the M9 will be a solid >> return >> to their traditions. If not, they might not survive another black >> eye. The >> failure rate of the purchased cameras will tell the tale. >> >> At one time "Made in Japan" assured inferior goods, and "Made in >> Germany" >> signified the best. Now, when I heard the M9 and X1 were both made >> in >> Germany, I cringed. Japan is the best at releasing high quality >> high-tech >> goods these days. I never give the reliability of Nikon, Olympus or >> Panasonic cameras a second thought when buying one. >> >> Regards, >> >> Dick >> >> >> >> On Sep 15, 2009, at 9:00 PM, Mark Rabiner wrote: >> >> I have no faith that Leica's product design or manufacturing >>>> policies are optimum, no matter how rich Dr. Andreas Kaufmann is. >>>> Nor >>>> am I happy that they are willing to dissemble to hide engineering >>>> ineptness. Remember that just a year ago it was impossible to >>>> make full >>>> frame digital Leicas and that magenta blacks were an illusion. Good >>>> people can make bad decisions. Witness Bill Gates downplaying the >>>> importance of the internet or signing off on Vista. The brief video >>>> view of Leica's assembly process is hardly a confidence builder. >>>> Larry Z >>>> >>> >>> >>> That fact that excellent companies make big historical mistakes >>> does not >>> make a bunch of camera collector guys on an email list experts in >>> the >>> optical mechanical manufacturing process. >>> It's not like second guessing where they put the on off switch. >>> Here we have a company showing us the ins of their manufacturing >>> process >>> how >>> foolish of them not not know that they had something to hide. >>> I'm going to take the wild guess in thinking that they don't have >>> anything >>> to hide. That this is the best way to make this camera system in >>> these >>> amounts. And they these professionals would not be out of the loop >>> on such >>> obvious options. >>> >>> >>> Mark William Rabiner >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Leica Users Group. >>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >>> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >> > > > > -- > Cheers > Geoff > The new LEICA M9 > Passion for perfect pictures. > http://www.m.leica-camera.com > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/gh/ > http://www.pbase.com/hoppyman > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information