[Leica] Quality control while Leica basks in wealth

[grduprey at mchsi.com (grduprey at mchsi.com)]

My M8 has had only one problem, a bad transistor which caused it to go into 
sleep mode when turned on, but still fully usable.  This was after the first 
year of use.  Since then it has worked flawlessly.  It is one of the first 
from batch 2, and still works perfectly in all weather conditions (-20F to 
115F) rain or shine.  Go figure...

Gene

----- Original Message -----
From: "Rei Shinozuka" <shino at panix.com>
To: "Leica Users Group" <lug at leica-users.org>
Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2011 8:34:40 PM GMT -06:00 US/Canada Central
Subject: Re: [Leica] Quality control while Leica basks in wealth

I feel for you Phil.

I think my M9 was in the shop with red-pixel when you got yours.  And my 
M8 had the pixel streak a year before that as well.  And both had 
rangefinder misalignments that needed attention.  Nevertheless, they've 
seemed pretty reliable after the first year of adjustment (them, not me).

Finding a new bad pixel after the first one was fixed is pretty 
disheartening, I agree.

It would be easier to chuck them out if they didn't make such nice images.

Good luck,

-rei


On 08/16/2011 10:20 PM, Phil Forrest wrote:
> So, I just found ANOTHER hot pixel in my M9.
> This first one I found was in the M8 a few months after I got it. I
> dealt with it as long as possible but I had to have a digital
> camera.
> When I got the M9, I found the hot pixel 3 days after taking posession
> of it. I then sent the M8 out for repair and almost 3 months later, it
> came back in better condition. Right after that, I sent the M9 out for
> repair and it took just over 2 months to repair.
> Here I am right now with the M8 out for a rangefinder adjustment (among
> a few other dubious sounding procedures like "pixel alignment") which
> is going to cost me the same amount as a user M2.
> Now my M9 is going in ASAP, while it's under warranty but I'm seriously
> considering selling both of them due to this lack of reliability.
>
> I've babied both of these bodies and they have been in the shop a very
> significant amount of time that I've owned them. The M9 has been out of
> my hands about 1/3 of the time I owned it and the M8 has been out about
> 1/4 of the time. That's ridiculous. I took both my M4 and old M2 (since
> sold) to hell on earth and beat the crap out of them like I wasn't
> going to live past the click of the shutter. Both perform amazingly
> well to this day.
>
> I may be beating a dead horse but I "invested" in these bodies to use
> for a career but I've always known that the M4 would be my reliable
> backup. I can't afford to have this gear out for expensive repairs this
> often. It doesn't make financial sense and regardless how much I like
> the M9, I didn't want to own an Alfa-Romeo, Jaguar or a Triumph.
>
> I'm not set up yet to sell stock to pay for the camera. I got the older
> one through saving up and tightening my belt. The M9 I got through the
> Student Purchase Program and had help paying for it (GI Bill.) If I
> sell them, I'll never be able to own another M9 at any price over
> $2000. The big question is, can I afford to NOT sell them?
>
> So far, the cameras are glorious disappointments in reliability. They
> are fantastic implementations of some kind of ideal but when the rubber
> meets the road they don't work reliably. Leica has dropped the ball and
> while I love them and their products, they may have lost me for future
> new purchases due to their equipment failures.
>
> I'm just sick of this and needed to rant.
>
> Thanks all,
> Phil Forrest
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
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