Leica announcement

[engstrom]

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0611/06...8statement.asp

[nyphotopro]

If there is one thing you can be sure of, that is Leica stands behind their products. I'd trust them to fix anything wrong with their systems. They are truly one of the best brands and product sets you can buy.

Matt

[johnastovall]

As a Leicaphile who HAD an M8 on order, that statement was completely unaceptable.

What is even more unaceptable is the fact that Leica knew before they released the M8 to the public it had serious problems with IR containation of colors (not just artifical
fabrics as they said) and they had a noted reviewer, Michael Reichmann, not report them in his glowing review of the M8. Now Michael Reichmann had a large amounts of rotten egg on his face.

[johnastovall]

Originally Posted by nyphotopro

If there is one thing you can be sure of, that is Leica stands behind their products. I'd trust them to fix anything wrong with their systems. They are truly one of the best brands and product sets you can buy.

Matt

I take it you don't belong to the Leica User Forum or have tried to buy a B+W 486 IR cut filter in the last 48 hours.

I don't think you can say a company stands behind their product when they release it knowing it has problems which make it usable for correct color rendering.

[engstrom]

John, I can understand why you're upset. Still, even though this is a blemish on Leica's name, I think we should wait a little while longer and see what their official solution to these problems is. If they just sell some band-aids for the problem then yes, I will be first in line to cast stones, but if they recall cameras and actually fix them they I would give them some credit. After all, all companies will make bad decisions. It's how they deal with them that ultimately determines the character of the company.

[Duffy Pratt]

How would anyone reading that statement know whether it was addressing the IR problem, banding, both, or something else altogether. Besides that ambiguity, it is one of the worst written, and most content free, customer relations messages I've ever seen. For everyone involved, I hope they come up with some real solutions to the problems that have been presented. But I don't see any reason why someone would read that statement and become hopeful.

Duffy

[Cope]

Originally Posted by johnastovall

Now Michael Reichmann had a large amounts of rotten egg on his face.

And quite possible a larger amount of cash in his bank account.

[johnastovall]

Originally Posted by Cope

And quite possible a larger amount of cash in his bank account.

No, MR's not a whore, he just gave them a freebie and that makes it worse.

[Duffy Pratt]

Somehow, Leica's reaction to this is reminding me more and more of this

[nyphotopro]

Originally Posted by engstrom

John, I can understand why you're upset. Still, even though this is a blemish on Leica's name, I think we should wait a little while longer and see what their official solution to these problems is. If they just sell some band-aids for the problem then yes, I will be first in line to cast stones, but if they recall cameras and actually fix them they I would give them some credit. After all, all companies will make bad decisions. It's how they deal with them that ultimately determines the character of the company.

Leica has a long history behind them that shows their commitment to quality. Every company drops the ball (like Apple and their power supply issues, laptop screen and spontaneous shutdown issues and the list goes on and on) but I would bet on Leica to do the right thing in the long run. There's too much at stake for them.

I'm not sure that the accusations of collusion betwen MR and Leica are altogether true because MR has a good history, too. I just think that cooler heads need to prevail here and everyone needs to just relax, take a deep breath and wait and see (as stated in the quote above) what Leica actually does. If they don't make good, then it would be time to ask an AG somewhere to investigate and for the photographic community to bombard them with calls, letters and emails denouncing them and going on a boycott. Until we actually see what is going to happen, there are much important issues that deserve your passionate attention.

Just my 2 cents.

Matt

[johnastovall]

Leica doesn't have a long history of a digital technology with a Rangefinder based on the M body and given they released a camera with such gross defects makes me think they don't understand the technology or the implications to their base.

And the lame suggestion to just put a filter on it, makes me question if they understand the people who would be buying it.

[jeffkohn]

Actually MR's reputation as a reviewer has been somewhat on the decline for a while now, as more and more his reviews seem to lack thoroughness and he tends to rave about every new product he tries.

[Rick Waldroup]

Originally Posted by jeffkohn

Actually MR's reputation as a reviewer has been somewhat on the decline for a while now, as more and more his reviews seem to lack thoroughness and he tends to rave about every new product he tries.

I thought it was just me that was thinking this. Glad to see I'm not alone in this opinion. I read MR's explaination and it just doesn't make sense. Somehow, it seems as though Leica is clueless about digital technology and that it's customers would not raise such a stink about the problems. They were wrong. It will be interesting to see what happens.