The New Leitz - Wetzlar Leica M6 (and the dreaded film scratching issue)

[Huss]

Just been informed that Leica does not have the parts in stock to repair my brand new 2022 M6. A camera that was shipped defective from new.

10 weeks since delivery that it has been at Leica.

I have just been informed that Leica does not have the parts in stock to repair my brand new 2022 M6:



Dear Leica Customer,

During the repair of your Leica product, the technician found that a

part required to fully repair your equipment to Leica standards is

currently out of stock.

Our colleagues and worldwide suppliers are working together to resolve

this issue as quickly as possible. However, this will most likely delay

the completion of the repair.

We apologize for the inconvenience and sincerely appreciate your

patience.

Remember the BS that was spouted when this camera was first released, as to how Leica was now making its own parts? Yeah, sure they are.

I have asked for a refund, we'll see how that goes.

 

[Moose22]

Huss, I wonder if they didn't anticipate the need to rework every new M6. Or, maybe they need to reengineer a new part since their entire stock is defective and that put them behind.

I don't know, but it is a pretty horrible lapse in quality control. Obviously Leica aren't capable of handling it just now, so something is up either way.

 

[Patrick Robert James]

Old gray mare ain't what it used to be I guess.....

 

[Huss]

As a follow up they said the scratching was due to a batch of defective pressure plates. So this means a whole bunch o cameras be scratchin! And as of yet they do not have new, correctly manufactured ones to replace them with.

Ball. Dropped.

 

[brbo]

Ball. Dropped.

Well, Leica probably considers that a user error. You did unwrap the camera and run a film through it, didn't you?!!

I mean, you got that collectible First Batch Low Number "Film Renaissance" M6 AND you expect it to work?

 

[Cubao]

Interestingly I was facing the same issues with the pressure plate on my MP three years ago. It has been replaced in the brand new camera. I was also wondering how this could happen? MP means master piece

 

[Radost]

Interestingly I was facing the same issues with the pressure plate on my MP three years ago. It has been replaced in the brand new camera. I was also wondering how this could happen? MP means master piece

I taught it means manual perfection.

 

[Radost]

It would be a smart move to have the Chinese make the Leica M6. They will do it cheaper and better.
Having flown through German airports the last 3 years “ and other geopolitical issues “ I have to say Germany is not what it use to be. There is a reason why their manufacturing keeps moving to the USA.
It’s sad but Germany is becoming a failed state. They should move their manufacturing to Canada China or even the USA.
Precision machining is easy with modern tech.

 

[koraks]

Having flown through German airports the last 3 years “ and other geopolitical issues “ I have to say Germany is not what it use to be.

I'm not sure how traveling through airports is any indication of the state of a country's manufacturing industry, sidestepping the problematic nature of trying to make a sweeping statement across an entire country to begin with. I'm also having serious doubts about the 'moving manufacturing from Germany to the US' statement. To Asia, perhaps, yes. To the US probably only due to financial optimization / policy-related issues, not so much a quality one.

Having spent a lot of time looking quite deeply into manufacturing companies I'm a bit wary of the kind of conjecture you're bringing up, to be honest. Every person is entitled to their opinion and all that, of course, but well...not so sure about this one.

The China remark is problematic for the same reason. You can get things made to exceptional standards (these days) in China, and you can have total and utter crap produced there. It all depends on a variety of factors. Again, sweeping statements rarely prove to be useful at all.

 

[brbo]

I'm not sure how traveling through airports is any indication of the state of a country's manufacturing industry...

That was not my quote.

If it was thoughtful or funny I'd let it stay wrongly attributed to me, alas...

 

[Cubao]

I taught it means manual perfection.

Maybe you are right. Both seems not to apply

 

[koraks]

S

That was not my quote.

If it was thoughtful or funny I'd let it stay wrongly attributed to me, alas...

Indeed it wasn't! It's a mishap on my end; I'll fix it asap. Two replies got mixed up apparently, only one of which I actually ended up posting.

Edit: fixed; sorry for the inconvenience!

 

[warden]

As a follow up they said the scratching was due to a batch of defective pressure plates. So this means a whole bunch o cameras be scratchin! And as of yet they do not have new, correctly manufactured ones to replace them with.

Ball. Dropped.

Wow. Sorry to hear about this Huss.

 

[Radost]

You want to know about a country or a state? look at their airport.
Have you flown through England?

Audi and VW is moving manufacturing to China and the USA. BMW is planning to.
I lived in East and west Germany 1983-1986.
And again after unification 1997.
I also live half the time in Eastern Europe.
Before when you got a German product it was only second to the Made in USA. Now days I am under the impression that a lot of German products are junk.Last year I got a german lounge chair and it broke after a day. Same with foot pump for camping mattress.

 

[Huss]

I taught it means manual perfection.

To be fair to Leica, they are referring to the owner’s manual. Now that is manual perfection.

 

[Huss]

Leica gear actually is made in Portugal. Final assembly is in Germany so they can slap that Made in Germany label on it. And make those youtube videos showing the careful assembly done by a German worker.

 

[Oldwino]

You want to know about a country or a state? look at their airport.
Have you flown through England?

this might be the basis for an interesting hypothesis.

 

[koraks]

You want to know about a country or a state? look at their airport.

Previously we were told to look at how they treat their prisoners, but that apparently has changed.

Audi and VW is moving manufacturing to China and the USA. BMW is planning to.

This has nothing to do with technical quality or manufacturing competence.

 

[GregY]

Huss, I'm sorry to hear of your problems. I do hope they straight out give you a refund.

 

[mshchem]

I wonder if they are saying "pressure plate" generically. Could be the whole film transport and pressure plate is out of whack. The scratches that Huss and others are seeing are shocking. Unbelievable.

If some are OK and others aren't that points to sloppy parts, assembly or both.

I suspect that the "no parts" may be we are trying to figure this out, probably with bare bones engineering resources.

It will get figured out eventually. Darn cameras are so beautiful I can't resist them.

 

[mshchem]

Leica should make these

 

[Sirius Glass]

Just been informed that Leica does not have the parts in stock to repair my brand new 2022 M6. A camera that was shipped defective from new.

10 weeks since delivery that it has been at Leica.

I have just been informed that Leica does not have the parts in stock to repair my brand new 2022 M6:



Dear Leica Customer,

During the repair of your Leica product, the technician found that a

part required to fully repair your equipment to Leica standards is

currently out of stock.

Our colleagues and worldwide suppliers are working together to resolve

this issue as quickly as possible. However, this will most likely delay

the completion of the repair.

We apologize for the inconvenience and sincerely appreciate your

patience.

Remember the BS that was spouted when this camera was first released, as to how Leica was now making its own parts? Yeah, sure they are.

I have asked for a refund, we'll see how that goes.

I am really sorry to hear this. I know that you were really looking forward to using this camera. What would the wait time be if you were to choose to have it repaired? I think that they should ship you another new one and repair this one to sell as reconditioned. that is what most manufacturers would do.

 

[Huss]

I am really sorry to hear this. I know that you were really looking forward to using this camera. What would the wait time be if you were to choose to have it repaired? I think that they should ship you another new one and repair this one to sell as reconditioned. that is what most manufacturers would do.

The pressure plate is unavailable at the moment, so it doesn't matter where it is sent.
Yes, the correct thing for Leica to do is just exchange it for another. But they have not been willing/able to do so.

 

[MattKing]

Geopolitical discussions are fascinating, but remember folks, no politics please.
It isn't like Leica is going to uproot and move their factories in order to fix Huss' pressure plate!
I too am sorry for Huss and his disappointment.
But I will say that it is issues like this that cause me to never buy things that have just recently been introduced - I always try to wait at least a year.
That has been the case for all the decades I've been around!
That influenced my advice even when I was in retail, even if I never refused to sell the latest, greatest new models.

 

[Huss]

Geopolitical discussions are fascinating, but remember folks, no politics please.
It isn't like Leica is going to uproot and move their factories in order to fix Huss' pressure plate!
I too am sorry for Huss and his disappointment.
But I will say that it is issues like this that cause me to never buy things that have just recently been introduced - I always try to wait at least a year.
That has been the case for all the decades I've been around!
That influenced my advice even when I was in retail, even if I never refused to sell the latest, greatest new models.

The thing is there is nothing ‘new’ here. This M6 is just the MP with a different paint job, film advance lever and rewind knob. Everything under the hood has been the same since 2002.