M8 Demo Units: Just Asking for Trouble?

[endustry]

So I have now managed to convince my wife to go M8 (she shoots w/ a dSLR but is now selling her 5D and lenses to fund the M8 to go with the M6 TTL she already owns). Anyway, we were considering buying one of the "official" M8 demo units sold at Tamarkin, Kurland, etc. These come with a 1-year warranty from Leica and I assume (with an emphasis on the first three letters) that these units have been inspected by Leica and given a clean bill of health. I have an M7 that was originally an "official demo" and it has functioned perfectly. Of course, with the random M8 problems, is it perhaps wiser to shell out an extra $1,000 for a "new" unit with the same warranty?

Inquiring minds want to know.

[etrigan63]

I purchased a demo unit from Dale Labs in Hollywood, FL and have had nothing but good times with it. The only problem it had was a dud battery which they replaced without question.

[Mike Ip]

I bought a demo unit, and one of the issues they found from "demoing" it was that one of the slashes in the display didn't work. Instead of sending it in to get fixed, they slashed $400 off the price. That's fine with me, I brought the savings home.

[ali_baba]

i have two.
its working out.

make sure you test it when you get it and you'll be fine.

[endustry]

Thanks a lot for your feedback. I think we'll buy a demo and save a grand.

[etrigan63]

Use the grand to buy some CV lenses if you don't have any!

[pizzahut88]

Think of it as $1,000 bonus lens coupon.
If given the chance, I would have gone for it.

[Joe Mondello]

Hey Aaron, I bought a new one and it failed -- so there are no guarantees that new is better than demo.

[daveco]

I bought a demo the first week of January this year, from Kurland. Works great. I did have a defective battery charger, but they fedexed a new one to me the same day I phoned about the problem. I am extremely happy with both the camera and the service from Kurland. The demo comes with a one year warranty, so if I upgrade to the new shutter in a year, I'll get the additional year warranty, and less total investment in the camera than if I bought new. Frankly, if you can find a bargain on a used M8 and plan to upgrade, that would possibly be the best deal. I realize finding a bargain might be next to impossible.

[washy21]

My demo unit is spot on.

[rlouzan]

http://leica-users.org/v07/msg08490.html

http://leica-users.org/v07/msg08695.html

http://leica-users.org/v17/msg15646.html

[ramosa]

http://leica-users.org/v07/msg08490.html

http://leica-users.org/v07/msg08695.html

http://leica-users.org/v17/msg15646.html

that's really interesting. i thought "demos" were cameras used in stores for "demonstration" (e.g., the on-the-shelf cameras). but it seems they can be lots of other things, including refurbs. if this is true, it certainly dampens my interest in getting a demo M8 :(

[rsl]

Sounds as if Leica's becoming even more desperate than they were when they thought up the "perpetual care" idea.

[ERV]

My wife gave me a Demo M8 for Christmas from Kurland.
It looks like new and works perfectly. The serial number didn't work when I tried to registrar it. I called Leica NJ and they fixed it, however I'm still waiting for my filters. One other minor point was my wife, an accomplished photojournalist and Leica owner in the family who took me to the original Ken Hansen for the first time, said Eli wasn't very nice considering the purchase price. I've never met him; it may be a guy thing.

[rlouzan]

At the time Leica USA told me that "Our policy is our business and we don't have to explain it to you".

If you are considering a demo, you can trace a demo's number and find out its history.


In New York City it is against the law to sell refurbished units as demo units.

The links riouzn brings up are pretty old Leicas, but I am not sure what the present policy is. I view these posts with caution.

[Cindy Flood]

I would buy the demo and save the money toward the shutter upgrade in one year. Then you extend the warranty one more year and have the quieter shutter for not much more. (That is if the upgrade works as they say, and you can tolerate the loss of the M8 for a few weeks.)

I was a 5D user when I finally got my M8. My 5D just sat... so I sold it. Your wife will love it.

[ramosa]

I was a 5D user when I finally got my M8. My 5D just sat... so I sold it. Your wife will love it.

i'll be getting an M8 soon ... not sure how ... as i'm pondering new, used, and demos--but i, too, expect that this purchase will lead to the subsequent sale of my dslr and related equipment.

[irq506]

Hey there,
I got my face burned off on another forum for saying this but I do believe this forum is a lot more dignified.

Ive seen quite a few M8s come through the store for checkups and repairs etc, as standard I see this camera as being premature.
I know about 8 people who bought them 7 of them have had some issue of one kind or another in varying degrees of seriousness. The one guy who had no issue actually did, he just didnt care about it..
The worst case of the 8 was a focus issue that just kept persisting and after a year they said that they were not going to issue him with a replacement, it turned out to be a twisted shell and a crooked sensor.
I can test body distance in the store here but only on film cameras because generally (certainly on DSLRs) there is no actual film plane because you have to remove it (the sensor) to check the body casting alignment, basically you have to send it back to whoever to get that checked and they bring it to me to avoid sending it back in the first place...
Anyway, its a grand or more cheaper, take a risk -your not going to *lose* any money on it if you have a problem...

[kuzano]

A demo with full warranty has something no "new in the box" electronics item will have. It has more time spent "burning in" the circuitry. I am always surprised that people look for used digital equipment with no, or very few, actuations of the shutter and circuits. Aside from cosmetic indications of abuse, I'd go the demo route most every time. The demo has been "burned in" (a plus with electronics), If it's had any problems they have been attended to faster than if you have a problem with "new", and you are getting new warranty (unless the new M8's have longer than a year)

Why not save the money and quite likely get a more reliable camera?

[DaveB]

Aside from cosmetic indications of abuse, I'd go the demo route most every time. The demo has been "burned in"

I agree entirely.

That was precisely my dating strategy back in college.

[louisb]

I bought a demo unit here in the UK, set my expectations to be disappointed and was very pleasantly surprised. I agree with the view that having been used any potential problems will have been found. As far as I am concerned I avoided the 25% depreciation on new purchases which occurs as soon as you leave the store.

LouisB

[DaveB]

At least for U.S. buyers, a demo M8 plus one of the Leica "upgrade" options amounts to buying next year's camera at last year's price.