Luminous Landscape Forum
Equipment & Techniques => Medium Format / Film / Digital Backs – and Large Sensor Photography => Topic started by: torger on November 27, 2012, 11:45:49 am
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I've tried to get help with repairing my good old second-hand Leaf Aptus 75 since September, but it seems to be immensely hard to achieve. The first dealer (the nearest one) I contacted did not have the equipment or knowledge of Leaf central pricing so pricing got crazy. It took a month and a service-check (round-trip to Israel) to find out. The second dealer (one in Germany) seems to have the know-how and proper pricing but is of the type "I'll contact you later today" and then nothing for a week and 3-4 mails and then another "I'll contact you later today" and the same story all over again.
It's like being stuck in a Kafka novel.
I'll see if the current German dealer eventually replies with something different than "I'll contact you later today" (I've waited since 14th of November to get an answer to the question "can I send the back to you?"), but if not I'll have to turn to a third dealer and then I'd like to do it on recommendation.
I have the following criteria: 1) competent dealer that has the know-how and tools to make simple investigations and repairs like replacing sensor glass and fan 2) competent dealer that knows the pricing so I don't get fantasy prices or combine services in ways that they get more expensive than they need to be 3) resides in Europe and preferably deals in Euro, 4) not so busy that they cannot handle support 5) responds to email written in English.
If anyone has a recommendation of which dealer to turn to please send me a message.
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It's nice to be a dreamer 8)
That would be in an ideal world. Unfortunately the world is not perfect...
You can meet certain criteria, but not all.
If you find one, tell us necessarily :)
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Yes, if you find one, please let me know. I am still waiting for a quote on an upgrade from my dealer. Now before all the US dealers jump on my neck, dealers in Europe tend to be terrible. They seem to have no interest whatsoever in selling things to you, at least not if it means they have to do something for it. Something like responding to mails and questions regarding sales (like prices or so). It seems Europe is really different in this aspect compared to the US.
I guess, things are either going too well for them so they are not interested or not at all and they are all busy doing other stuff to make a living. I don't know but it is getting tiresome to the point that even long time supporters and users of MF like myself are shaking their heads in amazement.
I would not have one single client left if I would treat my clients that way...
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Ok, thanks guys. I was getting a bit paranoid, but now when I know I'm not alone it feels much better :)
So I guess the best thing is just to show some more patience and wait some more. Going to a third dealer and experiencing the same thing all over will just delay it further. Good competence and fair pricing is what I need most, and I think I've found that so I'll wait some more...
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hi torger,
leaf dealers in germany are
probis www.probis.de (berlin, hamburg)
calumet www.calumet.de (berlin, hamburg, munich, duesseldorf, stuttgart, essen)
and
photo universal (stuttgart), who claims to be leaf germany www.leaf-deutschland.de/index.html
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Hi Torger,
Well I will give you A+ for perseverance. I would have emailed Leaf and told them to stick there backs up there ass.
I am starting to think of now selling my very extensive Mamiya RZ system as it is becoming more redundant now that I am using a Nikon D800E and just bought a Nikon D800 to complement my Nikon system.
I think the kicker for the Mamiya RZ will be when my Leaf Aptus 75 breaks down or the anticipated release of the Nikon D4X.
All the best with you quest.
Cheers
Simon
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Torger,
Try to give Goecker here in Copenhagen a call, they have treated me very well when I had to get my Mamiya DM22 in for a service check in order to have a misaligned sensor fixed.
www.goecker.dk - I spoke with Bjarne Blom: http://www.goecker.dk/Content/Goeckerinfo/Staff/bjarne.asp
What amazes me in your trouble is that Leaf doesn't stand up and help you out, maybe offer you that you could to send the back straight to them....
Peter
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What amazes me in your trouble is that Leaf doesn't stand up and help you out, maybe offer you that you could to send the back straight to them....
I've got some help from them. They eventually helped sort out the pricing with the first dealer and recommended me to return there, but I don't want to since they do not actively work with Leaf products any longer, and don't know Leaf gear very well and do not have the tools to do basic repairs -- all of which is important to me, especially since I'm using older gear.
Leaf's hands are a bit tied though, and I understand them. They cannot start going behind the backs of their own dealers, dealers would not be happy and the whole dealer-centric business model would start to fall apart.
My guess is that business is a bit too small and fragmented in Europe so a smaller brand like Leaf gets attention from part time of one person at a company which does whole lot of other stuff too, and then things tend to become a bit dysfunctional.
I'll try to have some more patience. It felt a whole lot better hearing that there are others that have experienced similar things, I was getting a bit paranoid and thinking that there was some policy to ignore people using old gear and/or gear bought in the private market, but it seems like we are all ignored like equals ;)
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Just wanted to say that I have now got my Leaf back repaired via the German dealer, I received it back a few days ago.
The E-box (i e all electronics except sensor) and the sensor glass has been replaced. Since all electronics was replaced (due to the cold weather issue) it was quite a lot of money of course (~2000 euro + VAT), but since I end up with something that is "as new" (shot count is only 100...), it is hard to not be happy. I'm pleased how it turned out, even if it took five months from when I started to try to get it repaired until I actually got it done at the correct pricing.
I have not had time yet to put it through real testing, i e cold weather, but I don't expect any problem.
I'm really eager to get into some serious shooting with my Linhof Techno again, and curious about how the Aptus colour rendition behaves in the troublesome winter landscape.