Leica’s very useful owners’ area, which has been AWOL for several months, is now again up and running. You can add all those cameras and lenses you’ve added to your collection since the site went down for reconstruction.
There’s a completely new look and you will find it easier to list your Leica products. You can now add cameras and lenses from third-party manufacturers — an important move in view of the continuing success of the L-Mount Alliance. I’ve already earmarked a spot for my sole (so far) Sigma lens, the 45mm f/2.8 Contemporary.
Insurance record
The owners’ area is invaluable as a place to record serial numbers and purchase details, acting as a useful insurance inventory in case of theft.
You can upload photographs of your own lenses and cameras to add a personal touch. Again, this can help insurance assessors.
Since almost every Leica product back to the year dot is on file, you can easily store details of vintage equipment. If you have a large collection (which I don’t) it can be useful to browse through and remind yourself of what items are lurking in cobweb-festooned drawers.
However, make sure you give the login details to your spouse or partner, of course, and leave a note to implore them not sell your stuff for the price you mentioned when you dragged yet another innocent-looking Leica box through the front door.
The central database checks to ensure that there are no duplicate serial numbers. It’s important to check the digits carefully if you do get a rejection. If by any chance you acquired a camera or lens from the back of a van, it’s quite possible that the registration will fail since it could already be on the original owner’s list. But there are more innocent reasons for rejection.
From the owner’s point of view, of course, registering purchases is important since an attempt to re-register stolen equipment will raise a flag.
In many cases, however, the previous owner of a legitimately purchased item will simply have failed to remove it from the Leica Owners’ Area. This is especially likely when owners sell out all their Leica gear. Or, perhaps, when that spouse gathers everything together and sells it to a reputable Leica dealer.
Finding something I purchased is already registered has happened to me on a few occasions in the past. But there has always been an innocent explanation.
If you do find that your new pre-owned camera or lens is flagged as previously registered, all is not lost. Write to Leica at software-support@leica-camera.com, attaching proof of purchase. If the database controllers are happy with the explanation they will remove the block so you can go ahead and register.
Already registered?
If you have used the Owners’ Area in the past you will need to reset your password, which is easily done. However, in my case, the previous log-in was a single word and not an email address which is now obligatory. It took me several attempts with various email addresses until I found one that matched the records.
The new site is very visual, with blocks to hold all items of equipment. This is fine as far as it goes, but I would like to see a few improvements. It would be useful to add specific fields for the purchase price and current valuation rather than having to remember to include such facts in the INFO text box.
Finally, the ability to call up a list view, perhaps sortable on individual criteria, and then print the list, would please many owners. I’ve written to Leica to make these suggestions and I will report back on developments.
I would urge all readers who own Leica equipment to set up an account and register their cameras and lenses as soon as possible. The new site makes it much easier to manage your records and it will offer some peace of mind.
The new Owner’s Site is beyond clunky. I have had to change my password there about 3 or 4 time already as the system does not seem to retain them. In addition my Leica items (I have well over a hundred of them) are not presented in any recognisable order. In the old site they were presented in the date order in which I had entered them. Definitely a change for the worse. Leica gets a D- for software, which, unfortunately, is too often the case.
William
Looks like I will have to delve deeper. It’s a pity because they’ve had long enough to get things going. On another issue, I failed linked my SL2 to FOTOS but can’t seem to do anything with it. Something else to check.
See Jono the Tester at Red Dot on the 14th.
I see that there are some difficulties about the database here. I am about to add another IIIc sharkskin to my collection. I collect them because they were made about the time of my birth. The closest I have so far is one that was delivered 3 days before I was. That will be the acid test for me as to whether the database is fit for purpose. Not all of us Leica collectors and users buy our equipment from those poncy boutiques. That needs to impressed upon the gnomes of Wetzlar.
William
Thanks for the info Mike. I bought a lens from our favourite dealer (just to the north of Barbican!) and found I couldn’t register it. Now I know the solution.
I ran into the same problem when I was registering my 16-55mm TL lens in the former Owner’s Area. I emailed Leica and they were able to fix it in two days.
I’ve bought two new cameras for which the owner’s area rejected the serial numbers. The software support people in Germany fixed the problem without further questions or documentation.
Sorry – it’s getting late. That should have read Leicaflex to R9!
There seem to be quite a few major gaps in a database of all Leica equipment. SLR cameras, from the original Leicaflex to M9 don’t seem to count as real Leicas – nor do any LTM cameras for that matter. Perhaps this is just a work in progress with something more comprehensive to come.
Sry disappointing, Philip. I don’t know about R and Leicaflex because I’ve never owned them. But on the old system everything I tried was there. I simply assumed that they would be using the same database. If they’ve changed it or dumbed it down it will be annoying to say the least.
In the old version I could add any lens. For example my LTM Thambar. This is no longer possible because as far as I can see, the system doesn’t let you add items that are not in their database.
I just tried adding my Summaron 35/2.8 and can’t… nor my Summar as there are only Summicron and Summilux in the LTM lens section.
Am I missing something?
Ian, I have to admit that I just added one camera and didn’t have any new lenses to add. I never had a problem finding lists for vintage lenses in the old version. I will have a look at this and, if necessary, ask the factory. I will also check my existing entries because have have an old Summar and others. But no Thambar.
It seems any lenses added into the last version are still there. And indeed, there was no problem adding them into the previous version.
In the new interface, I can’t add a Tele-Elmarit FAT, a 35/2.8 Summaron, a 21/3.4 Super-Angulon, all M mount, neither can I add the Summar or a Summitar.
It’s strange because it must be so easy to have all these lenses in their database. It’s not as if there are that many and you would think they had the necessary info.
I am awaiting a reply from Leica in connection with my suggestions for additional fields (and to get a direct email address for the department concerned). When they respond I will refer them to this thread and ask them to comment.
Thanks Michael
This a great news Mike. Do you know if that applies to second-hand leicas bought from a leica dealer?
It applies to any Leica, irrespective of where it came from. You can input a 1930 camera or a new 2019 M10.