Tamarkin Camera, Chicago Leica Dealer - Service Above and Beyond Expectations

Pictured above: My Leica D-Lux Typ 109, just back from sensor cleaning service at Leica USA

(Image captured with Leica M240 and Zeiss ZM 50mm f/2 lens.

My dad recounts the days, back in the 1950's, when you pulled into a gas station, and several young men in bow ties jogged out to your car and treated you to a full service experience when you stopped to fill up that tank. They checked the oil, tire pressure and pumped the gas for you. That was service, the kind of service which seems to be getting harder and harder to find. But there is a place, in the retail photography world, which has set itself apart, at least in my admittedly minimal experience and interaction with them, and that's Tamarkin Camera, Chicago, a certified Leica dealer.

I first visited Tamarkin Camera back in April of 2018. I was in Chicago for a 4 day weekend, visiting a girlfriend and had some time to spare. I wandered around the street of Chicago doing a little street photography, but I had circled Tamarkin Camera on my map and went to this particular area of Chicago with the specific intention of visiting this Leica store. This is when I first met the proprietor of this fine camera store which specializes in the upscale, luxury camera brand, the one and only Leica. By coincidence, the camera I took along with me on my trip to Chicago was this very same Leica D-Lux Typ 109.

This is also when I met Dan Tamarkin, who took over the business in 2012 from his father, Stan, who started it in 1971. I suspect that Dan's zest for life, personable demeanor and passion for all things Leica must have rubbed off on him from his dad. Although, my dad and I could not be more different, it's a near impossibility for at least some of a father's traits not to be passed on to his sons. That being said, Dan's genuine care for his customers must have been the same in his father. This man truly cares about service. And just to prove it's not all about the almighty dollar, continue reading...

Tamarkin Camera

300 West Superior Street Suite C

Chicago, IL,60654

Dan Tamarkin, owner Tamarkin Camera - follow him @ https://www.instagram.com/dan_tamarkin/

And follow the store @ https://www.instagram.com/tamarkinchicago/

A couple months ago, I made the mistake of taking my Leica D-Lux Typ 109 out to the dusty and dirty desert environment (which is prevalent in Southern New Mexico), the edge of which starts mere yards from my home. My good friend Keith and I were headed out to fly my DJI Mavic Mini drone, as he wanted to fly it for himself in his effort to decide which drone he was going to buy (he ended up pruchasing the DJI Mavic Air 2, a very nice drone indeed). As this was not to be an outing for photography, I just grabbed one of my point and shoots, which ended up being the Leica D-Lux Typ 109. I could have also reached for my Sony RX100 IV, Fujifilm X100S or Sony RX1RII, but alas, I seem to always choose my Leica. 

The problem with this fine little camera, and I should have considered this before selecting it for this particular outing, is that it's not the best choice when shooting in austere environments. As I unfortunately discovered, the "in-n-out" motion of the lens when the camera is powered on and then off, can have a tendency to "suck in" dust particles which can end up inside the camera body, on the sensor itself, which is exactly what happened on the day in question. 

What does any of this have to do with Dan and his fine store, Tamarkin Camera, located far, far away in Chicago? I'm getting to that.

In addition to the dust getting inside the camera body and on the sensor, I also unwittingly cracked my screen protector and ended up with a small scuff on the rear LCD screen, fortunately there was no actual damage to that camera and functionality was not affected. But how would I remedy the dust on the sensor? After all, the Leica D-Lux Typ 109 is a fixed lens camera and I have never been very handy at disassembling and reassembling sensitive electronics with calibrated lenses, nor would I recommend attempting it.

I went to the Leica USA web site to initiate a service request only to discover that they were closed indefinitely due to the Covid-19 pandemic and were not accepting any repairs or service requests. So much for that option. Certainly there had to be a camera repair shop open that could assist me? After all, I was going to have to pay for the sensor cleaning service one way or another as this service would not fall under the category of a warranty repair. 

I next contacted Precision Camera in Austin and actually ended up mailing the camera to them, only to be told that they would be unable to perform the sensor cleaning service because they would not be able to re-calibrate the lens. I'm not sure why they didn't have that capability to perform this service but alas, I was resigned to the fact that I would have to wait until Leica USA reopened for service requests.

And this is where Dan comes in. 

For some reason, I assumed that Dan and his store, Tamarkin Camera did repairs on site, but it turns out he does not. He sends his customer repairs to Leica USA. So when I messaged him asking if he could perform a sensor cleaning on my Leica D-Lux Typ 109, he said only that he could send it in to Leica USA for the sensor cleaning. I mentioned that I had contacted them and they were closed and were not accepting repairs or service requests. This is when he mentioned that Leica USA was accepting repairs and service requests from HIM (and other authorized Leica dealers, I assume) and that he would be happy to send it in on my behalf. Wow! Awesome! Duuuuuude, yes please!

Here comes the punch line, mind you, I have NEVER spent a penny in Dan's fine establishment. Not that I don't want to, it's just that I haven't had the need or the timing simply hasn't jived. When I was in Chicago, at the store back in 2018, I was in the market for a Leica M240, but didn't have the funds at that time. I did feel a little bad when, a week later, I did purchase a used M240 off of eBay, but can sleep well at night because, in fact, I did not have the funds available when I was in Dan's store the week prior, and the package that came with the M240 I bought, was too good to pass up for the price. Dan didn't mind at all, he was just happy to see that I had joined the ranks of Leica M240 owners, a fine group indeed. 

I shipped my Leica D-Lux Typ 109 to Dan and he turned around and shipped it off to Leica USA for the sensor cleaning. It came back in quick order, I think it only took a week or two before he received it back from Leica USA and shipped it back to me. 

It's strange, to feel emotions such as pleasure and joy from the simple experience of receiving a camera back from a sensor cleaning. But honestly, that's exactly what I felt when I got the box from Dan with my camera in it. But that's what owning a Leica (or four) is all about. Leica's do bring pleasure and joy to their owners. They are unique, just like the OUTSTANDING service from Dan and Tamarkin Camera, that went WAY above and beyond any expectations. I have no doubts Dan treats everyone he meets with the same selfless service, friendliness and courtesy. And I also have no doubts that it was his father that taught him so well.

Thanks again Dan!

And if you ever find yourself in Chicago, stop in and introduce yourself. Dan's store also hosts a fine photography gallery as well. I look forward to visiting again. Say Dan, do you happen to have a Leica Summarit 75mm f/2.4 in stock? I'm in the market for one. ;)

Above and below: more images of my Leica D-Lux Typ 109

Captured with my Sony RX100 IV

3 Months for a Warranty Repair? C'Mon Leica USA, You Can Do Better

The big blue Texas sky took up most of the composition, I forget exactly what I was taking a picture of, but if the Texas sky is involved in anyway, you can bet it's going to be a big part of the picture. I was doing a little "chimping" and noticed a speck of dust in the big blue sky of my photo. I immediately reached for the dust blower in my camera bag and gave the front of the lens a good once over. I snapped another photo of the sky, however, the speck of dust was still there.

The Leica D-Lux (Typ 109) features a fixed lens, which means, you cannot remove it or change it out for another. And a beautiful lens it is, Leica Vario-Summilux f/1.7, the problem however, arises when you get dust on the sensor (inside the camera) or inside the lens. There's really no way to fix it yourself, that's the band news. And, if you're in the USA, the camera has to be sent to Leica's official repair center in Allendale, NJ. The good news is, if you purchased the Leica D-Lux (Typ 109) instead of it's Panasonic twin, the Lumix LX100, you get a three year warranty instead of a one year warranty from Panasonic. A year can go by fast, I've already had my Leica D-Lux for about 18 months. the bottom line, the sensor cleaning would be covered by the warranty.

In addition, the hot shoe has been giving me trouble since I first bought the camera. The included flash has never worked. At first I thought it was the flash itself, so I bought a second flash but it too failed to fire when mounted. On the other hand, other brands of flashes did fire when mounted. With an f/1.7 lens, it's not often that I have occasion to employ the flash, in any event, I would prefer that everything work as it should on my cameras, therefore, I listed the hot shoe as inoperable on my repair request.

Leica D-Lux (Typ 109) Shown with flash, Leica Grip and Lens Hood

I had previously sent in my Leica for a warranty repair on the rear LCD screen, and I was extremely pleased with the speed and service I received. All emails were returned promptly, as was the camera. I had it back within 5 weeks. I was assuming that the same could be expected with this warranty repair. Sadly, that would not be the case.

I think it's important to give you the punch line now, before getting into the details of the return, communication, phone calls and emails. The camera works perfectly, and I am happy to have it back in my hands. This blog post is in no way meant to be a bash job on Leica. The camera is superb and has been repaired back to like new condition. That being said...

I sent my camera off to Leica's repair center on May 1st 2017 and I received a confirmation email on May 9th. 

Good day to you!

Thank you for sending your product to Leica Customer Care.

Please refer to attached confirmation of receipt for your reference.

We will inform you about the test results as soon as possible.

Should you require further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact
us.

Thank you and have a great day.

Best Regards
Customer Care
Leica Camera INC.

Contact:
Phone: (+1) 800-222-0118
Fax no.: (201) 995-1686
E-Mail: estimates@leicacamerausa.com

So far so good, they have my camera and will get back to me. So a month goes by and on June 6th I send an email asking for an update on the status, surely within a month they would know how long it will take to repair my camera and mail it back? I get no reply. Maybe they're busy. I sent a simply follow up three days later on the 9th, again asking for a status update. No reply.

On June 12th I get an email which confirms my repair and what needs to be done. Leica attaches a .pdf file which states what items you sent in and what needs to be done. In my case a sensor cleaning, auto focus adjustment and camera test. I figure maybe another 2-3 weeks for them to finish up right? Wrong.

I noticed a possible discrepancy in the repair note from Leica, there was no mention of the hot shoe. I sent a short email back asking that they make sure the hot shoe is also repaired. I received a response on the same day assuring me that the technicians would read my original repair note and requests. All is still well and on schedule.

I waited another month before sending my next email request for a status update. On July 8th I wrote:

When can I expect my camera repair to be completed and returned to me?

Currently, it's been 8 weeks since you receiced it.

Thanks, I appreciate your time and effort!

Felix Mena

I received no reply. And waited two more weeks before again sending an email for a status update, this time on July 21st. Again, I received no reply.

I am certainly no expert when it comes to customer service, but I do think I know enough that replying to customer emails should be on the list of things that you just do. Or am I crazy? I don't expect special service, but to not receive a reply is simply inexcusable, in my opinion. I mean, that's someone's job right? Return customer service emails, especially when they concern items that are already in repair.

I decided that to take the next logical step and place a phone call to their customer service department. I spoke to the central operator, even though I selected the customer service option when promoted by the automated operator, so I had to ask the central operator to be transferred to the customer service department for repairs and warranty service, which no one answered. I left a message but never got a return phone call.

I called again the next day and left another message, again, no return phone call. A week later, on my third phone call attempt, I actually spoke to a real person who said she would call me back because the technicians were on their lunch break. But she never called me back. Finally, on my 4th phone call, the customer service rep I spoke to was able to tell me (after she spoke to the technicians) that my camera was repaired and that it would be mailed back to me the next day. Strange, that once I finally talk to someone on the phone, that my camera is suddenly ready to be shipped back to me. My greatest curiosity is this: How long was my camera simply sitting on a shelf some where?

Before I conclude this blog post, I also want to comment about something, and perhaps I am being a bit too meticulous, but I think the tone of someone's voice, especially when dealing with customers, is a very important detail. The few people I spoke to at Leica all sounded completely lethargic, as if they had no interest in what they were doing, or who they were talking to. They sounded half asleep, or as if I was disturbing them. It was really awful and sad in a way.

After three months of waiting, being patient while my emails went unanswered and my phone messages unreturned, my camera was back in my hands. It works like it was brand new and I'm happy to be shooting photos with it again. Of the 18 months since I purchased the camera, it's been at the Leica repair center for a total of five months. Something just doesn't seem right about that. But alas, that's the way it goes some times. I kind of expected a little bit more from a brand like Leica.

Leica M6 (left) - Leica D-Lux (right)

Below are a few sample photos I took today. 

As you can see, this little camera is amazing, can't beat a Leica lens.

Even a Vario-Summilux

Leica D-Lux (Typ 109) 1:1 Aspect Ratio

The 1:1 aspect ratio offers a unique style of capturing images that is often over-looked or completely forgotten about. Made famous by medium format cameras such as Hasselblad, Rollei 6x6 and a multitude of Twin Lens Reflex Cameras, the 1:1 aspect ratio is truly singular. 

For some reason, 1:1 aspect ratio gives photographs a reality to them that 3:2 or 16:9 does not. Sure, you can drop any image in Photo Shop to 1:1 but when you shoot in 1:1, you have to think about your composition in a completely different way. Because 1:1 is a perfect square, you're not always going to be able to get everything that you might want to get in the shot. You have to be selective about where you place your subject.

I like shooting in 1:1 aspect ratio on my Leica for selfish and frugal reasons. Namely, it's likely I will never be able to afford a digital back for my Hasselblad 503CW. I recently purchased a poor man's digital back for the Hasselblad in the form of a Hasselnuts "digital back" adapter. The adapter looks like a regular Hasselblad A12 back but it has a slot for your iPhone 4 or 5. The image is captured to your iPhone and ends up being something close to a 6 megapixel image. This product is sort of "gimmicky" and has a few severe limitations. I'll be doing a video review of that product in the near future over at HeyDontShoot.com.

The Leica D-Lux (Typ 109) features an easy to use aspect ratio selection dial in the lens dial, right next to where the body and the lens join. You can choose form the standard 3:2, 16:9 which will give you a wide, cinematic view, 4:3 and lastly, 1:1.

Leica lenses have much the same qualities as the Zeiss Hasselblad lenses. They feature colors that are neutral and very true to life. Clean, clear images with fantastic bokeh. Swtich that dial on the Leica over to 1:1 and BAM, you've got your digital 1:1!

I've been meaning to write this blog post for a couple week, but boredom ultimately drove me to shoot a few photos around the house today. I heeded my own slogan of "Everything is a Picture" (Get your "Everything is a Picture" T Shirt right here) and shot some photos in the empty house, empty all except for my sisters dog "Molly".

Leica D-Lux (Typ 109)

Quite Possibly, My Last Photo Set From Korea - Youido Cherry Blossoms Etc.

Spring Flowers at Youido - captured by Leica D-Lux (Typ 109).

The movers come Tuesday morning. It was a rather difficult task decided which cameras and lenses would accompany me on the flight home, and which would travel by sea to rendezvous with me in Texas in 60 days time. One of the cameras that will not be traveling with me is my new Leica D-Lux (Typ 109). The main reason is that I don't have room in my bag for any more cameras, but, to a lesser extent, I lost the lens cap and simply don't want to run the risk of damaging the lens during travel. 

With that in mind, I wanted to take the Leica out for one more spin before boxing her up and the Cherry Blossom Festival at Youido, Seoul, South Korea provided the perfect setting. Well, almost perfect. Grey skies were the only blemish on a wonderful day of walking, enjoying the scenery and, of course, snapping a few photos.

One couldn't help but notice the abundance of "selfie sticks". It's become the norm here, so much so that when I offered to take a photo for two friends that were struggling to get photos of themselves, they politely declined. It's as if the idea of someone else taking the photo for you was somehow as foreign as I am.

Nonetheless, I couldn't worry about how other people take their awfully composed photos, I had my own photographs to concern myself with.

Sometimes a mistake can lead to positive, unintended circumstances. Such was the case with my trip to the Cherry Blossom Festival at Youido. I read about the festival online and the page included a map and description on how to find the location. However, the Youido area is a sort of island and it's quite large. The park basically, surrounds the island on all sides, so I kind of took a guess at the exact location of the festival. The area we made our way to included an ecological forest and several ponds with bike and walking trails throughout. It was a really nice place to spend a few hours but there was clearly no festival to be found. Still, there were plenty of cherry blossom trees in bloom and lots of opportunities for nice photos. 

Statue in front of the Glad Hotel, Youido

Cherry Blossom in bloom. Youido Park, Seoul, South Korea

Two sets of couples, with matching outfits and selfie sticks. Ugh.

The azaleas were also in bloom!

My companion and I decided to walk North towards the National Assembly Building, not knowing exactly what there might be to see there, as luck would have it, there was a lot to see, including the actual Cherry Blossom Festival!

Beautiful trees and flowers line the avenue from the park to the National Assembly.

The National Assembly Building grounds are open to the public. Families gather and picnic on the lawn and enjoy the beauty of the grounds. At this time, we were still completely unaware that the festival was on the road just behind the Assembly Building. But, our wandering nature eventually led us in that direction. Soon we came upon a crowd watching a juggling street performer who was doing his show on the main road of the festival. From there we simply followed the massive crowds and enjoyed the rest of the day taking in the sights and flowers.

The Leica D-Lux (Typ 109) has really impressed me since I purchased it a couple weeks ago. The Leica Vario-Summilix f/1.7lens, although not a true classic "M" prime lens, still bears that difficult-to-describe, unique Leica look. 

Leica D-Lux (Typ 109) - By the way, that's not a typo. The word "type" in German is spelled "typ".