u/Affectionate-Fan2694

I want to share my experience, because I think it says something about the level of support we get as Leica owners.

I updated my D-Lux 8 to firmware 1.7.0 and, unfortunately, the battery was low during the update, which corrupted the firmware. Since then the camera won't power off — the lens retracts, it sits on the Leica logo forever, and the only way to shut it down is to physically pull the battery. Everything else works.

I did my homework before asking for help. I tried a menu reset, reinstalling 1.7.0 via SD card (blocked — "already the latest version"), and downgrading via SD card (blocked — "update file is older than current firmware"). So there is literally no way for a user to re-flash the firmware once you're on the latest version.

I took it in person to the Leica Boutique in Lisbon, hoping for a quick counter re-flash. Instead I was told the camera has to be sent to Germany and could be there for months — just to rewrite firmware that got interrupted.

I get that a proper reflash needs Leica's internal service tools. But months, for a firmware operation, on a camera that otherwise works perfectly? For a brand at this price point, that's a genuinely disappointing level of support. It's a shame there's no regional service option, no loaner, and no user-level recovery path for something as basic as a corrupted firmware update.

Has anyone here:

1. Actually recovered a D-Lux 8 (or Q/M) stuck on the logo after an interrupted update, without shipping it off?
2. Had Leica turn around a firmware-only repair faster than "months"?
3. Found any regional service center (outside Germany) that can do the reflash?

Not trying to just vent — genuinely hoping someone has a faster route. Thanks.

Hoping someone here has seen this. I updated my D-Lux 8 to firmware 1.7.0 — unfortunately the battery was low during the update and I think something got corrupted.

Now the camera won't turn off. When I power it off, the lens retracts and it shows the Leica logo as if it's shutting down, but it just stays there on the logo forever and never actually powers down. The only way to turn it off is to physically remove the battery.

What I've already tried:

• Reset from the menu (didn't fix it)
• Reinstalling 1.7.0 via SD card → camera says it's already on the latest version and won't re-flash
• Downgrading to an older firmware via SD card → camera refuses with "update file version is older than current firmware"
• There's no newer firmware than 1.7.0 to update forward into

So I can't get the camera to rewrite its firmware through any normal method.

Questions:

1. Has anyone had the D-Lux 8 get stuck on the logo / refuse to power off after a firmware update, and actually fixed it at home?
2. Is there any hidden recovery mode or button combo on the D-Lux 8 to force a firmware re-flash?
3. Does the no-power-off behavior go away after a full battery charge + complete power drain for some of you, or is this always a service job?

No warranty left, so I'd love to avoid a repair if there's anything else to try. Thanks in advance.