Faulty frame counter repaired!

[Claes Bjerner <claes.bjerner@pi.se>]

Last Saturday I complained to this list about how the frame counter =
on my rather new M6 suddenly refused to reset itself. And the replies =
show that this particular problem was already familiar to some:

>The frame counters on the M6 seem to be a little fragile. On one of my M6
>bodies it broke after six months or so of light use. A friend currently =
has
>the same problem.
>
>Carsten

>....damned if a frame counter didn't go haywire the
>very next day on one of them! :)  It is the first time I ever had anything
>malfunction in all these years.
>ted
>Victoria, Canada
>http://www.islandnet.com/~tedgrant

>
>Mine resets to about 3 frames too low. More annoying is the tendency to
>reset itself midroll at times. I have contacted Leica about this, thinking
>that they would like to correct a problem that I have been told was =
common.
>They were interested to fix it for $125.
>
>Just one more reason why I prefer to use my older Leicas.
>
>Cheers!
>
>kw

Well, my M6 was just returned to me by my friendly neighborhood =
repairman. He had to charge me the minimum fee - US$130, but said =
that he maybe could have done it for free just to be able to confirm =
the rumor. A rumor Stephen Gandy had already confirmed in his reply:

>Leica changed some internal M6 framecounter parts from metal to
>plastic.  No doubt it was a change to improve precision, not to cut
>costs. 
>
>Stephen Gandy

Yes, guys! There is now indeed at least one plastic part in the body =
of the very late model M6!!

My friend - the repairman - was not really shocked to find the piece =
of plastic (the actual gear wheel, right underneath the frame =
counter), he just heaved a deep sigh and told me that "It=B4s =
starting to go downhill for Leica". And then he showed me other signs =
of quality deterioration on the M6 compared to earlier models. 

To me it=B4s evident that the people in Solms now have changed their =
priorities from quality to profit. And we - users and customers - =
will have to stand back and allow the Leica shareholders to take over =
as a more prominent pressure group. Or am I wrong about that? 

My M6 is for now working perfectly, but if anything - this recent =
disappointment have made me love my three almost 40 years old M3=B4s =
even more. Not once have they failed me! Really old fashioned Leica =
quality! 

>Will Leica repair it under warranty?

No! Since I had bought the M6 in Tokyo the warranty only covers =
repair work done in Japan! And I couldn=B4t wait =B4til I get back =
there.

Regards,

Claes Bjerner