Re: [Leica] Solm's Quality

[Jim Brick <jim@brick.org>]

Notice I removed the "lack of" from the subject.

My first Leica was a CL, purchased when they came out in 1973, with 40 & 90
lenses. I was using an Alpa, my wife used the CL much more than I did. I
sold the CL two years later. No quality problems. In 1976 I sold the Alpa
equipment and bought two R3's. They were just put on the market. I bought
them for the spot meter. I also bought a 35/2, 60/2.8, and 135/2.8 . These
cameras and lenses performed flawlessly. In 1977 I bought a 24/2.8 . All of
this equipment performed flawlessly through 1986, when I sold the two R3's
and bought two R4sP's. In 1988 I added an R6. The R4sP's and R6 performed
flawlessly until 1996 when I sold the R6 and one of the R4sP's and bought
two R7's. During this period, I purchased and used the following lenses:
15, 19, 24, 28PC, 35/2, 35PC, 50/2, 60/2.8, 90/2, 100APO, 135, 180/3.4,
180/2.8, 280/2.8, 350, 35-70 E60, 35-70 E67, 70-210/4, 2x, 2xAPO, 1.4xAPO.
I don't still have all of these lenses, but they all got a good workout
before moving on. I use my equipment a lot. Some of these lenses I've had
for 20 years. I have never ever had to return any equipment because of a
quality control problem. Every single piece of equipment has been 100%
functional, as advertised, from the very beginning. I have never sent in a
single piece of equipment in for repair due to mechanical or electrical
failure, that was not my own doing. My son dripped frozen yogurt on the
f/stop ring of the 135 and it locked-up. I fell with the E60 35-70 in my
backpack (unprotected). So they went back for repair. That's it!!!!!
Nothing to do with Solms quality.

I just bought a new M6 a few months ago. It is perfect. The RF is perfectly
aligned during focusing and also lines up perfectly at infinity. The meter
functions perfectly. All of my M lenses I bought used, but are mechanically
and optically perfect. The shutter works perfectly. It's a bitch to load,
but I'll get used to it! R's are sssoooooo easy to load.

So... while all of the posts have been about lack of quality... I thought
I'd share my "quality" experience with you all.

I'm not saying that I won't, in the future, receive a defective piece of
equipment. But it hasn't happened yet. And if I do, well... I'll take my
lumps and get it replaced.

Thank you Wetzlar, and now Solms, for producing world class equipment.
Taking photographs with it is a joy.

Jim

ps... Any other Leica "Quality" stories out there?