RE: [Leica] How often CLA

["B. D. Colen" <BDColen@earthlink.net>]

Ted- It was B.D., not Bud - Don't want to put my words in his mouth. I think
my point was that it may be better to attempt to avoid trouble with an
occassional CLA then ask the gods to intervene. I know that before I go to
do an interview, I always put fresh batteries in my tape recorder, even if I
know that I've only used the previous set for 30 minutes worth of taping.
Likewise, when I'm going to be using flash - sorry! :-) - for something that
matters, I put in fresh batteries. For that matter, I make a point of
regularly replacing my M batteries, rather than wait for them to die....I'm
sure that there are Leica IIs and IIIs around that - to say nothing of Ms -
that work perfectly despite never having had a techs fingers fiddle with
their guts. But why chance it?

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Ted Grant
> Sent: Tuesday, December 08, 1998 10:53 AM
> To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> Subject: RE: [Leica] How often CLA
>
>
> Bud wrote:
>
> >Ted, I would normally defer to your superior experience and wisdom.
> >But...While IIABWFI is a good basic principle, isn't there a
> certain period
> >of time - let's say 10 years - beyond which the odds favor a
> disaster if the
> >camera hasn't been CLAed?...Isn't it called preventative
> maintenance?>>>>>
>
> Hi Bud,
> Your right, but in the case of my M6 cameras they haven't been touched
> since purchased new in 1985, other than the quick check at a Leica clinic.
> Shutter speeds and rf, each time they have been right on the
> mark. Actually
> the technicians are quite surprised at how accurate they are
> after 13 years
> use by a working photographer..
>
> They have been used in the hottest of tropics and the highest of
> the arctic at
> 50 below zero and always functioned without miss. I realize there could
> come a day when one or the other crash due to not being cleaned or
> whatever. But I have an aversion to breaking them open when they are
> working fine just because it is percieved they should be cleaned.
>
> Therefore, "why fix them, if they're not broke?"
>
> And yes I may rue the day they haven't been CLA'd, but I always
> "listen" to
> my cameras whichever ones they are when I'm shooting, and almost by
> instinct, know when it doesn't sound right. So far they've been
> working OK.
>
> So the great Leica Keeper in the sky may have a kind hearted gaurdian hand
> over me and my Leicas and I wont loose a bunch of images due to lack of
> CLA! :)
> ted
>
> Ted Grant
> This is Our Work. The Legacy of Sir William Osler.
> http://www.islandnet.com/~tedgrant
>
>
>