Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/06/15
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]That used to happen to me all the time I would call Rockliegh at 201 767-1100 and say "Parts Department Please" No touch tone service back then, just a girl with a delicious voice. Then I'de get tranferred and a tech would pick up. Almost invariably if the part was not worth the cost of shipping, they would mail it out free! I remember the time they sent me a free new front element for my 19 elmarit,. Had you going for a minute dindn't I! Seriously though, most of that old cheap stuff has now gone up in price to the point that it can't be given away. For example the last time I needed a pair of decorative pc contact screw on cover rings, they just gave them away. Now they cost 8 bucks a piece. An M series shutter curtain used to be 6 bucks, now it's 60! I can't believe that inflation since 1983 or so and economies of scale account for this. An M series top has gone from about 190 to 385 I was afraid to ask the price on an R3 lens flange. The price increases wouldn't worry me by themselves. What really scares me is the possibility that the company's profitability has sunk so much that they've started recouping losses on the parts. That would be down right dangerous and a surefire indicator that the company won't be around for long. I hate to say this but I don't see Leitz surviving too far into the next millenium without undergoing a huge metamorphosis. The answer is clearly in the east. The Mainland Chinese, even though they are a bunch of confounded Communists have what it takes to build and assemble every part of an M except maybe for the rangefinder. In my thoughts I have seen an Chinese M type chassis sailing on a boat towards a European port and being attached there to a rangefinder. The price? About 20 to 50 bucks a chassis. The cost of the rangefinder? About 100 for Leitz. 750 for the rest of us? Lets remember that the M bayonet patent runs out next year I think, so if Leitz doesn't do this someone will do it for them. Then we'll really be talking about the good ole days. See Ya Javier David Strang wrote: > I thought I would post a positive comment about Leica. > > A week ago I noticed the tiny PC socket cover was missing from my R8. The > missing cover is so conspicuous, the R8 looked kind of violated and naked. Well, > I emailed the parts-department at Leica and I received the following reply the > next day: > > >I will mail you a couple at no charge > >Dave Elwell, parts > > Well, they arrived in the mail Monday. I must say that I am impressed and very > thankful. This is after trying to BUY replacement covers from 3-4 mailorder > Leica establishments. Prompt response and free! > > Also, the R8 winder rechargeable battery pack arrived followed shortly by the > 19mm Elmarit. The battery makes the winder a lot livelier, though I sure wish > there was a R8 motor drive! The 19mm is beautiful!!!!! I can hardly wait to look > at my neg's!! > > For those interested in aesthetics, the appearance of a R8 with winder, battery > pack, and the 19mm with its large rectangular shade is really something to > behold. Fortunately, it performs a whole lot better than it looks!! > > The R8...only from Leica. > > Regards, > Dave > dstrang@up.net > > ----Pentium Pro/Windows NT 4-SP3/Zip100/Zip250/Jaz2GB/Astra 600S scanner/RedHat > Linux 5.0/MSVC++ 5.0/MSVC++ 6.0/PowerStation Fortran 4.0/Photoshop > 4.01/Photoshop 5.0/Illustrator 7.01/KPT 3.0/KPT 5.0/PhotoTools 3.0/Portfolio > 4.0/Total XAOS/Matlab 5.0/Maple V/Office 97 Pro+SR2/MacOpener 4.0/AMIGA > 1000/AMIGA 2000-GVP030 Combo/AMIGA 3000(2)/Indigo 2 XZ/IRIX 5.3/IRIX 6.2/ and > member of UP.NET!