Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/11/13
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]on 13/11/00 11:42 PM, Jim Brick at jim_brick@agilent.com wrote: > Here in the US, they seem to be a production item, readily available, with > a part number 442-299-805-009 and are $20. > > So I don't see why they are not available anywhere else??? Odd that. When you say 'readily available' do you mean that you know stores that have them in stock? I have had to quote the part number to official distributors in order to get them to admit the item exists. Solms told me that they have only produced 'some hundred pieces in 2-3 years' and that they have none in stock now but 'maybe next year'. Not what I would call 'readily available'. They are not mentioned in the system handbook/catalogue, published price lists, instruction books nor brochures. OTOH when I asked at Hansen's and elsewhere in NYC last year they were not available and in most places never heard of. Likewise in UK. Hansen's did try to sell me a second hand one from one of the cameras belonging to a member of the sales team for $60 though. I declined. BTW I understand that the price in Germany is 12.95DM which is about a third the US price (or 1/9th the price of a secondhand one from Hansen's). Perhaps a bit of black tape is the correct approach after all :) A bigger issue for me is the fact that the silver oxide 1.5v batteries (and even the 3v Lithium alternatives) are becoming increasingly difficult to find. In the half dozen countries I have been to in the last few months they have neither been available at electronics stores nor even at major Leica dealers. The alkaline 1.5v batteries are everywhere and do work but only for a few weeks at best (in the M6TTL). They are not the recommended cells either. Anyone know whether these are headed the way of the mercury cells? Bests Adrian - -- Adrian Bradshaw Corporate and Editorial Photography Beijing, China tel/fax +86 10 6532 5112 mobile +86 139 108 22292 e-mail apbbeijing@yahoo.com OR adrianpeterbradshaw@compuserve.com website: http://www.apbphoto.com http://www.liaisonintl.com/bradshaw.htm _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com