[Leica] Noctilux production and ramifications

[imx <imxputs@knoware.nl>]

The current Noctilux is produced in Canada, that is a fact.
It is a fact that the Noctilux has remarkable image qualities. The inference
that this lens then necessitates production capabilities than are beyond the
expertise of the Solms plant, is unfortunately wrong.
Sal's remark that the lenses for the apo 90 are being made in Canada is
wrong too unfortunately. And so is the inference that Raytheon has
capabilities beyond the Solms palnt.  Here the building of new Leica myths
can be observed qute acutely.
The bare facts: The first 100 lenses of the APO-90 series were made in
Canada, but they could not get it right. So production shifted to Solms,
where all APO-90 are being made and always have, with the exception of that
early batch. 
The Noctilux is not difficult to make, as it is a lens from 1976 with a
production and engineering technique that reflects the state of the art of
those days. The lenses currently made and designed in Solms are much more
demanding technically speaking. Much higher accuracy of the dimensions of
the parts and smaller tolerances.
The reason that the Noct is made in Canada is simple economics and
production capacity.
The production problems with the VE 2.8/35-70 have also been discussed: in
the beginning there were problems with the aspherical lens and the mechanics
of the zoom movements. These were sorted out and the lenses being produced
were and are fully within specs. This lens is indeed quite demanding to
produce but quite within the Solms capabilities. The reason to stop the
production of the lens are economical. It is the right of the management to
decide how they will allocate production resources.
It is the right of the Leica community to speculate about those arguments.
The uncanny propensity of the Leica community to convert mere speculation
into rockhard facts that will resist any fact based refutation, is however
wellknown.

Erwin