[Leica] RE: Re: quality control

[Jim Brick <jim_brick@agilent.com>]

Since 1974, here is a list of Leitz/Leica equipment that I have purchased
and used heavily over the years:

Leica CL, 40 & 90 lenses
(2) R3 MOT bodies with motors
(2) R4sP bodies with winders
(1) R6 body and winder
(3) R7 bodies
15mm Super Elmar-R
21mm Elmarit-R
24mm Elmarit-R
28mm PC SA-R
35mm Summicron-R
35mm PC Curtagon-R
50mm Summicron-R
60mm Elmarit series 8
60mm Elmarit E55
90mm Summicron-R
100mm APO Elmarit-R
135mm Elmarit-R
180mm APO Telyt-R
180mm Elmarit-R
250mm f/4 Telyt-R
280mm APO Elmarit-R
350mm Telyt-R
35-70 E60
35-70 E67
70-180 APO Elmarit-R
(2) 70-210 f/4
(2) M6 Classic .72
24mm ASPH
35mm Summilux ASPH
50mm Summilux-M
75mm Summilux-M
90mm Elmarit-M
V35, color, Focotar WA 40mm

I am sure that I have left out something. But the point is that I have
NEVER had anything wrong with any of this equipment that was not my own
doing. The only pieces that have ever seen Leica service are the 135 for
dripped ice cream in the f/stop mechanism. The E60 35-70 for being whacked
while in a back pack. The black M6 for vertical RF alignment after being
dropped while in a bag. I now adjust the RF myself as I have whacked my
chrome M6 as well (while in a bag.)

Other than that, there have been no failures. Am I just extraordinarily lucky?

No.

I think this is the norm. 

Other than Ted's very first R8's, I suspect Ted's laundry list is longer
than this and with the same "luck." That is, nothing arriving DOA or out of
kilter.

I'm driving a brand new BMW (1500 miles) as a loaner while I'm having mine
serviced. The front passenger window won't go up if you put it down. It
requires someone to keep it straight and assist the motor to get it up.

Everything made by man is going to have a certain failure rate. Sometimes
right out of the box, like this BMW.

Jim




At 05:02 PM 5/18/01 -0500, Tom.Henson@bakerbotts.com wrote:
>Jim,
>
>I have to agree with Seth. While it is indeed true that today's technology
>makes reporting these problems to a very wide audience almost instantaneous,
>my experience with Leica Solms has not been the best.
>
>I purchased three new Leica lenses in the last two months: a 28-70mm vario
>(current version), a 80-200mm vario (current version) and a 100mm 2.8 APO
>(current version).
>
>I had to send the 28-70mm back three times to get a decent lens; 80-200mm
>twice, 100mm 2.8 APO three times (never got a good one).
>
>In the end all three lenses were replaced by Leica USA. The 28-70mm and the
>80-200mm were hand selected by their quality control people and turned out
>to be good enough to keep. The 100mm APO was sent to Solms to have the
>serial number transferred off the bad lens onto a newly manufactured lens
>that was to be hand selected by the quality control people in Solms, and
>then returned to me via Leica NJ.
>
>When I received the 100mm APO back it was not only worse than the one I sent
>in, the back of the lens was all scratched up with screw driver marks where
>it had been dis-assembled and not even touched up. There were finger prints
>all over the lens, and the plastic bag that I had shipped it in was not even
>returned (I had sent box, pouch, plastic bag). I  ended up sending this lens
>back to Leica NJ, and Brenda Olesin was so embarrassed she offered me a full
>refund on the lens.
>
>I have an email from her confirming that Leica Solms was going to send me a
>brand new hand selected lens, if anyone would like a copy I will be glad to
>send it to them off line for a "reference".
>
>Does this sound like a company that occasionally sends out a bad product?
>
>Tom Henson
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Jim Brick [mailto:jim_brick@agilent.com]
>Sent: Friday, May 18, 2001 3:58 PM
>To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us; leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
>Subject: [Leica] Re: quality control
>
>
>I'm not sure that what you say is true Seth. First, there was no LUG or LEG
>or any other world wide e-mail instant information users groups back in the
>days of Leitz. You are equating problems that LUGgers have had with Solms
>vs problems with equipment out of Leitz. To quote a recent mantra, "what is
>your source of information and how reliable is it?" I strongly suspect
>extrapolated hearsay.
>
>He said she said...
>
>Any company that uses human beings to manufacture a product will have a
>certain percentage of failures that actually make it out the door. From
>Yugo to Rolls Royce, from Petri to Leica, from hang gliders to Space
>Shuttles.
>
>I will bet that Leica's faux pas are still in the same percentage as
>Leitz's faux pas. Only they are more visible now. Leica's faux pas may even
>be less.
>
>Sort of like war. Now there are TV cameras on the front lines so that the
>world can see everything as it happens. During WW-I or WW-II the world
>didn't have a clue and only selected information ever got out.
>
>Jim
>
>At 03:54 PM 5/18/01 -0400, SthRosner@aol.com wrote:
>>In a message dated 5/17/01 4:42:15 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
>>henry@henryambrose.com writes:
>>
>><< The new Leica lenses are the best lenses ever made. >>
>>
>>Henry, you must not be reading the unsettling reports of quality control 
>>problems a lot of LUGGERS are having with brand-new equipment out of Solms.
>
>>While on very rare occasion a piece of equipment had to be returned or 
>>repaired, there was never this level of frightening quality problems from 
>>Leitz Wetzlar. Contact Tom.Henson@baker botts.com who has reported his
>horror 
>>stories here.
>>
>>Seth  LaK 9