Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2010/06/29
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Some weeks back, I sent in my M8 to have the sensor replaced. The price was reasonable at 782 Euros. I paid an extra 100 Euros to have the LCD window replace because of an annoying scratch. Now I have that LCD covered with a protector screen. Solms Customer Services also told me a few weeks ago that I could send in a couple of lenses that I wanted adjusting to work better with my M8 ad have that done at no extra cost. The thing is, I was charged 313 Euro for adjustment of each lens anyway. Actually, Ms Frankl told me it would be free. Then I was invoiced for 413 Euros per lens. I complained to Ms Frankl, who then got the price reduced by 100 Euros, but said she could not reduce more because she had made a mistake in what she had previously said about the adjustment being a free service in this case. OK, I accepted that, feeling confident that my lenses would be returned working as perfectly as possible with my M8. Having tested the two adjusted lenses on my M8, I can't say that it was worth the money. In fact the returned 90 Tele-Elmar is performing worse than before. I did a tape-measure focus test, as suggested by other LUGgers, with the camera on a tripod, and focused each lens at 1m, 2m, and 3m distances. The tabbed 50 'Cron is acceptable, I suppose, although it is back-focusing at each distance and it becomes a problem wide-open at 3m and further. I can live with that, but I was expecting better. The performance of the 90 Tele-Elmar is now very much unacceptable. It is front focusing at all distances. At 1m it scrapes in as usable, at the very back of the range of acceptable sharpness. At 2m the point I focused on by rangefinder is 25cm behind where the focus actually hit. At 3m it is a joke, front- focusing by about 40cm. My 135 lenses perform better than this. I fixed (bodged) the focus on an old Canon 135/3.5 screw mount to work better than the Leica techs managed with my 90/2.8. The Canon was so OOF with my M8 that I unscrewed the front of the lens, fitted a rubber plumbing 'O'-ring to work as a makeshift shim, and the focus was spot on. I'm surprised that the Leica techs returned my 90/28 to me in such poor focusing shape. I've sent an e-mail off to Solms with my test photos, saying that I would like their technicians opinion on the photos, and for them to try again with my 90mm lens. Here is a link to the test photos: 50 'Cron: http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=73557746%40N00&q=50+%27Cron+test&m=text 90 Tele-Elmar: http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=73557746%40N00&q=90+Tele-Elmar+test&m=text Then just for comparison, here is my old 90 'Cron, which Solms did not adjust, and is working reasonably well: http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=73557746%40N00&q=90+Tele-Elmar+test&m=text I think the best performer was the 135/2.8 (goggles): http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=73557746%40N00&q=135+goggles&m=text Thanks for taking a look. I'd appreciate any comments on the results, especially if you agree or disagree with me that the 90 Tele-Elmar is not performing like a lens that I just got back today from being adjusted in Solms. Peter Cheyne