[Leica] Leica lens CLA costs in Japan--front-focussing 90 Summicron (Canada)

[Peter Cheyne]

I posted a week or two ago about sending my 90 Summicron (Leitz Canada) off
for focus adjustment in Japan, where I live. It think it needs a shim, and
it's front focussing by about 3 cms at normal portrait distances.

The repair man who has my lens now accepts that the lens is
front-focussing. At first he said it was fine, but after I sent him my M9,
with photos showing my other Leica lenses focussing perfectly, he agrees
with me about the front-focus problem.

He reports that the adjustment he has to make will mean that the mark on
the lens mount will no longer be in the correct place, so he will have to
fill in the old mark and make a new one. That seems a bit odd to me,
because my guess (though I'm not a lens repair person, I know!) was that it
just needed a shim. But what he says makes it sound like like he will
adjust the mount instead. Does anyone here think that sounds about right? I
mean, I would have thought that a shim would be the only fix needed. Isn't
adjusting the mount excessive?

The repair man says it will cost 23,000 (about $200). Is that a little
higher than it would cost in the US? I phoned Leica Japan to see what they
thought and they said they they cannot adjust Leica lenses that old, as
they don't have spare parts in case something goes wrong. What a cop-out!
Leica Germany CLA'd this lens for me about 5 or 6 years ago. Leica Japan
also said that if somehow they were to adjust my lens, the starting cost to
me would be from 56,000 yen (about $500), and likely more. Doesn't that
sound very excessive?

Any comments? Are Leica Japan taking advantage, or this this price roughly
equivalent with Leica Germany and Leica US prices? Anyway, I rarely ever
ask Leica Japan for repair estimates nowadays, as I always end up shaking
my head in disbelief!

Peter