[Leica] Looking for Advice: I have an M9 - it's 2024 - should I consider upgrading to an M11?

[Lluis Ripoll]

Frank,

I had many succesful experiences with Malcolm Taylor, as you say THE BEST! but AFAIK he is already retired. In my opinion for an European Union based, we have in Spain at least two great repair workshops, they serviced my IIIF, my Summicron Rigid and other things. They don’t repair any digital, only mehanical and optical aspects  like adjusting rangefinder and so one.

The problem with the corrossion sensors of the M9 are only attendet by Kolari in USA and Max Max in UK AFAIK, Leica don’t offer any service for the approximately 180.000 M9 they have sold, unfortunately this is not more the policy I’ve experiemented with Leica when I’ve started to use only Leica stuff on the 70’s.

Lluis


> El 31 maig 2024, a les 21:19, Frank Filippone via LUG <lug at leica-users.org> va escriure:
> 
> Maybe,, but practically?  You believe that there are a lot of repair guys who have the knowledge and ability and willingness to make a part, without factory of other specifications well documented, for a LTM camera?  Especially if that specific part is available on a cannibalized, non-working original?
> 
> Yes, a rare, very valuable, maybe one of a kind Leica needs that degree of attention, but the sheer number of those cameras is far far outweighed by the number of common, everyday LTM bodies (roughly 1,000,000 LTM cameras were made over the production span.  The M3 serial numbers started just before this 1,000,000 number) that require repair.
> 
> Malcom Taylor is certainly well known for this ability.  I have seen a Stereo LTM Leica he made form basically blocks of steel and a "file".  He is magnificent.  Absolutely.  THE Best.
> 
> In the USA, Sherry, Don, and Yye are the best known USA repairers of  old Leicas.  I think you would get a different answer to the question of cannibalization, rather than to fabricate a part from scratch.....
> 
> You will always find an exception to any rule.....You must know that exception has conditions .... Having Malcolm Taylor repair a US based 3c would be possible, but why ?  A genuine Null Series? Luxus?, Maybe a good choice.
> 
> You would need a pretty good reason... and even a better reason to insist that he hand make parts from scratch if factory original new parts were not available.
> 
> YMMV
> 
> 
> Frank Filippone
> BMWRed735i at Gmail.com
> 
> On 5/31/2024 8:49 AM, Peter Dzwig wrote:
>> Frank,
>> 
>> I think that that's a little unfair to some repairers.
>> 
>> On 30/05/2024 18:21, Frank Filippone via LUG wrote:
>>>  Similar to their position on LTM bodies.
>>> 
>>   I suspect the Leica 3c has parts that are also not available
>>> new... so what does the independent repair guy do?  He cannibalizes parts from donor bodies and completes the repair. 
>> Malcolm Taylor has repaired both my M3 and IIIf. Where he needed to he simply made the required parts from scratch. No cannibalisation.
>> 
>> That of course is why Leica and others turn to him. From talking with him he has worked on everything from Ur-Leicas forwards to Ms.
>> 
>> Of course as we all know you have to be careful who you choose.
>> 
>> Best regards,
>> 
>> Peter
> 
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