Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1996/01/10
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At 15:58 9-1-96 -0600, Michael Bell wrote:
>First the problem. The split image that I see in the rangefinder is very
>faint. It is very difficult to focus unless I have something very bright
>against a dark background to focus on. A repairman told me it was probably
>the silver flaking off the mirror in the rangefinder and that it would be
>expensive to fix. Does this sound right, and does anyone know how much it
>would cost to fix?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Yes, you got a good deal--especially if you like the pictures (deals are
relative). As for the lens, it's a good one, but don't worry about macro.
Any lens can be a macro lens with the proper attachments, but macro with a
rangefinder camera is a pain. For me, the trick to owning a Leica (I've had
eight or ten) is to use it for what it's good for and not be captivated by
attachments. The reason people collect rangefinder Leicas is there are so
many odd, weird, various, shiny bits to collect. Skip that; take pictures.
The rangefinder can be fixed; I don't remember it being too
expensive--somewhere between $100 and $200, five years ago?
Don't worry about Leica being too expensive. In my experience with many
cameras, the factory repair is often cheaper and should be your first
choice. My wife has a lens for a reflex camera back at Leica right now for a
total overhaul, and the cost is $125 plus $12 shipping.
A superb non-factory repairman (whom even the factory has used for hard
jobs) is Don Goldberg:
DAG Camera Repair
2451 Thatcher Lane
McFarland, WI 53558
608-838-4769.
Good luck.
---
Ed Reading
ereading@oz.net
206-774-4977