Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/04/10

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Subject: Leica Still Makes Good Cameras
From: Richard Clompus <rclompus@voicenet.com>
Date: Thu, 10 Apr 1997 20:37:49 -0400

Dear Fellow LUGnuts,

I got the Noctilux this past week and a new M6 came today.  I traded in a
Contax G-1 outfit for the M6.  The Noctilux is heavy but not as bad as I
expected.  Next to the new design 50mm Elmar lens, it is rotund.  I got one
roll of Fuji 400 slides back and it is a winner.  Amazing how little light
is needed to take a good photo.  I'm not happy at all with the tungsten
yellow cast with home indoor lighting - but that's my fault.  Couldn't find
any peripheral coma on out of focus light sources.  B&W film this weekend
will tell me other things about this lens.

The new M6 worked fine out of the box.  Looks like my other black M6 that
is almost 4 years old.  Smells new.  Must be the lubricants used.  Shutter
sounds good and the meter is right on.  My first M6 needed to go back to
Leica in New Jersey the first week for an adjustment.  They got it right
this time.  I guess my trip to Solms was worth it after all.

Need advice: I was trying out a 35mm Summicron lens at home last night and
it fell out of my hand and hit our home's wooden floor 12 inches lower.  My
heart skipped a beat.  It seemed to land on the edge of the lens shade.
The lens looks fine, seems to be OK for the most part but I'm not sure if
the maximum aperture is working.  If I set it for f 2.0 and look in the
front of the lens, I can still see the diaphram blades coming into the lens
just a little bit.  Turning the aperture ring doesn't get them to retract
100%.  Does anyone else out there see this on their 35mm Summicron?  I
guess that will be a $150 repair.  Or I'll have the world's first f 2.4
35mm Summicron lens.  I like the lens but not sure what to do at this
point.  I never dropped a lens or camera before.  I heard Leica tests their
lenses up to 100 G's of force.  I guess I tested their lens too.  Do I win
the "stupid" award this week from LUG?    

Next time I'll either work over a table or sit on the floor.  Its cheaper
that way if I decide to let a lens go.

Sincerely,

Richard
- ----------------------
Richard Clompus, OD
West Chester, Pennsylvania, USA