Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/06/29

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Glass/concrete interaction...time for a CLA?
From: Ken Wilcox <wilcox@umcc.umich.edu>
Date: Mon, 29 Jun 1998 10:57:47 -0400

Better have that lens checked! A few years ago I dropped my M4/35 'chron
about 4 feet to the pavement. Every thing appeared to be OK but the
resulting photos were lacking sharpness. As I recall it cost me about $150
to have it repaired.

Cheers!

kw


>Well, it had to happen sooner or later...
>
>I was pulling my M6 out of it's bag yesterday while walking along
>a pavement and didn't notice that the 35 'cron that I had put back
>in the bag without its rear cap was nestling in the camera strap...
>Camera came out, followed by strap, and the lens was catapulted
>out of the bag and fell onto the concrete pavement!
>
>Fortunately I saw it go and managed to break its fall with my foot,
>but it still bounced onto the concrete and off into the grass verge.
>It's a heart stopping moment when you see =A3600 worth of glass
>accelerating to the ground, and was followed by a feeling of dread
>when I went to pick it up and inspect for the damage which I
>expected to be fatal.  Well, fortunately it wasn't!  The exposed rear
>element, being receded into the metal lens mount, was completely
>untouched, although there was a tiny chip on the side of the mount
>and some grit around it.  Fortunately the front cap was on, and it
>sustained a larger chip that would have been taken by the aperture
>ring had it not been there.
>
>I got away with it this time - I don't think I would have been so lucky
>with any of my EOS lenses!  The aperture and focusing rings are
>as smooth and easy to turn as ever, but how do I know I haven't
>knocked something out of alignment and put the focusing off?
>I guess the results will show that, and I'm shooting on Velvia at the
>moment, so I suppose I could do some focusing tests with it.
>
>Perhaps now would be a good time to send the whole kit to Leica
>for a CLA...  Does anybody know what that's likely to cost for an
>M6 with three 'crons?  I'm in the UK, so sending it to Sherry is out
>of the question - are there good repair shops in the UK or should
>I send it to Leica direct?
>
>Simon.


- ----
Ken Wilcox                             Carolyn's Personal Touch Portraits
LHSA, MEA, LAW                      preferred---> <wilcox@umcc.umich.edu>
                                                     <kwilcox@gfn.org>=20