Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/07/10

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Leica-Users List Digest V3 #183
From: Christian Becker <chribeck@mdc-berlin.de>
Date: Fri, 10 Jul 1998 12:21:50 +0200

Charlie wrote:
>So, I've taken delivery of 6 examples of new equipment from Leica and >only two of those (one 50/2 and one of three 90/2.8) have been in 
>acceptable condition.I examined this equipment as carefully as I do 
>my M equipment. Out of 7 examples of new equipment from Nikon, 6 were >in first-class condition. That's a failure rate that is much more 
>acceptable.

afterwards Marc wrote:
>Far, far better Kiev than Canon or Nikon or some other computerized,
>assembly-line whiz-bang company.

does it mean computerized assembly lines seem to make less mistakes?
Just to extend on it, my personal life-long experience with quality:

Voigtlaender:
Bessamatic - no problems
135/4      - no problems
50/2       - no problems

Olympus:
OM-1       - no problems
OM-2       - no problems
50/1..8    - no problems
55/1.2     - no problems
28/2.8     - no problems

Leica:
R3mot (secondhand) - winder synchronization problem
R4   (secondhand)  - shutter failed (several times)
50/2 (secondhand)  - getting fogged
35/4 (secondhand)  - aperture ring loose
24/2.8 (secondhand)- no problems
M3   (secondhand)  - shutter failure

Nikon:
F5 - no problem
50/1.8AF - no problem
35/2.0AF (secondhand) - aperture frozen
20/2.8 (secondhand) - lens element went loose

all items bought secondhand developed problems (not aperant or
forseeable when bought). It didn't surprised me. Except for the R4 which
after being fixed by Leica should have worked flawless (but failed
repeatedly and was one of the reasons to turn to N)

Christian