Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/01/25
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Walter S Delesandri <walt@jove.acs.unt.edu> wrote: > Subject: Re: [Leica] [Leica-off topic] country of origin > But OTOH, YOU weren't the one with the rabidly anti-japanese > slant.......Marc was....and I've read enough of his posts that > it's consistent.....now IF it is based on lack of extended > customer support, THIS I understand, and I agree.....Leica, > Audio Research, RL Drake (???), BMW/Mercedes/etc. have a tradition > of customer support on LONG discontinued products..... > > Nikon doesn't even want to support manual focus lenses ___THAT ARE > STILL FOR SALE NEW!!!! I beg to differ. Nikon has perhaps one of the best support for its older products, regardless of manufacturers. Nikon continues to provide support for all of its top-of-the-line bodies, including the Nikon I. Nikon went as far as manufacturing a new batch of raingefinder prisms several years ago for its rangefinder bodies. When did Leica last made prisms for its screwmount body cameras, and even M3? I have had my F body circa 1969 overhauled, and came out good-as-new. Burnt out a hole in the cloth shutter curtain of S2? They will happily replace it with another cloth curtain, or a titanium curtain. Nikon will work on pretty much all lenses it ever manufactured. They will overhaul your chrome, rangefinder lenses, not to mention its F-mount lenses. I recently had my 50mm lens circa 1962 overhauled. While they would not polish the element etched by mildew, they redid the aperture mechanism which was somewhat loose. This is not to say that Nikon will provide support for all of its products. It will only service its top-of-the-line bodies, for example. If your venerable Nikkormat (Nikomat) breaks beyond certain point, they will only suggest that you buy a replacement. I think they are generous by giving discounts (30% off retail?) for a "comparable" current model. For example, if you flattened your Nik(kor)mat, its closest replacement will be an FM2. While less accessible to customers outside Japan, Nikon's service centres will accept repair orders from overseas, as well. Nikon's policy to make a new batch of replacement parts is more limited, more understandably. Since it is often possible to buy another one on the used market than to fix one, they will suggest you do that. In instances where parts are rare, and replacements are not found on the used market, they will remanufacture certain parts to provide on-going support for its products. Aside from the rangefinder prism mentioned above, they have remanufactured prisms, body covers, and shutter curtains for F. They still stock battery cases for MD-3 motordrives for F2... The list goes on. > Still, I don't think Marc's position is based on such logical complaints....THAT"s what I was asking...... I concur. While the great depth of his knowledge is immense, I do find his rabid attacks on Japanese manufacturers rather off-putting. Very few things in this world are invented, but most are improvements on older ideas. Ok, flamers, pick your topic: Tessar is a mere derivative of Cook's Triplet design. Sonnar is a mere derivative of Cook's Triplet design. Planar is a mere derivative of Gauss' meniscus pair design. Asbestos pants on. :) ____________________________________________________________________ More than just email--Get your FREE Netscape WebMail account today at http://home.netscape.com/netcenter/mail