Re: [Leica] Re: M6 Reliability

["Michael Gatov" <Wildmagic@csi.com>]

Hi Sandy:


> Bottom line...of my three M6's (recent production) I sent *one* back to
Leica
> NJ for an under-warranty vertical alignment adjustment, not because it was
> causing a problem with the finished product, but simply because the lack
of
> alignment was driving me crazy. (I should have checked this before I
bought the
> camera, but since it was my first Leica, I didn't know any better...Thanks
to
> the LUG, I now know how to check these aspects before I buy :-) I was
without
> the camera for seven days and it has worked perfectly ever since - even
> surviving trips on express prop planes on which the vibration is enough to
> loosen dental fillings!


All of the posts are still making me a bit quesy about buying an M6 again,
even though I know I need to.  When I used Nikon's for about 20 years, I had
only one failure that occured after 800 rolls on an F4.  The 3 other bodies
(F2, FG, FM-2) never missed a beat.  I currently have 3 Contax bodies and
they have been rock solid.  The only Leica I owned (an M6 classic from 5
years ago) had its meter go funny on me, and now that you mention it, the
vertical alignment was also out of adjustment !  I'm wondering if we don't
have a case here of the Emperor not wearing any clothes.  A substantial
percentage of the posts on reliability have indicated that maintenance was
required, yet everyone seems to be singing praises to the reliability.  When
the R8 first came out, about 35% of the people in the Photoforum of
Compuserve who bought them had to return them for repair.  The flash
connections didn't work on more than a few, and one poor guy couldn't remove
a lens after he put it on.  Those that bought the early winders had even
more trouble.

I guess that what I want is a nice small Nikon or Canon rangefinder body
that would accept the Leica lenses.  Then I could have the best of both
worlds.

Michael