Re: [Leica] M reliability

[John Collier <jbcollier@home.com>]

on 19/1/00 6:28 pm, TTAbrahams@aol.com at TTAbrahams@aol.com wrote:

> If you disassemble an M2/M3/M4 there are more screws and nuts holding it
> together than the later M6. This is not necessarily better as they can
> vibrate loose or even worse become stuck and break off if you have to work on
> them. Leica, just as any other manufacturer, is making full use of advances
> in the metallurgy, machining, computer design etc that has happened in the
> last 30-40 years. Sometimes less is better, at lest when it comes to long
> lived design. What is remarkable with the M-camera is not how much it has
> changed, but how little it needed to change to be a modern, usable camera in
> year 2000.

and also Marc wrote:

> -- Mike and Stephen and
> Don will never allow the slightest opportunity to pass without repeating
> the hoary old myths about "older is better".

There is a great deal of confusion about what quality and reliability are
and how and if they are interrelated. I work in a similar field to camera
repair and these questions and misunderstandings come up all the time. In
the "classic" car field there is much talk of the "good old days" and "they
do not make them like they used too" etc etc.
    I have worked on Alvis, RR, Aston Martin, Mercedes Benz on both the
older and newer models. I also have worked on consumer cars including
domestic, European, Asian et all. The basic generalizations I would make are
that newer is more reliable and has a longer service life, and, that quality
is a difficult thing to pin down.
    It is a joy for repair person to work on a machine that is beautifully
hand finished with everything adjustable to the nth degree, however, as Tom
points out, adjustable pieces can either loosen so you have to adjust them
or freeze so you cannot adjust them. When I first worked on a German Ford
Capri, I was shocked as there was no provision for adjusting the basic
angles of the front end! The rep explained that if you build it right in the
firs place, it will not need adjustment. All the mechanics looked at him a
little squiggly eyed and thought that he was nuts. Well he turned out to be
right and virtually every other manufacturer has joined suite.
   In the good old days, it was impossible to manufacture something with
sufficient precision to do without adjustments to compensate for production
variations in casting, machining etc. Is the new lack of adjustments, a lack
of reliability, no it has proved itself many times over. Precision made
parts fit and operate correctly the first time with no adjustment needed. Is
the new lack of adjustments, a lack of quality, well that depends on how you
feel about it. I have come to feel that adjustments are only necessary in
wearing parts like bearings, timing mechanisms, shock sensitive mechanisms,
etc.
    Now what do I like to work on? The old jewel like stuff of course! There
is a pleasure hand fitting beautiful cast pieces with many intricate
adjustments that has to be experienced to be believed. Is it more reliable
.....no. Is it better quality.....hmmmm.

John Collier