Re: [Leica] Test Certificate with new lenses.

[Vick Ko <vick.ko@sympatico.ca>]

A well designed product today is one that inherently maintains its performance

excellence and requires a minimum of high-craftsman skill.  The "signed
inspection card" is a symbol of the days when quality was the direct output
of very highly skilled people.

Today, mechanized high precision machines (to create ASPH lenses), high
tolerance piece parts (from CNC and even diamond turning lathes) minimize
the need for final assembly tweaking by people with "just the right touch".

All the meticulous examination in the world won't make a badly designed
and impossible to assemble item function well.  And all those QA inspectors
will certainly add to the assembly cost of the item.

I cherish my old Leica's because they feel like someone (actually, a whole
team of peoople) with "just the right touch" put them together.  My M6
doesn't quite feel that way.  And I am tempted more to think that my
ASPH lenses are so wonderful because of some insightful optical designers,
and some very very well maintained CNC lens fabrication machine.

And a team of people with "just the right attitude" to assemble it clean and
dust-free, lubricated, and "just right".

So - is there meaning to a signed QA card?  Maybe.  I'd prefer to see
credit given to those with "just the right touch", not the inspectors.

V


Guy Bennett wrote:

> >As promised during the Photokina LUG meeting,
> ><http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=003tI7>
> >there is now a "Test Certificate" joined with new lenses.
> >It says:
> >"This Leica product was meticulously examined by experienced
> >professionals at several stages of production."
> >Signed   , (but no name)
> >
> >Cool,
> >Lucien
>
> I got one of these with a new M6 0.58 purchased earlier this month, but
> mine was signed.
>
> I'm not sure what the point of the slip is, other than to be able to trace
> back a defective piece to the person who inspected it.
>
> Guy