[Leica] marc'small's M3 - M6 explanation

[SthRosner@aol.com]

Hello all:

I read marc's Leitz/Leica postwar history with interest. I've been buying and 
using Leicas since the late 1940s and from the early 1960s have been familiar 
and friendly with the folks at E. Leitz NY from the time when they were at 
Park Avenue South and Hudson Street in Manhattan. I also frequented photo 
shops large and small throughout New York City. What particularly caught my 
attention was his assertion that Leitz recommended annual CLAs of their new 
cameras. Never heard of such a thing. I also know that the smaller camera 
stores - which significantly outnumbered the big ones, never had a repair man 
in-house. So I shared marc's post with several photograper friends all of 
whom have used Leicas for many years. None had ever heard of a suggestion by 
Leitz/Leica of a yearly CLA. One of them has just written me as follows:

**Most Leica dealers in the United States in the 50's and 60's did not have 
an on-board repair guy. Some of the larger stores may have but Leica 
franchises included many little stores that could not afford a separate tech 
under salary. Besides, Leitz New York had the large repair facility at Hudson 
Street in New York City that could handle anything from a CLA to installing 
flash synch in a IIIc. And Leitz NY needed to keep their repair facility 
fully functioning and with a regular flow of maintenance and repair business. 
They were really good, their service was flawless and turnaround times quick. 
They didn't need the small shops. 

**And an annual CLA??? I've been in Leicas for over 40 years and never heard 
this before. Leitz NEVER recommended annual CLA's. I think marc sometimes 
makes a lot of this up to sound profound and wise. What is his authority or 
evidence for such a nonsense claim? And if the build quality of the new M6's 
is so good, why do used 
M2/3/4 cameras fetch higher prices than new M6s not only for collector 
cameras but even for users in nice condition? 

**The M3 is a demonstrated 50 year success story (a late LN M3 in box 
recently sold on eBay for $3,200.). During its short 17 years, the M6 has 
been and sometimes still is questioned as to its quality. Marc is right about 
one thing, today's Leica workforce is not, all in all, as capable as the 
Leitz workforce during the 1950s and 60s nor does it have that group's pride 
of workmanship to the same degree.**


Let the drums begin.

Seth        LaK 9
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