Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/04/24

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Subject: [Leica] Gerry does it again (long)
From: John Collier <jbcollier@shaw.ca>
Date: Wed, 24 Apr 2002 07:23:12 -0600

As you all know I purchased an early M4-2 so I could find out if the 
early cameras really had all the problems everyone said they did. And, 
as I have written previously, everyone was remarkably prescient. Please 
consider me just another member of the everyone crowd; never ever buy an 
early M4-2 period.

I have the camera though and I am sure as heck not just going to unload 
it on some unsuspecting Leica buff. So Gerry Smith of Kindermann Canada 
has been in charge of getting the darn thing working properly. I 
strongly suspect that the last few weeks will have had him pining for 
the fjords of his native land, far away from any place that might have 
an early M4-2. This of course depends on his native land having fjords.

First he did a proper CLA on it. This was to fix the problems caused by 
the first CLA done by They Who Shall Remain Unnamed But Should Bloody 
Well Have Known Better (TWSRUBSBWHKB from here on in). He warned me that 
the motor drive coupling was worn but should be OK with just a 
RapidWinder. The camera arrived back and the drive coupling promptly 
expired so I sent it back.

Gerry next installed the new style of drive coupling from the M4-P and 
up cameras and phoned me to say it was on its way back. It would not 
have made it in time for my holidays, so I told them to not send it 
until I got back. Three weeks after I got back (five weeks later) there 
was still no sign of the camera!

Finally Gerry gave me a call and, after saying several polite but 
plainly negative comments on early M4-2s and inexperienced repair 
people, told me his sad sad tale. He had the camera all fixed up and 
ready to box up for shipping. It had been sitting for a couple of days 
and when he picked it up and fired the shutter, it fired off a blank! He 
fired it again and no troubles.

So for the next four weeks, he would let the camera sit for at least 
three days and then test it. It had to be that long or the camera would 
not misbehave. It would only fire the very first shot blank and then you 
would have to leave it alone for another three days to try it again. So 
he would try an adjustment or two, wait three days and see if it he had 
found the problem. Then he would do it all over again, and again, and 
again...

The problem turned out to be a shutter roller that had been poked 
inappropriately during one of its previous repairs. This VERY slightly 
bent the tip of the roller so that, if it was left a long time, the tip 
would stick slightly in its bushing.

The charge for all this labour that was not any fault of Gerry's?

Nothing, nada, not one penny.

He is charging me for the parts but the labour is all free. When I 
insisted he charge something for his hours of frustrating work, he 
simply says that you cannot bill every hour and on some jobs you just 
have to take a loss and write it off as a learning experience. WHAT A 
GUY!!!

What else can I say?

John Collier

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Replies: Reply from "Christopher Williams" <LeicaChris@worldnet.att.net> (Re: [Leica] Gerry does it again (long))
Reply from Jeffery Smith <jsmith45@bellsouth.net> (Re: [Leica] Summarit 50/1.5)
Reply from "Roland Smith" <roland@dnai.com> (Re: [Leica] Gerry does it again (long))