Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/05/07
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]The price Douglas mentioned does sound very expensive. I assume his camera was serviced by Leica in Solms. I had a newly acquired CL overhauled by Odin, the Leica distributor in the Netherlands, for around 200 Euro. Now, it may be that R servicing is more expensive but I cannot imagine it costing 600 Euro here unless major components need to be replaced. Nathan grduprey@rockwellcollins.com wrote: > > Service in Europe must be allot more expensive. I just had my R4SP > serviced due to its only failure in 13 years, an dit only cost me $320 for > a complete repair and servicing. This was done at Leica NJ, and only 1.5 > weeks total turn around. > > Gene > > |---------+--------------------------------------------------------> > | | "Douglas M. Sharp" | > | | <DouglasMSharp@netscape.net> | > | | Sent by: | > | | lug-bounces+grduprey=rockwellcollins.com@leic| > | | a-users.org | > | | | > | | | > | | 05/07/2004 10:47 AM | > | | Please respond to Leica Users Group | > | | | > |---------+--------------------------------------------------------> > >-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| > | | > | To: Leica Users Group <lug@leica-users.org> | > | cc: | > | Subject: Re: [Leica] Ten years behind? I think not. | > >-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| > > Greg, > I agree with you on the feel of the R8/9, I found that my fingers just > fall into place to turn twist or press whatever they should, > BUT , after using Leicas from IIIG through M2, M6 , all the SLs and > all the Rs except the R4, for ME it is the ugliest brute of a camera > I've ever laid eyes on. > The SLs looked and felt as like really serious bits of engineering, > The R3 was ok and the rest of the Rs were light, compact, quite > ergonomically built and a dream to use whilst retaining the combination > of precise workmanship, stability and all the other factors contributing > to what the Germans call "Wertigkeit" > > If you look at the basic shape of the R8 it seems to be a retro-design > harking back to the body shape of the Exaktas, and when you put the > motor-drive > on it's shaped like an army water canteen. (I think the people from > Leicas binocular design group must have been in on the design process > too.) > A camera doesn't NEED to be the size of the R8, with the advances in > micromotors and micro-electronics available at the time Leica could have > reduced its size and weight by a third without any loss of stability or > function. Contax started going in the right direction with the 137MD - > compact, motorised and running > on AA batteries, but unfortunately didn't follow up on this design trend. > I was on a tour of the factory in Solms a couple of years ago, just > after the R8 came out. From what the users had to say about its bugs > Leica should > have waited a bit longer before releasing it : flash > problems,electronics, scratched films, a weak tripod bush and various > other teething troubles. To me it was a confession on the part of the > constructors that the R9 was released,considering a typical Leica > timeframe, such a relatively short time after the R8. > > Don't get me wrong, I love my Leicas and wouldn't do without them, I > only wish they could have packed the new stuff into an R7 body. > > My real complaint about Leica is that for pretty basic repairs,CLA or > whatever you pay nearly the price of a mid-range SLR of any other marque > you'd > like to name. (example : general service and adjustments plus a little > bit of electronics on an R4mot electronic would have cost me over 600 > euros, > 100 euros more than the price I had intended to pay for it s/h) > > Douglas > > BTW to those of us out there who took the plunge and bought the R8 or 9 > -- what real advantages did you get from it ? how often do you use its > extra functions ? do you feel that it's helping you to record better > images ? > > GREG LORENZO schrieb: > > >I don't know any R8 users who don't like the feel, layout and features of > the R8. I believe some people on the list who purchased an early R8 had > some electronic gremlins which Leica seems to have dealt effectively with. > (I've never had a single problem with mine.) > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information -- Nathan Wajsman Almere, The Netherlands e-mail: n.wajsman@chello.nl Mobile: +31 630 868 671 http://www.nathanfoto.com/index.html