[Leica] Nokton 35/1.2 Lens, loose screws

[images at comporium.net (Tina Manley)]

LUG:

I really liked this lens and was using it a lot.  Then, before my 
trip to Peru, I was taking photos with it when I suddenly noticed 
that all of the blades had dropped.  It had seemed a little stiff 
before that but no other hints of problems.  I may have even written 
the LUG about it at the time.  I sent the lens back to Camera Quest, 
it should have been under warranty.  I sent it overnight and was 
hoping to get it back before the Peru trip but that didn't work 
out.  Stephen e-mailed me in Peru and said that all of the internal 
screws had come loose - as if they had been vibrated loose on a 
plane.  The problem is that I had never taken that lens on any 
trip.  The only time it might have been on plane was shipping it to 
me. In any case, the loose screws were not covered by the one-year 
warranty so I have to pay $60 labor for rescrewing the screws - (+the 
overnight shipping, but that was my fault.)

What I want to know is - do the CV lenses have this problem 
often?  I've taken my Leica lenses on many, many plane and jeep and 
other rough trips and the only one that has had a problem was my 
Noctilux which vibrated loose from the lens mount and fell in the 
mud, but that was after 20 years of travel.

If I have to pay to have the screws reattached after every trip, this 
lens will hardly be worth it.  Has anybody else had this problem with 
CV lenses?

Tina

Tina Manley
www.tinamanley.com