Two things confirmed to me...

[marknorton]

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... at Photokina.

 

1. No new EVF for the M Typ 240. Seemed like for ever. What you have now is all you'll ever get, so keep that in mind if an M-P takes your fancy. It's old iron already.

 

2. The APO 50 recall replaced one of the lens elements in the lens followed by test and calibration.

[jamriman]

That just plain bites. I would have splurged on that M-P if it took the new Oly VF-4. Another 2 yrs wait?

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[rramesh]

In one product i.e. the M60, Leica has taken away a desire in me to see new features in LCD, additional control buttons, on-board post processing, shutter release cable, choice of an appropriate strap, worry about a visible screw and what to paste on it, amongst others.

 

Now if only, they had removed the hot shoe, I would not have to worry about choice of a flash, or viewfinder, a thumbs up or other ridiculous products.

 

I love the M60. And if this a statement of Leica's future for a rangefinder, I am sold.

[mfunnell]

Now if only, they had removed the hot shoe, I would not have to worry about choice of a flash, or viewfinder, a thumbs up or other ridiculous products.

:D

 

If they'd removed the rangefinder, no need to worry about focus. Remove the viewfinder and no worry about framing. Remove the lens mount and no need to fuss over lens selection. Remove the shutter release and you'd never have to worry about photography!

 

This is getting expensive, though. Each feature removed would cost an additional US$5000 By the time they remove the whole camera that small piece of thin air is starting to cost a lot of money! Then they'll remove the air, one GAS at a time

 

...Mike

[helged]

The APO 50 recall replaced one of the lens elements in the lens followed by test and calibration.

 

For those of us having been a little off-line recently - do you have a link to this info? New for me, anyway...

[mjh]

For those of us having been a little off-line recently - do you have a link to this info?

I take “Two things confirmed to me at Photokina” to mean that these points were raised by Mark talking to some Leica representative at photokina and that’s what they’ve said. If it was published on the web he didn’t have to ask.

[Bill W]

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So far I have not returned my APO 50. I wonder if it is necessary or not. Will the lens element fail at some point or was this just a bad run on this lens. I wish Leica had give more detailed information upfront.

[gpwhite]

So far I have not returned my APO 50. I wonder if it is necessary or not. Will the lens element fail at some point or was this just a bad run on this lens. I wish Leica had give more detailed information upfront.

 

I received my APO 50 on January 31, 2013, and it was obviously an early production piece. Yes, it will flare when I point it so that the sun is just above one of the upper corners of the frame. But the images are all beautiful, and I have never considered sending it back to Leica to mess around with.

[colonel]

... at Photokina.

 

1. No new EVF for the M Typ 240. Seemed like for ever. What you have now is all you'll ever get, so keep that in mind if an M-P takes your fancy. It's old iron already.

 

2. The APO 50 recall replaced one of the lens elements in the lens followed by test and calibration.

 

The EVF was old when the 240 was launched

No news there

It does it's job great for R lenses and accurate framing but 99% of the time I use the RF which is a major part of why I like the M series, apart from the lenses

[Bill W]

I received my APO 50 on January 31, 2013, and it was obviously an early production piece. Yes, it will flare when I point it so that the sun is just above one of the upper corners of the frame. But the images are all beautiful, and I have never considered sending it back to Leica to mess around with.

I agree. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Someone here in the past said that eventually every APO 50 would need to be returned but who knows.

[Hey You]

I received my APO 50 in August 2013.

While the lens was indeed glorious, it flared horribly.

Whenever it flared, the entire image would be washed out.

 

I was reluctant to return it, and debated living with it as it was.

However, because this lens is so special, I decided to return it to Leica for correction

I did so in April 2014, and received it back four months later, in August.

 

What I notice is that the edge of the rear lens element is now blackened.

My recollection is that previously it was not.

So it seems that the lens element which Leica replaces is this one.

 

The lens still gives glorious images, and now only flares if deliberately provoked.

It will not flare under circumstances which previously would have washed out the entire image.

Even when it doe flare, the flare is limited.

 

No regrets.

My advice is to return it. The lens can only be improved, not degraded.

[microview]

[that's] why I like the M series, apart from the lenses

 

Yes, the lenses are crap, aren't they...:D:D

[Rick]

Thanks Mark. I suspected a coating problem on on one of the surfaces of an element. I returned my APO 50 in the first week.

 

Also, the problem is not when you point it at the sun. This would be normal. The problem occurs under other conditions and I'm sure all of the first generation lenses do this to some degree.

 

Anyone asking above; I would certainly send your $8,000 lens back to Leica and have the new element exchanged. Leica is not going to send you a personal invitation to gut their profit statement. Come on.

[Arif]

I received my APO 50 in August 2013.

While the lens was indeed glorious, it flared horribly.

Whenever it flared, the entire image would be washed out.

 

I was reluctant to return it, and debated living with it as it was.

However, because this lens is so special, I decided to return it to Leica for correction

I did so in April 2014, and received it back four months later, in August.

 

What I notice is that the edge of the rear lens element is now blackened.

My recollection is that previously it was not.

So it seems that the lens element which Leica replaces is this one.

 

The lens still gives glorious images, and now only flares if deliberately provoked.

It will not flare under circumstances which previously would have washed out the entire image.

Even when it doe flare, the flare is limited.

 

No regrets.

My advice is to return it. The lens can only be improved, not degraded.

 

I did the same and am happy that I did. It is a wonderful lens and I wanted to remove any doubts when I am using it. It did take a long time to repair but now I am happy that I had it done.

[colonel]

Yes, the lenses are crap, aren't they...:D:D

 

 

Why do you think the lenses are crap ?

[mfunnell]

Why do you think the lenses are crap ?

I suspect you're irony/sarcasm meter may need adjustment...

 

...Mike

[Exodies]

The EVF was old when the 240 was launched

No news there

It does it's job great for R lenses and accurate framing but 99% of the time I use the RF which is a major part of why I like the M series, apart from the lenses

 

Microview is parsing your sentence differently from how you intended, for comic effect.

 

Your intention:

I like the M series because of the RF although my main reason for liking it is the lenses.

 

Microview's reading:

I like the M series because of the RF although I don't like the lenses.

 

"Apart from" can be applied to what you like (Microview) or what you think is the most likable feature (you).

[colonel]

Microview is parsing your sentence differently from how you intended, for comic effect.

 

 

 

Your intention:

 

I like the M series because of the RF although my main reason for liking it is the lenses.

 

 

 

Microview's reading:

 

I like the M series because of the RF although I don't like the lenses.

 

 

 

"Apart from" can be applied to what you like (Microview) or what you think is the most likable feature (you).

 

 

You think ?

Something else to do today ...