CLA-another perspective

[BillMcD]

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An interesting read and food for thought from Dante Stella

 

Dante Stella

 

Bill

[wizard]

My 2 cents on this one: Leicas need to be serviced more often because they react more unfavorable to not being used than other cameras. And the truth is, sadly, that many Leica cameras are not being used enough. I know several people that use their Leica regularly (say, a film per month or more) and they haven't had any problems for years. I also know collectors, who send in their cameras for CLA every five years or so, as they discover something has become sticky again.

 

Another problem is that some have too many Leicas to use them all regularly, and there you go again ...

 

Cheers,

 

Andy

[budrichard]

If it doesn't work, service the camera, if it works no problem unless you are a working photog going on assignments where everything must function and even then you will have at least two bodies. I never serviced my Nikon F's and never my M7's unless something is wrong.-Dick

[Michael Geschlecht]

Hello Everybody,

 

I mentioned a while back that one of the things we do is repair well made old clock mechanisms.

 

An interesting observation : The mechanical camera business, whether M4 or Kardan B was developed for the most part from already existant watch and clock businesses.

 

Mechanical parts used in cameras came for the most part from the clock/watch business. Screws, gear wheels, barrels. Almost everything.

 

For example: Pignons SA, originally a watch parts manufacturer, made Alpas while continuing to make fine quality watch parts. Their cameras were made as well as any M or SL.

 

Watches and clocks are conceptually often similar but the size differences make the actual work done quite different.

 

People who do one often never do the other unless they learn the other separately.

 

Leitz's reputation built from building to microscope tolerances was long before equalled by the makers of fine quality clocks and watches.

 

Just not often done by camera makers of the same time.

 

In the field of old clock mechanism restoration you hear the same discussions that go on on this Forum.

 

Here is what we generally tell people to do and do ourselves with old clock works:

 

It has been our experience (We do not do our own cameras) that cameras have generally benefitted from the same advice.

 

Clocks are like people in many ways:

 

The less you take them apart + put them back together the happier they are. Like people they are not designed to be taken apart and put back together more than need be.

 

They are also like people in that they do not do well sitting around doing nothing. Clocks mechanisms are designed to function best being used (Sorry Collectors).

 

Just like a person who sits on a couch too much, they often become somewhat creaky if left alone too long.

 

As with people simple repetitive exercise will, on many occasions, take a seemingly imperfectly running clock and have it being its old self again.

 

Slowly and carefully @ first. Deliberately and patiently. Usually, eventually the old self comes back.

 

Also: Clocks are Samoyeds. They may enjoy some time on the couch but they are at their best while working. Long hard work under less than ideal conditions is where they shine. Just don't abuse them.

 

Also, As I write this I have a small bottle of good clock oil on my desk which is about thirty or more years old. The oil is fine, still perfectly usable. Please note: The by far largest proportion of old clocks we have done in the 47 years we have been here have not yet come back to be re-serviced.

 

The largest part of those which have come back have first been excercised and used in all combinations of all aspects for a reasonable period of time as suggested above either by us or their owners (Their choice).

 

Subsequently most have been just fine. Altho some on occasion do need work.

 

Think about it

 

You might even try it.

 

Best Regards,

 

Michael

 

BTW: One other thing for both clocks and people: If your forcing something you are probably not doing it correctly.

 

Samoyeds also.

[farnz]

It seems that the usually rational and informative Mr Stella is either short on sleep or has toothache. Or perhaps he has been abducted and replaced by aliens.

 

Most Leica owners arrange some sort of insurance to guard against their expensive equipment being lost or stolen. A CLA is no more than that; insurance against mechanical wear since Leica equipment is designed and built to last for a very long time.

 

But it's not so much the equipment that wears as the unguents, oils and ointments with which the Gnomes of Solms annoint this precision equipment that degrade with the passing of time. And since longer-lasting and improved unguents, oils and ointments are being developed it makes sense to replace those of yesteryear with those of 'thisteryear' doesn't it?

 

So much for Mr Stella's vitriol.

 

Pete.